The Out-of-Towners is one of the better comedies I have seen. With a stellar (but not Oscar-worthy) cast, the Out-of-Towners is a classic to me. Acting in terms of Martin and Hawn (they play a stressed-out, overdue married couple who's kids have been sent to college) is good, but not spectacular. Martin is talented, (as he shows here), but he cannot carry a film by himself, which is where John Cleese comes in. Cleese is a uptight, cross-dressing hotel manager with a presence that takes the movie to the next level. This is a movie that is helped by its directing and writing, as many of the funny moments (which are clever and well thought-out) should be credited to the writers more so than the stars. This and Bringing Down the House are the best Steve Martin films I have seen since Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.