The first hour is an unstoppable wave of creative concepts, hilarious gags and ridiculous scenarios that make this neo-purgatory situation feel both reassuring and frightening at the same time, trully remarkable -- by the way, my own…. Jayce Fryman 18,693 films 2,887 99 Edit, This list collects every film from the Starting List that became They Shoot Pictures Don't They's 1000 Greatest Films. Man, EVERYBODY rips this movie off. It's similarly well observed, and it's kind of hilarious that Albert Brooks apparently independently came up with one of the central philosophies of Buddhism, but for my taste MR was just that little but better. In a filmography packed with characters that are bundles of different types of nerves crashing through their existences, Brooks finally sends one them to be graded for it in the afterlife. College freshmen who say "I don't necessarily think of God as a man with a big white beard?" Brook’s mildly scummy ad exec (this is a near sequel to “Lost in America”) is forced to live through the most traumatic parts of his existence in a celestial court. It is Albert Brooks' notion in this film that after death we pass on to a sort of heavenly way station where we are given the opportunity to defend our actions during our most recent lifetime. Miracle Workers? What a cute little film. And in this case offering us a large slice of angel food for thought. He awakens in a place named Judgment City, which resembles those blandly modern office and hotel complexes around big airports. The OFFICIAL Facebook Page for Defending Your Life. It also stars Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant, and Buck Henry. This is a perfect story notion for Brooks, whose movies always involve his insecurities about himself, his relationships, and his material possessions. We're still stuck with images of angels playing harps, which worked fine for Renaissance painters. It sits on your brain and blocks everything. Rip Torn’s best. Daniel's defense attorney, Bob Diamond, explains that people from Earth use so little of their brains (only three to five percent) that they spend most of their lives functioning on the basis of their fears. Despite its comedic overtones, Defending Your Life contains elements of drama and allegory. This one in particular is easily on my short-list of best original ideas ever put on film. Brooks and Streep are at their best; their romance is unfussy, cleverly played, and deeply affecting. Each utilizes video-like footage from select days in Daniel's life to make their case to the judges. "I wanted the equation to be a non-religious, non-heaven-like after-life," he said.

At first Dan is understandably dazed at finding himself dead, but the staff takes good care of him. Meanwhile, things do not go well for Daniel. [5] Some scenes were shot at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, a suburb in Orange County, California,[6] as well as Irvine and Anaheim. This…, Everything on the brand new Criterion Channel Streaming service. By Nick Pinkerton. Every Film Available on The Criterion Channel, Jay Trotter's Amazing Underrated Obscure Bizarre Films, All The Films leaving The Criterion Channel On October 31st 2020, The Criterion Channel: Limited Engagements, Jonathan Rosenbaum's 1000 Essential Films, (almost) every title from worldscinema.org.

Defending Your Life is better developed as a situation than it is as a comedy (though there are some nice bits, the stand-up comedian asking Daniel how he died—"on stage, like you" and a hotel lobby sign that reads, WELCOME KIWANIS DEAD). But she's remarkably approachable. Motherfucking Boss Baby rips this off. [7], Variety called it an "inventive and mild bit of whimsy" in which Brooks has a "little fun with the Liliom idea of being judged in a fanciful afterlife, but he doesn't carry his conceit nearly far enough. Dan visits her hotel and is dismayed to discover that she has much better facilities than he does - Four Seasons instead of Motel 6 - and he wonders if maybe your hotel assignment is a clue about how well you lived your past life.

3 talking about this. Not quite as funny as I remember, but incredibly influential. Foster has no reply other than letting a bit of a smile slip as well. Daniel boards a tram poised to return to Earth when he spots Julia on a different tram.

Brooks worked on the story for over two years. [12], Regarding the response from fans over the years, Brooks told Rolling Stone, "I've gotten thousands and thousands of letters of people who had relatives that were dying, or they were dying themselves, and the movie made them feel better.

The film was written by, directed by, and stars Albert Brooks. They will very likely only be available for…, Darren Carver-Balsiger 629 films 1,227 585 Edit, Made this list for my friend Alex. Meanwhile, Julia is judged worthy to move on. Brilliant.

Otherwise, his soul will be reincarnated on Earth to live another life in another attempt at moving past his fears. The film was released on March 22, 1991. Yes, it's far more commercially focused than his previous outings, but the relationship between the leads feels genuine and Brooks is at his most likeable. She is a sweet, open-faced, serene young woman named Julia and played, of course, by Meryl Streep, who is the only actress capable of providing the character's Streepian qualities. 1991 DEFENDING YOUR LIFE introduces an interesting concept of the afterlife – upon death, you go through a bureaucratic process to determine if you are ready to move forward in the afterlife or if you need to be sent back to Earth to try it all over again. ", The film was not a box office success, grossing about $16 million in the United States. .

David Howard, Written by. Streep is of course a natural. Defending Your Life was released on VHS and LaserDisc in early 1992.