Lost in America (1985)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Albert Brooks

Writers:

Albert Brooks (written by) &
Monica Mcgowan Johnson (written by)

Release Date:

15 February 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A husband and wife in their 30s decide to quit their jobs, live as free spirits and cruise America in a Winnebago.

Plot Keywords:

Directed By Star | Trailer Park | Travel | Motor Home | Unemployment

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Albert Brooks	...	David Howard
Julie Hagerty	...	Linda Howard
Sylvia Farrel	...	Sylvia, Receptionist at Ross & McMahon
Tina Kincaid	...	Model
Candy Ann Brown	...	David's Secretary
Maggie Roswell	...	Patty, Linda's Coworker at Broadway
Hans Wagner	...	Hans, Mercedes Salesman (on phone) (voice)
Brandy Rubin	...	Paul Dunn's Secretary
Michael Greene	...	Paul Dunn, David's boss at Ross & McMahon
Tom Tarpey	...	Brad Tooley, Ford Account guy from New York Office
Robert Hughes	...	Security Guard at Ross & McMahon
Raynold Gideon	...	Ray, Friend making toast at farewell party
John Di Fusco	...	Motorcyclist on freeway flipping the bird
Michael Cornelison	...	Front Desk Clerk at Desert Inn
Radu Gavor	...	Bellman at Desert Inn

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Geffen Company, The

Trivia:

In his autobiography, Garry Marshall (who played the casino manager) wrote that he was initially exasperated by Albert Brooks demanding take after take of their scene. But once he saw the rushes and realized that his frustration made his character funnier, he acknowledged to Brooks's comic sense.

Goofs:

Continuity: The bite marks on the grilled cheese sandwich keep changing.

Quotes:

David Howard: That's why I married her.
Skippy: That's why I hired her.

Movie Connections:

References It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

Soundtrack:

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

One of the best comedies of the last two decades

This brilliant comedy is the best-ever showcase for Albert Brooks's comic genius, as a writer, director, and actor. His satire is well pointed and his delivery of dialogue is uniquely inflected and hilarious. Most of the scenes are nothing more than confrontations between him and another character, but they are nicely varied and impeccably played: Brooks's manic unraveling in front of his boss as he quits his advertising job; Brooks trying to convince Gary Marshall (as a Vegas casino executive) to give him his lost money back; Brooks explaining the "nest egg principle" to Julie Hagerty (as his wife) after she has blown their life savings at roulette; Brooks's interview with a cynical small town job counselor; Brooks as a crossing guard taunted by obnoxious pre-teens on bicycles (the funniest such scene since W.C. Fields); Brooks's telephone conversation with a supercilious Mercedes salesman; Brooks applying for a job as a drug store delivery boy (he plans to use his Winebago); Brooks's incredulous meeting with Skippy, his wife's 19-year-old new boss at a fast food joint. Well, you get the idea. It's a tour-de-force for Brooks, and an unsung comic masterpiece.