Lost In America
"Don't miss it. Hysterically funny." -Stephen Schaefer, US
Stalled in his company's pecking order, ad man David Howard (Albert Brooks) failed to land the Senior VP slot he wanted. He quits, convinces wife Linda (Julie Hagerty) to do the same, sells their house and stocks and buys a Winnebago to roam the USA. Though they feel they're Easy Riders, they're actually Born to Be Mild. With their $145,000 nest egg tucked reassuringly within reach, they make their first stop: Las Vegas.
Goodbye, nest egg. Greetings, hilarity. In Lost In America, director/co-writer Brooks (The Muse, Mother, Defending Your Life) memorably bonds with Hagerty (Airplane!, What About Bob?) as a couple spinning along on wheels of misfortune. Their comic plight speaks to anyone who's ever dreamed of chucking it all.
Member Reviews
I want my two hours back - SirZipsalot
This movie had a lot of potential. Two funny stars and a funny idea for a movie. It starts out funny but it quickly becomes boring. Not much laughs in total and almost nothing to keep my interest for the last 1 1/2 hours. Please give me my two hours back!Funny but slight - rnhaas
This is a funny movie but it lacks what makes great comedies great: either non-stop laughs and/or penetrating insight. The joke of yuppies playing easy rider holds up for the whole movie but that's pretty much all it is. If that isn't funny, I guess the movie isn't. I liked the ending, it was abrupt and made sense. Um, anyway it's entertaining but that's about it.Could they Find more Funny? - Mookie
I love Brook's cutting "I'm a loser" humour and recommend "Defending Your Life" and even "Real Life" to see a glimpse of why people are fans of his, however I cannot recommend this film.
The premise behind the film has promise but there was little in the movie for me to laugh about. The "funny" scenes are just too tragic and in an "everything goes wrong" comedy like this you need an ending where there is a moment of triumph. That never happens.
The point is very clear and well illustrated - Any person with a good job should be thankful for what they have and stop whining that there is "more to life". However, to get to that point the wife has to do an absurd thing that comes from nowhere and has no good comedic payoff (the scene with Garry Marshall is a dud).
There are moments of funny (the nest-egg speech, the wild eyed way his wife keeps betting on 22) but I spent too much of the movie hating the wife for what she did and wondering how anyone could stay with her afterwards.
On reflection, I think Brooks' comedy works so well in Defending Your Life and Real Life because people are doing their best to stay normal in absurd situations. This film doesn't work because the situation they are in isn't absurd enough. Tragic, yes. But not unreal. So I eneded up just being frustrated and not being able to laugh.
Member Reviews
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I want my two hours back - SirZipsalot
This movie had a lot of potential. Two funny stars and a funny idea for a movie. It starts out funny but it quickly becomes boring. Not much laughs in total and almost nothing to keep my interest for the last 1 1/2 hours. Please give me my two hours back!Funny but slight - rnhaas
This is a funny movie but it lacks what makes great comedies great: either non-stop laughs and/or penetrating insight. The joke of yuppies playing easy rider holds up for the whole movie but that's pretty much all it is. If that isn't funny, I guess the ...Could they Find more Funny? - Mookie
I love Brook's cutting "I'm a loser" humour and recommend "Defending Your Life" and even "Real Life" to see a glimpse of why people are fans of his, however I cannot recommend this film.
The premise behind the film has promise but there was little in ...