Lover Marilyn Cooper as Waitress Reception The film did not garner many positive reviews, scoring only a 9% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 reviews. Many felt that Robin Williams and Walter Matthau's style of humor did not mesh well together. An exception to the negative critical tide was the review that Pauline Kael gave the film in The New Yorker: The banner line on the ad says ' Once they declare war on each other, watch out. You could die laughing.' The Survivors isn't about two men declaring war on each other; it's about two New Yorkers without anything in common who become friends. The advertisers probably didn't know what to do with it because it's a comedy for grownups. There's a lot of unconventional humour in the writing by Michael Leeson. Robin Williams' work transcends the film's flaws. He acts with an emotional purity that I can't pretend to understand. A lot of the comedy comes from his being a grownup with this ranting little kid inside him. Walter Matthau gives a quiet, old pro's performance. References External links 1983 films 1983 comedy films American comedy films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Michael Ritchie Films scored by Paul Chihara Films set in New York (state) Films shot in New York (state) Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City Films set in Vermont Films shot in Vermont 1980s English-language films 1980s American films