Strictly as a comedy, "City Slickers" is an 8 or nine star film. What makes it a 10/10 all-time classic, however, is how it touches on personal themes (especially for men) and makes you truly care about the characters.
For a very basic overview, this film tells the story of Mitch (Billy Crystal), who undergoes a mid-life crisis. He works a job that not longer excites him, is almost 40, and can't keep up on his best friend's big adventures (the film opens with the trio of buds running from the bulls in Spain). However, an opportunity presents itself for Mitch to be able to re-capture his youth--two weeks herding cattle at a Dude ranch--and he reluctantly takes it. Over the course of the trip, Mitch and pals Phil (Daniel Stern) and Ed (Bruno Kirby) recapture some of the excitement and genuine camaraderie that seemed to have been missing from their lives.
Like I said, strictly as a comedy "City Slickers" is hilarious. The jokes in this film are not the physical comedy of, say, Jim Carrey, but they expertly mirror the changes that each man is going through in his own life. The wise cracks are about one-per-minute and genuinely funny in a psychological, earned way.
Only helping matters is the superb acting form the entire cast. Crystal, Stern, and Kirby do the heavy-lifting, but the entirely of the auxiliary cast are also spot-on perfect. They each in turn provide the perfect compliment to Mitch's "old-age" crisis. The addition of Jack Palance as the trail-hardened cowboy (sort of an homage to all his old western film roles) is the cherry on top--a performance that earned him an Oscar.
Besides the comedy and acting, however, what always impresses me about watching this movie is the heart it ultimately possesses. The camaraderie, struggles, and real-life discussions between the characters really provides the emotional backbone of the film. Whether it's Mitch learning to find his "one thing" in life or Phil's complete breakdown, there are many tender or contemplative moments here. When Mitch, Ed, and Phil ride into camp with the rest of the herd in the film's final moments, you'll feel as if you've been on a real journey with them.
I consider "City Slickers" to be perhaps a top five comedy of all-time in my book. While that makes up about 75% of the proceedings to be sure, the rest is compromised of real-life messages that will have you thinking a bit deeper than most comedies ever will. That is the true power of the film.
For a very basic overview, this film tells the story of Mitch (Billy Crystal), who undergoes a mid-life crisis. He works a job that not longer excites him, is almost 40, and can't keep up on his best friend's big adventures (the film opens with the trio of buds running from the bulls in Spain). However, an opportunity presents itself for Mitch to be able to re-capture his youth--two weeks herding cattle at a Dude ranch--and he reluctantly takes it. Over the course of the trip, Mitch and pals Phil (Daniel Stern) and Ed (Bruno Kirby) recapture some of the excitement and genuine camaraderie that seemed to have been missing from their lives.
Like I said, strictly as a comedy "City Slickers" is hilarious. The jokes in this film are not the physical comedy of, say, Jim Carrey, but they expertly mirror the changes that each man is going through in his own life. The wise cracks are about one-per-minute and genuinely funny in a psychological, earned way.
Only helping matters is the superb acting form the entire cast. Crystal, Stern, and Kirby do the heavy-lifting, but the entirely of the auxiliary cast are also spot-on perfect. They each in turn provide the perfect compliment to Mitch's "old-age" crisis. The addition of Jack Palance as the trail-hardened cowboy (sort of an homage to all his old western film roles) is the cherry on top--a performance that earned him an Oscar.
Besides the comedy and acting, however, what always impresses me about watching this movie is the heart it ultimately possesses. The camaraderie, struggles, and real-life discussions between the characters really provides the emotional backbone of the film. Whether it's Mitch learning to find his "one thing" in life or Phil's complete breakdown, there are many tender or contemplative moments here. When Mitch, Ed, and Phil ride into camp with the rest of the herd in the film's final moments, you'll feel as if you've been on a real journey with them.
I consider "City Slickers" to be perhaps a top five comedy of all-time in my book. While that makes up about 75% of the proceedings to be sure, the rest is compromised of real-life messages that will have you thinking a bit deeper than most comedies ever will. That is the true power of the film.