The Survivors

The Survivors was unjustly overlooked. It's a very funny and original comedy featuring one of Robin Williams' most inventive performances. It's a chance to see Williams at his most volatile and daring, before he adapted his persona to bland "family" movies like Patch Adams. He has an excellent foil here in Walter Matthau. Check it out.

Despite being from 1983, then I will say that "The Survivors" actually still holds its ground today, and can still be watched as a movie that was filmed recently.

The story is about Sonny (played by Walther Matthau) who lost his gas station in an accident after 12 years of running it, and also the story of Donald (played by Robin Williams) who was fired from his upscale corporate job by a parrot nonetheless. The paths intertwine when they are at the same diner when a would-be robber attempts to rob the establishment.

Storywise, then "The Survivors" is fairly straight forward and simple. The story doesn't really require much from the audience. But what makes the movie work is the on screen charisma of both Walther Matthau and Robin Williams, and when put together they are like fire and ice.

While this is a comedy, then it is not the type of comedy that will have you laying down with cramps from laughing. The comedy here is more subtle and indirect.

There are some great one liners throughout the movie. And while this is a comedy, then it should be said that the movie does present a rather colorful take on the American rights to bear arms.

If you haven't already seen "The Survivors", then take note that it is well worth spending an hour an a half on.

"The Survivors" is characteristic of Robin Williams's movies before "Good Morning, Vietnam": innocuously silly. In this case, he and Walter Matthau join up after surviving a robbery, and Williams becomes a survivalist. The whole thing is pretty goofy - maybe even pointless - but some of the gags make up for that. I will say that it's not the funniest movie for either star by a long shot; both have done far better than this. But, it's the sort of movie that you sit around in your underwear and watch; it does a respectable job showing both stars' talents. Good for a few laughs.

Shooting a man's gun. Ha!

Young upper management executive Donald (Williams) gets canned as part of a restructuring. With his mind occupied by that he quite accidentally leaves a sizable gasoline spill outside a petrol station/auto shop just before its crotchety old proprietor Sonny (Mathau) tosses a stale cancer stick. After that Sonny no longer owns a petrol station/auto shop. Neither man really sees the other or knows what really happened.

These suddenly desperate sad-sacks converge on the local unemployment office whilst Jack (Reed) - one other more desperate yet decidedly more volatile individual is also there. At a nearby diner, while Donald and Sonny are sulking after a miserable day at the mercy of the federal bureaucracy, Jack shows up with a loaded gun and tries to rob the place. Jack has been pushed too far which results in his pushing Donald and Sonny too far. They foil the robbery but Donald is shot. Jack easily orchestrates his getaway.

Becoming cause celebres for their daring good deed in the incident doesn't help Donald or Sonny. The media ridicules them. Worse, Jack gets their names from the news reports and goes hunting after them as Sonny struggles through odd jobs and Donald alienates his fiancé by going to live at a survivalist camp. Tracking Donald to the camp by threatening Sonny, Jack is determined to finally silence both of the odd couple friends. Donald - exhilarated by the whole experience craves a final confrontation.

The film starts quite well to hook the viewer but most of the truly funny material is to be found at the beginning. By the middle it lags and lingers as gaping plot holes remain. The final thirty minutes are mostly unwatchable in the run-up to a nonsensical conclusion. They appeared to be looking for absolutely anything with which they could fashion a satisfactory conclusion for the final cut.

The Survivors is not the Best film of any of the casts' careers, but I found it pretty funny for the most part. Matthau's sticks to his grouchy old man routine and Williams to his manic everyman. The rest of the cast is OK. There is a little social commentary which is a little dated by now, but still. I liked it.