Lost in America

Rating:
Summary: Failed Experiement of Alternative Living Succeeds as Movie
Review: A yuppie couple quits thier jobs and searches for spiritual truth inside a garish Winnebago, losing their "nest egg" in the process and learning that they have to compromise and swallow their egos in order to strike a balance between having their materialistic goodies and achieving marital intimacy.

The great joke of this film is that Albert Brooks, playing David Howard, thinks he pursuing some ideal by quitting his job; in fact, his ego has suffered a massive injury when a mediocre parvenu gets David Howard's senior vice president position at an ad agency. As a result of this grave "injustice," Howard flips his lid, gets fired, and veils his rage as a clarifying moment of truth when he must embark on a quest for authenticity of the self. The joke builds on itself effectively for the entire movie and ends with a surprisingly conservative message about finding contentment in America.

Rating:
Summary: All Time Classic Comedy About Yuppie Life
Review: Albert Brooks came of age in this 1985 comedy about a Advertising Executive and Human Resource wife who decide that corporate america is not the place for them and by liqidating all their assests, can start a "nest egg" and just live off the land. Fun begins with Albert not getting the promotion he thinks he deserves and talks his wife (played by Airplane's Julie Haggerty) into not moving into a new house- rather, buy a Winebago and "touch Indians" for the rest of their lives. A stop in Las Vegas to renew wedding vows turns the dream life into a disatster, as Haggerty blows there savings at the roulette table ("22") What follows is how they come to terms with this event and how they try to piece their life together in a trailor park in the Southwest- the only place they have enough money to buy gas to get to. A scene when Brooks confronts Haggerty on "breaking the nest egg" is certainly one of the funniest exchanges in movie history. Brooks is blessed with a keen perceptual sense and his "high brow" humor is not to be missed. His ties to producer Janes Brooks (co-creator of "The Simpsons" and cameo role in Brooks' "Modern Romance") reflect that. This is a must for any video library. I also recommend the current feature "Office Space" for anyone who likes to have to "think" before laughing.

Rating:
Summary: This Is My #1 Favorite Comedy Of All Time!
Review: Albert Brooks is the thinking man's comedian. And he proves it with "Lost In America". This movie is written, acted and directed with impeccable precision. The casting is perfect. Somehow this dated 80's yuppie film is just smart enough and just down to earth enough to entertain almost everyone. Albert Brooks has a whimsical intelligent paranoia about life, Julie Haggerty is his invincibly sweet wife, and every other character in this film is tangibly interesting. This movie is full of sarcasm, human honesty, and laughter for the mind. "Lost in America" is full of subtle humor and interesting ideas. If you have a brain and if you like to laugh, this is the movie for you. Albert Brooks deserves some kind of an Oscar for this one. Please get lost in America!

Rating:
Summary: Comedy Hall of Fame
Review: Albert Brooks stars in this satirical gem as a controlling, obsessive-compulsive type who is offended because his wife calls him "responsible". We may all recognize his character in someone we know or maybe a little bit in ourselves, and if the latter is the case, it will add to your enjoyment of this unexpected delight. How many times have most of us thought about "chucking it all and leaving the rat race"? Well, this movie will convince you to think twice. I am not a film fanatic but it is a movie that I have laughed at so many times, that it is the first DVD that I own.

Rating:
Summary: The acting is so bad it kills the comedy
Review: Albert Brooks'es idea of acting is to yell like a 13 year old having a temper tantrum. The acting is so bad it is painful. Save your time and your money.

Rating:
Summary: "Nest-Egg"
Review: David and Linda Howard needed a change in their lives. And when, David's promotion went to someone else, they decide to start anew out on the road living in a Winnebago with only their $150,000 "nest-egg" and each other. But after a 'mishap' in Las Vegas, they can only claim to have each other.

LOST IN AMERICA is a perfect vehicle for Albert Brooks' dry sense of humor. His tirade about the nest-egg is pure genius. It is perfectly designed for the viewer to laugh at and feel their pain. Julie Hagerty (AIRPLANE) plays his wife who willingly goes along with the scheme that would quickly bankrupt them. A couple other film directors make appearances in the film including Garry Marshall (PRETTY WOMAN) in a wonderful role as a casino manager. Also making a brief appearance at their farewell party is James L. Brooks (BROADCAST NEWS).

With all these glowing things it must be said that the storyline stops about an hour into the film and never starts up again. So, there is little to no conflict resolution, just some assumptions. This film was never a big film and will never grow above cult status, but, oh, what a cult it is!

Rating:
Summary: "Nest-Egg"
Review: David and Linda Howard needed a change in their lives. And when, David's promotion went to someone else, they decide to start anew out on the road living in a Winnebago with only their $150,000 "nest-egg" and each other. But after a 'mishap' in Las Vegas, they can only claim to have each other.

LOST IN AMERICA is a perfect vehicle for Albert Brooks' dry sense of humor. His tirade about the nest-egg is pure genius. It is perfectly designed for the viewer to laugh at and feel their pain. Julie Hagerty (AIRPLANE) plays his wife who willingly goes along with the scheme that would quickly bankrupt them. A couple other film directors make appearances in the film including Garry Marshall (PRETTY WOMAN) in a wonderful role as a casino manager. Also making a brief appearance at their farewell party is James L. Brooks (BROADCAST NEWS).

With all these glowing things it must be said that the storyline stops about an hour into the film and never starts up again. So, there is little to no conflict resolution, just some assumptions. This film was never a big film and will never grow above cult status, but, oh, what a cult it is!

Rating:
Summary: quite funny, but depressing really
Review: I came to this movie thinking that it was going to be hilarious - I'd seen it on the AFI 100 all-time funniest movies. Sadly, I was disappointed.

It seems disjointed and depressing, on a topic which could have been both funny and uplifting: ie quitting your job and embarking on new horizons.

Not my cup of tea, and not your cup of tea, if you look for movies to take you to a new and exciting place.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: I loved this movie about a California based adman who gets a transfer to New York and refuses to move. As a result he is fired. Weighing his options with his wife, the couple decides to sell everything and buy a large RV and travel the country for a few years.

At Brooks' insistance the couple decide to stop off in Las Vegas to get remarried. When Brooks goes to sleep, his wife sneaks off and loses everything they have in the casino. With no options the couple are forced to live in a trailer park and take very low paying jobs.

Through it all, Brooks starts to realize that moving to New York might not have been a bad decision after all

Gary Marshall makes an hilarious cameo as a casino manager that has to explain to Brooks how his wife lost all there money and then becomes annoyed when Brooks suggests that it would be an advertising boon if the casino gave all the money back.

I loved this movie!

Rating:
Summary: Predictable, predictable, predictable.....
Review: I only watched this movie for 1/2 hour. After the first 5 minutes I was able to accurately predict each next situation and even some of the dialogue. Supremely unfunny. I shut it off and went for a motorcycle ride.