Movies-TV

A movie that sticks in your mind for years!

Wow so I was getting a microwave frozen meal out of the freezer and thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to be able to eat all I want and never gain weight? I believe this would be the dream of everyone. Immediately this movie came back to my memory. I googled Meryl Streep because I remembered her in the film, and found her on this website, then looked up the title of the movie.I want to eventually buy this movie because I agree with what most have said here, it's funny, it's a fantastic story and it's just one of those movies you can watch again and again and enjoy it every time. This movie also does make you rethink the way you live your life and the way everything you do can affect others.I'd highly recommend this to everyone.

One of my most favorite movies ever, delightful

I first saw this a couple years ago, when I met my husband. We looked all over for it and found one copy at Barnes and Noble. Its a funny, refreshing and light hearted comedy that is great for anyone to watch. Its not obscene or vulgar in anyway, and is for sure kid friendly. That aside, Albert Brooks is wonderful and every detail in this movie is so funny. The past lives pavilion and other scenes just add to the quality of the movie. A small romantic story woven in the lines of the film makes for a cute story with Meryl Streep who is also extraordinary as usual.It makes you think of death in a comforting way and enables you to laugh at an often grimly depicted subject. I would recommend this movie, and once you see it I know you'll love it...anyone would! Two thumbs up!

This is a MUST-SEE movie

OK, it may be a bit too romantic-comedy-like, but the one-liners and story concepts are excellent. Albert Brooks plays a very convincing confused dead guy trying to figure out how to justify his total lack of manlihood. Apparently, you can only go to the next level if you have no regrets in life. So, he must go to court to defend his life. Rip Torn couldn't be funnier. The whole story is a crack-up. Note the details in the surroundings. Things like billboards, items on desks, clothing, building architecture. It's all surrealistic. It's almost like it wasn't intended to be that way, but obviously, it was. Your gal will like this story for its romanticism, you'll like it for it's irony and comedy.

Only an American Lawyer could have written this... (SPOILER?)

I suppose if you are enamored of ambulance chasers you might enjoy this- (or an admirer of Meryl Streep.) But the idea of dying and going to a court with a prosecutor and lawyer to determine if you are entitled to "go on" (the reward of heaven?) based on whether you displayed no fear? How can anybody write something as dumb as this? So if Hitler and Ghengis Khan and Idi Amin displayed no fear they get to "go on"? And the highlight of the place is to be able to eat all you want without getting fat? Who could write garbage like this? The flashbacks could have addressed some serious issues, or even some comical issues, since it's supposed to be a comedy, but Brooks played such a spineless schmuck, (good acting?) that the only reason for giving this waste of time a 2 out of 10 is because Streep brightens anything she's in. (How'd they ever get her to waste her time in this?

Reincarnation done Albert Brooks style

If anyone could have thought out the afterlife reincarnation-style with such wit and savvy, it had to be Albert Brooks in his 1991 "Defending Your Life." There is so much presented here in this whimsical look at the 5-day waiting process where the dead's life is judged and then recommended for either advancement in being or a retraction back to Earth again. The film clearly presents a reincarnationist point of view, complete with the film's funniest scene in a Past Life Pavilion hosted by Shirley MacClaine in a spoofing, tongue-in-cheek performance! At times, the film becomes a little bogged down in Albert Brooks' "lovable loser-ness", but all-n-all this film is a delightful uplift at a "possibility" on life after death after life after death after...."
Meryl Streep costars as a fellow dead person being examined, along with a very funny Rip Torn as a defender and Lee Grant as an uptight prosecutor. How will they fare at The Judgment Day? Watch it and see, and laugh and think it through. Who knows?

a great look at afterlife

I love this movie & consider it one of my favourites. I think it is a lovely look at what could happen when you die. I had my own ideas about death & this just helped visualise them a bit more. It has also helped my daughter who had a phobia about dying as a lot of teenagers do.This might sound sad but there is so much violent death around us that this film helps to alay some fears.

Another view

Albert Brooks is daring enough to look at the afterlife in a different way. However, the message is not about the afterlife but very much about your life now. Especially if you believe that you live only once, the message in this movie should speak to you even more, because that means there is only one chance, and if you fear to much to take it, well, that's that.Let's realize folks: Life has so much to offer us. Our hands are too small to handle it all, but let's not fear to take all we can handle......

A light hearted comedy about romance on 'the other side'

Personally, I think this is Albert Brooks best film he has ever directed and acted in. Both Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep acted very well making their characters believable, and they had a good rapport with each other. The storyline was simple but unique - a love story on 'the other side' where two people meet and a romance starts when they are dead and awaiting judgment. I found the humor witty and amusing with a lot of great one liners. You can't help but feel some sympathy for Daniel Miller the lead character. Don't you wish you could undo the silly mistakes and decisions in your life? But he doesn't want to go back and have another try at life on earth. Now that he has met Julia, his soul mate, he must overcome his fear in order to join her where she's going.

Very cute movie

This movie was great. It was really cute and gave you a lot of things to think about. (Ha ha -- is the afterlife really going to be like this?) Albert Brooks is good and so is Meryl Streep. The whole concept of it is funny and the romantic part is just too cute. But the movie isn't too cute and mushy that it makes you want to vomit. Highly recommended. Check it out immediately.

A Funny and Sweet Story of Life, Love, Death and Everything in Between

This movie has always been one of my favorites for many reasons - - it makes you think, it's quirky, it's a love story, and it stars my two favorite actors - Albert Brooks & Meryl Streep. These two make an excellent combination with Albert Brooks' sense of humor and Meryl Streep's undeniable charm and likability. The supporting cast adds just the right amount of humor and seriousness.


The movie is well-made, holds your attention, and makes a great escape from the mundane. I highly recommend this for practically any age group (except the very young).

"How Many Days Are You Looking At?"

That many? Ooh! You'll have to see this movie to get that joke. For those of you who like a slightly more intelligent type of humor, this movie is definately for you.

Albert Brooks is downright hilarious. Not only is his timing and acting ability flawless in this movie, his facial expressions are absolutely priceless. This film takes an amusing look at the afterlife in a courtroom type of atmosphere.

Brooks has to prove that he lived a life where he didn't show any fear in order to move on to heaven. He has to defend his life to a panel of judges who will determine his fate. While "on trial," he meets Meryl Streep, who is also defending her life. They fall for each other, but their fates seem to be going in totall different directions. The ride is one of non-stop humor.

Brooks is fabulous, and Streep is the perfect compliment to him, but Rip Torn steals the show as his lawyer. His dry humor meshes the movie together nicely, allowing for one entertaining viewing experience. This movie will have you in stitches, and be sure to look for Shirley Maclain's cameo appearance. "Don't be afraid" to buy this video.

Vastly underrated film, a real treat. Carpe diem.

This film's tag-line "The first true story of what happens after you die," is so perfect for this film. This film is so consistently funny, I only wish I could screen it for all my friends at the same time, so I could share it with every one of them. I've seen this film many times, and enjoy it more each time. "Lost In America" is a great film of Albert Brooks', but this one is my favourite of his. Sadly, I rarely encounter someone who's already seen it. When I think of underrated films, I think of this one first.Right off the bat, our protagonist, Brooks, is dead, flattened by a bus. Next thing you know, he's in Judgment City, where people go when they die, and where it will be decided if he will go on to the next level or go back for another crack at life on Earth.In Judgment City he's reminded of all the key events in his life in something like a flashback screening room and his life is then evaluated by the custodians of the city, who will decide if he goes forward or not. Much like a court appearance.There are great performances by supporting players, especially Rip Torn, and while I never associated Meryl Streep with great comedy, she holds her own as Brooks' love interest. There is a hilariously understated performance by Buck Henry.The most fun with this film is learning bit by bit about the inner workings of Judgment City, as each aspect seems to have been well thought out and executed beautifully, right down to eating arrangements. A true masterful writing achievement for Brooks, who has shown his brilliance in many other films as well.This film should've been a big success, but in a way, I feel privileged to be one of the few people I know who has seen this film and enjoyed it so much. I'll do my part though, spreading the good word as much as possible.See it before you die.

A Softer Brooks Makes a Charming Romantic Comedy About the Afterlife

Six years after piercing the yuppie delusion of the open road with his trenchantly funny "Lost in America", Albert Brooks went again behind and before the camera to make this amusing, soft-centered 1991 romantic fantasy involving one man's challenge in handling the afterlife. As with "Lost in America", Brooks casts himself as an LA-based advertising executive (a favorite calling of his for the satirical possibilities), but this time a very successful one named Daniel Miller. As he dives for some CDs in the spanking new BMW convertible he bought himself for his birthday, he crashes into a bus and dies. Before you can say heaven can wait, Daniel finds himself in a white tunic in a sterile-looking place called Judgment City. As he finds out, this is where he is to be placed on trial to find out if he moves on to heaven or has to return to earth.The rest of the film is focused on Daniel's trial, where he gets to witness select scenes from his life on a big screen, evidence used by both the defense lawyer and the prosecutor to support their respective cases. In the midst of the trial, he meets and falls in love with an idealized woman named Julia, the perfect candidate for heaven made clear by her innate goodness and shorter trial. His response to their romance leads to a nicely executed climax which tests Daniel's deep-seeded fears toward his inevitable fate. Although I miss the pervasive acerbity that I have come to expect from Brooks' comedy style, he achieves a winsome romanticism here and addresses pertinent questions about how fear holds us back from the things we really want.As Daniel, Brooks is a softer version of himself though just as self-critical, while a relaxed, accent-free Meryl Streep is ideally cast as the too-good-to-be-true Julia, whose only quirk is the bottomless appetite that the afterlife allows her. The two develop a nice rapport that makes the ending emotionally palpable. In welcome appearances, a likable Rip Torn and a tough-minded Lee Grant play their roles as the battling lawyers with precision. Even Shirley MacLaine shows up in a cameo in a particularly funny scene set at the aptly named Past Lives Pavilion, where people can see their previous incarnations. This is an unexpectedly warm and fuzzy treat from a master of comedy sarcasm. There are unfortunately no extras with the 2001 DVD.

Great Movie

*Plot Summary* When someone dies, they are sent to Judgment City where they are put on trial to either go to heaven (there is no hell) or back to their normal life and take care of things. The trial looks at a certain number of days in the defendant's life and the more days that are looked at the worse off they are. The main character is Daniel Miller (played by Albert Brooks) who dies by getting hit by a bus and gets 9 days (which IS a lot) looked at.I saw this in school as part of my Social Justice class. The movie was great and very funny. The movie also delivers a positive message. Maybe not all to obvious being this much of a comedy movie, but still good. Though sometimes the humor was a little on the offensive side.*Spoiler Alert!* Around the middle of the movie Daniel meets a woman named Julia (Meryl Streep). After getting to know each other they go to a sort of individual theater room where they can see their past lives. Before hand, Julia asks Daniel if he ever wondered about his past lives. Daniel replies by saying that once he was at a party, got a little drunk, went to a bathroom, looked in a mirror, and "I thought I saw someone who looked Chinese, but I think I was just squinting."I'm actually an American of Mexican descent, but one of my cousins married a Japanese-American, so this comment was, in fact, a little on the offensive side to me.

My favorite portrayal of life after death

Of all the portrayals of life after death in the movies, this is my favorite. Much better than the one in "Made in Heaven". I really wish Albert Brooks were more prolific. I loved "Defending Your Life", "Lost in America" and "Mother", and I wish there were many more like them.

Journey of the soul

I love this movie. For those of you who believe in the existence of the soul and what happens after you die, this movie is for you. It tells the story of a man defending his past life to a panel of judges in judgment city. Is he ready to go on to heaven or does he need to go back to earth and do it all over again. The character very well played by Albert Brooks seems to muddle through his defense mimicking how he muddled through his life on earth. He realizes this as he hears the judgment to return to earth. His one act of bravery changes his destiny and he goes on to heaven. It is a funny, feel good movie and a must see.

Heavenly

I really hope heaven is really like that. You can eat anything you want anytime you want and never gain weight!!!!!Now, that's heaven to me. I liked this movie and recommend it highly. You have to defend your life to move on to the "actual heaven". So if you did something really rotten you had to explain why you did it and if the explaination is true and honest you can move up. I liked this story,truly original, funny and well written. Enjoy!

Funny, light-hearted comedy with a message.

We all have questions about life-after-death -- if this is the way it's going to be, then I'm ok with it. I love this movie!!! I'm buying it for my home entertainment center.

How would you be judged

I saw this movie at a significant time in my life, when I was trying to choose between the safe road (which was nonetheless dragging me into depression) and a new life.Daniel Miller (Brooks) has always taken the safe road, not risking much and never getting much, either. He is fearful of what others think, say, fearful of risk.Finally, when Brooks has been told that he will not "move on" he is on the safe bus to his next life and sees he may lose the one thing that has given his time after death meaning, fear is cast aside and he risks everything to reach love.This film has a great message: Love is a risk. You must risk everything and make a leap of faith. But that leap can give you so much more, that it's worth it all.

Defending Your Life -- Bravo!

A terrific movie for anyone, any time. It's been a favorite of mine for years -- the wit, humor, and wry sense of Brooks' irony never fail to please. But it is also an immensely comforting movie to see if you've lost someone close... We can always hope that death isn't final, and that there is joy in the afterlife.