Since I've been getting DVDs, I have picked up a lot of movies that I have enjoyed over the years, some of them at very reasonable prices.  I recently found City Slickers and decided to get it.

Mitch Robbins and his two friends Ed and Phil frequently take vacations together.  Once he turns thirty-nine, Mitch starts having a mid life crisis, feeling bored with his life and being fed up with his job.  Ed and Phil plan for them all to go to a dude ranch and take part in an actual cattle drive.  Mitch says he isn't going at first, but his wife Barbara convinces him to go.  At the ranch, they and the other guests learn things they will need to do during the cattle drive.  Mitch has some conflicts with the trail boss, Curly, before the two men find a way to get along.  Unexpected things happen, leaving Mitch, Ed, and Phil deciding that they will finish the cattle drive themselves.

Time is taken when City Slickers begins to establish the characters and their situations before jumping into everything that happens with the ranch and cattle drive.  The first several minutes actually take place a year before the main time of the movie, during one of the adventure type trips the friends went on together.  Then the movie jumps forward and year and shows the mid life crisis that Mitch is having.  It does take a while for Mitch and his friends to even get to the ranch, and the pace is a little slower during that part of the movie.  It does make the character development stronger, but some viewers might be bored.  When I watched the movie this time, it was the first time I had watched it in years, and I had forgotten about a lot of what happens before they get to the ranch.

City Slickers is a very funny movie even though there are a few more serious moments every so often.  Phil's whole horrible situation with his wife does add humor.  He really can't ride a horse, and his attempts at that are hilarious.  Mitch ends up providing most of the humor though the things he says and does.  Some of the humor is more subtle, so it may not work for some viewers.  A few things that happen are more silly, something else that may not appeal to some people.  I think the humor works very well throughout the movie.

Most of what happens in City Slickers is tied to the ranch and cattle drive in some way.  The entire group is shown learning things before they are sent off with Curly and two other guys on the cattle drive.  I know nothing about being on a ranch or horses, so I have no clue if any of that was accurate or not.  It did make for some entertaining scenes in the movie.  One scene does deal with a cow giving birth which is kind of gross, though Norman the cow is adorable.  

Mitch is turning thirty-nine and having a crisis.  He decides that he hates his job and finds his life boring, though he isn't unhappy with his wife.  He is sort of moping around before the trip and he isn't too happy for a while once there.  He does manage to work through his issues during the cattle drive.  Billy Crystal does really well with the part.  Mitch's wife Barbara is only in a few scenes.  It is clear that they have a loving marriage and that she is supportive of her husband.  Patricia Wettig does well with the part.  Ed owns his own successful business that and recently got married.  He seems to have less issues than his friends.  He doesn't stand out as much as the other characters to me, and I'm not sure why.  Bruno Kirby does fine with the part.

Phil's marriage fell apart just before they went on the cattle drive.  His wife was a horribly bossy woman who sucked all the joy out of his life, but he does seem to miss once or twice.  He is having all kinds of problems in his life, though he keeps trying to be positive.  He does sort of start up a relationship with Bonnie, the one woman on the cattle drive.  Daniel Stern does a wonderful job as Phil.  Bonnie isn't featured as much, so Helen Slater really doesn't have a lot to do.

Barry and Ira are brothers who make ice cream.  It seems like they are supposed to be like the guys who make Ben & Jerry's.  The two of them are really out of place on a cattle drive.  Ben and Steven are father and son dentists.  None of them are given that much to do and they seem to be there just to fill out the group a bit.  Curly is the trail boss for the ranch and the man in charge on the cattle drive.  He is very intimidating and he scares most of the group.  Curly and Mitch do end up finding a way to connect at one point.  Jack Palance gave a wonderful performance, which earned him a best supporting Oscar.

Main Cast

Billy Crystal - Mitch
Bruno Kirby - Ed
Helen Slater - Bonnie
Daniel Stern - Phil
Patricia Wettig - Barbara

Ron Underwood - Director

DVD Information

I think City Slickers has been released on a DVD a few different times.  I have the collector's edition version that was released in 2008.  This version has a commentary with the director and two of the cast that I haven't listened to.  There are some new featurettes made just for this release of the movie.  Back in the Saddle: City Slickers Revisited has the cast, director, and script writers talking about the making of the movie.  It is entertaining.  Bringing in the Script Writing City Slickers is focused on the writing of the movie and also includes some interesting information.  A Star is Born: An Ode to Norman has some of the cast and crew talking about Norman the cow.  The Real City Slickers is about a real ranch that people can go to and work with cattle.  Some of the staff and guests talk about what goes on there.  There are also a few deleted scenes.

City Slickers is an entertaining funny movie that has held up well and still deserves to be seen.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD