The Survivors (1983)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Michael Leeson (written by)

Release Date:

16 February 1984 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Once they declare war on each other, watch out. You could die laughing.

Plot:

Having both lost their jobs, two strangers become unlikely friends after a run in with a would be robber, who is actually a hitman with a grudge against the two.

Plot Keywords:

Gas Station | Secret Life | Unemployment | Robbery | Jimmy Hoffa

Cast

Walter Matthau	...	Sonny Paluso
Robin Williams	...	Donald Quinelle
Jerry Reed	...	Jack Locke
James Wainwright	...	Wes Huntley
Kristen Vigard	...	Candice Paluso
Annie McEnroe	...	Doreen
Anne Pitoniak	...	Betty
Bernard Barrow	...	TV station manager
Marian Hailey	...	Jack's Wife
Joseph Carberry	...	Detective Matt Burke
Skipp Lynch	...	Wiley
Marilyn Cooper	...	Waitress
Meg Mundy	...	Mace Lover
Yudie Bank	...	Accosted Old Lady
Michael P. Moran	...	Gun Salesman (as Michael Moran)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:L | Sweden:15 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Fairlee, Vermont, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

When Sonny Paluso (Walter Matthau) is trying to obtain unemployment benefits, sitting directly over his left shoulder is the bad guy Jack Locke (Jerry Reed) doing the same thing.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Donald shows his new "Assault Rifle" to his fiancé, he tells her it's "308 caliber with a... *snaps stock open* Folding stock". In fact, it's not. Donald's rifle is actually a Finnish Valmet Model 76 chambered in .223/5.56mm. While the Valmet 76 was available in .308/7.62 NATO, Donald's rifle is clearly, as noted by the size & shape of the magazine, the .223/5.56 model.

Quotes:

[Donald and Jack in a shoot-out to the death]
Donald: Jaaaack?
Jack: Yeah?
Donald: Time out, OK?
Jack: Time out?
Donald: Time out.
Jack: What do you mean, 'time out?'
Donald: You're not gonna believe this. I was in a hurry when I left the cabin this morning, and, well, silly me, I got the wrong bullets.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Robin Williams/James Taylor (#13.9)" (1988)

Soundtrack:

EVERY MAN A KING

Just a funny & simple Neil Simon-esque movie

I can't believe the reviews from these Roger Ebert wannabes that tear it down; it wasn't supposed to make a statement or have a sound plot --- it's a COMEDY, you idiots! The numerous one-liners in this movie are priceless, and if you can't appreciate how enjoyable it is, you've gotten way too serious about movies, folks. Its humor has withstood the test of time and it's a solid 7 of 10. This is one of Williams and Matthau's funniest and well worth your time. Would you believe that I never noticed that Robin flashed his genitals in the hospital scene until my wife saw it for the first time and pointed it out --- women have a heckuva radar for those things!