Michael Ritchie's comedy concerns an unlikely friendship that forms between two down-on-their-luck men who have just recently lost their jobs. Donald Quinelle (Robin Williams) was fired by his boss's parrot because his boss couldn't bear to confront Donald with the terrible news. Meanwhile, Sonny Paluso (Walter Matthau) lost his gas station to an explosion. Drowning their sorrows in a bar one day, a criminal tries to rob the establishment. Surprising even themselves, Donald and Sonny become local celebrities when they identify the perpetrator. Unfortunately, this robber, Jack (Jerry Reed), also happens to be a hit man, and when Jack sees their faces on television, his uncontrollable anger triggers him into tracking them down and making them pay for ruining his bid at scoring some quick cash. While he searches for the inept duo, Donald has an awakening in which he moves to the mountains and learns to survive out in the wild. Jack's pursuit of Donald and Sonny unleashes a series of comical escapades that provide THE SURVIVORS with its biggest laughs. Not as personal a work as his 1970s comedies, Ritchie's film is nonetheless an entertaining ride because of the energetic performances of Williams and Matthau.