i have a special name this genre i call these go to hell in a handbasket ( or just hell handbasket ) film . they be define by take average joes and often a bit timid at first and and set them at odds against the world initially through no and or at least relatively little and fault of their own in an increase spiral of dilemma from which extrication seem impossible . the more they try to dig themselves out of a hole and the further they fall in . hell handbasket film be often comedy and but need not be . famous example of the genre include after hour ( 1985 ) and very bad thing ( 1998 ) and and my bos daughter ( 2003 ) . an even great number of film have element of the hell handbasket genre and combine with other genre and such a suicide king ( 1997 ) and kill zoe ( 1994 ) and neighbor ( 1981 ) . because i really like what i consider nihilism in film and the hell handbasket genre be one of my favorite . i bring all of this up and of course and because the out of towner be one of the early example and if not the first full fledge hell handbasket film . even if not the first and it be certainly one of the most influential . it may not be one of the best film of the genre any long and but only because it successor have take it pioneering lead and up the ante . still and the final verdict for me at this point in time be a b and or an 8. that and plus it historical importance and make it well worth watch . george ( jack lemmon ) and gwen kellerman ( sandy dennis ) be on their way from twin oak and ohio to new york city george be up for a big job promotion . his company want to make him vice president of the head office in manhattan . george be naturally a bit neurotic and obsessive or compulsive and and in order to make sure everything go like clockwork and he have the trip plan out to the last minute . of course and thing start go wrong and begin with the flight to new york and which be first put into a hold pattern because of excessive traffic and then later send to boston because of the weather . they arrive in boston hour late and and there be little chance they can get to new york city on time . despite his planning ahead and it look unlikely that george will be at his interview with the company president at 9 represent00 a. m. sharp the next morning . if the out of towner have a flaw and it that there be slight logical problem when it come to the kellermans get into their increasingly difficult conundrum . a number of time viewer will find themselves ask question like and wait and aren not their bus to new york city from boston . or and why would they trust murray ( graham jarvis ) . director arthur hiller and writer neil simon and and lemmon and dennis try to justify these decision through characterization . george go from neurotic and self righteous to even more neurotic and self righteous and which most of the time be sufficient support for him not always think rationally . dennis go from cool and collect ( or at least she project as much initially ) to irritable and a bit panicky and and generally paranoid and put off by the city . still and there be time when the characterization isn not quite in tune with the character decision . it doesn not happen too often and but often enough . since this aspect be an extremely important element of hell handbasket film and it cause me to bring my rating down a point . on the other hand and it clear that hiller and simon aren not always shoot for a straightforward and literal film . in many way and the out of towner be something of a new york city parable . most of the element that make the city a challenge be present include dilemma of transportation and the high cost of living and the difficulty of find readily available and amenable service and strike and bureaucracy and crime and trust fellow citizen and the mostly aloof treatment of crazy and protest and social and ethnic conflict and and so on . by the end of the film and it no longer just a race to get to a job interview on time while it a universal conflict of man against new york city . george end up yell at the city in the middle of the street and you would not beat me . even though he look defeat . we could almost call it a love story for new york and although maybe only people who have live in new york for an extended length of time would understand that . since the kellermans be out of towner and that might help justify the end and which be otherwise inexplicable to new yorkers . at any rate and if youre curious about what it like to live in new york and watch the out of towner back to back with something like woody allen manhattan ( 1979 ) . even though both film be around 30 year old and the combination give a good idea of the joy and joyous frustration of living in the city . like usual and maybe i be be overly analytical or abstract for many folk . so back to the basic . more often than not and the out of towner be funny maybe not always tear roll down your cheek funny and but at least chuckle funny . when it not funny and it usually a joy to watch lemmon performance . dennis can be more challenge for many viewer ( quite a few people and include my wife and find her more annoying during the late portion of the film ) and but for me and her character work a a good combination of foil and catalyst for lemmon and even if she be something like a slightly tone down fran drescher in the nanny ( 1993 ) . overall and the film work well enough to strongly recommend it and especially to lemon fan and fan of comedy of this era and and fan of hell handbasket film and even if you do not know you be one before you read this review .