SimonJack When this 1983 Columbia comedy was made, American society was in a place of flux with an uneasiness and uncertainty about life and the future. The Cold War was old and wearing. The "sexual revolution" of the 1960s had since passed into history, but its tentacles were everywhere in society. Secularism was just becoming vogue in society if not yet in conversation. And political correctness was about to emerge. There seemed to be a malaise over what comes next. I thought about that malaise when reading the comments about this movie. Few others saw the satire or could appreciate the farce. Some thought it was just a funny movie. This film pokes fun at many of the social conditions of the time. It breaks ground on social commentary that was beginning to emerge as critique of some of the foibles of the American system and society. Some of those things in years ahead would become more agitating. We didn't know it then, but we do now, looking back. So, I'm somewhat surprised that so few people who have commented on "The Survivors" could see how it spoofed so much of what was going on and emerging. Much of the movie is devoted to the survivalist training and escapism by Robin Williams as Donald Quinelle. Closely connected to that is the effort of Walter Matthau's Sonny Paluso to keep from getting killed by a criminal, Jack Locke, played by Jerry Reed. But, feeding both of these subplots within this film are many nuances of things that don't seem right about society. Williams, Matthau and Reed all play their parts well, as do a few people in the supporting cast. The film has a good share of antics, especially by Donald. And the screenplay is filled with witty, farcical and outrageous lines. These and some of the early situations leading up to the survivalist confrontations are what build on the satire. But for some unnecessary profanity and occasional crassness, I would have this movie in my library of satire films. Before I give some sample lines of the humor, consider these few situations that spoof the culture of the time. After Sonny loses his gas station and is out of work, he can't draw unemployment relief while he looks for work. He tells the social worker he has paid into the unemployment insurance for 15 years as an employer, and asks rhetorically, why he can't receive any assistance when he has lost his job? The woman says, "You cannot be unemployed. You were an employer."The irony and political correctness spoof are so clear in this scene. The government employee is a Hindu woman who has a red jewel (bindi) on her forehead. She has an accent so she is a recent immigrant. Yet, she has a job and tells the native-born Sonny that there's no help for him. She tells him to go stand in another line, but Sonny protests. He stood in line six hours just to see her, and now she tells him to go stand in another line. He says, "You can't treat people like cattle. Oh, excuse me." She glares at him, and I laughed all the harder. Once more Sonny protests, and she sprays mace in his face. Of course, that wasn't funny.When Sonny and Donald take Jack Locke into the police station to turn him over, they're told to wait in line. The police are all busy and there's a line. No one pays attention to them, looks up, or listens to what they have to say. It's just, "get in line." The survivalist stuff is a poke at that type of social craze that reared its head a couple of times in the 20th century. And, Sonny's reticence to "get involved" or report a criminal is a jab at an attitude that was quite prominent in that time that further enabled small-time crooks and others to get by with thievery and other crimes. There were some other satirical jabs in places (i.e. Sonny's 16-year old daughter watching a porn video she got from a teacher). Here are some of my favorite lines from this film. Masked Jack Locke, robbing the café, "S--- man, you ain't got no money. What did they pay you in, food stamps? You oughta be robbing me."Donald is lying on the floor after being shot in the arm. He's frantic. Sonny says, "You're not going to die." Donald, "They always say that to people who are going to die."Donald's girlfriend, Doreen (played by Annie McEnroe), "Donald, I'm sure no one who matters watches the five o'clock news."Jack Locke, "I was raised a Southern Baptist and I place a high value on human life. $20,000 minimum."Donald, "This will be like skiing, except for the booby traps." Doreen, "I don't believe in surviving. I believe in living."Donald, on the phone to Jack, "You drive fast, oyster brain. Because the sooner you get here, the sooner there'll be one less wart on the ass of society."Jack tells his wife that he goes away at times because he's a professional killer. "So, I'm not out there committing adultery. I'm out there committing murder."Donald, after shooting a pop-up target that has a boom box, "Wes says to shoot the radios because without music they lose half their will to fight."Wes, "Welcome to the new Middle Ages."Donald, "What kind of man gives cigarettes to trees?" One has to see this scene for the full humor.

Jason Daniel Baker Young upper management executive Donald (Williams) gets canned as part of a restructuring. With his mind occupied by 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 sadsacks 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 in the incident will 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.

lightninboy There was bound to be a movie like this in the early 1980s, a time of the Cold War, recession and survivalists. Walter Matthau plays Sonny Paluso, an ex-filling station operator. Kristen Vigard plays his teenage daughter Candice. Robin Williams plays Donald Quinelle. Donald and Sonny become friends. Donald gets put in the hospital. Donald says that being in the hospital makes him think about God. Donald gets fed up with modern civilization. Donald goes to a survivalist camp, even mushing sled dogs. Sonny goes to the camp with Candice to convince Donald that he is overreacting. The movie has a "happy ending" that seems somewhat phony. Perhaps that is why the movie is seldom shown.

Robin Turner The Survivors is not one of Robin Williams' best films, but it is worth watching, and thinking about. The beginning keeps you guessing about what kind of film it is - Robin Williams' character, Donald, is fired from his job, and we have a few comments about the Social Security system. Then suddenly he foils a robbery, together with Walter Matthau (Sonny).The two characters go in different directions - Sonny tries to make a deal with the robber to leave them alone, while Donald goes to Vermont to join a survivalist community. Each try to deal with the villain in their own way.The film suffers from sentimentality and moralism, like most of Williams' films, but it has humour and a good insight into the paranoia of American society.