Lost in America (1985)

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

Director:

Albert Brooks

Writers:

Albert Brooks, Monica Mcgowan Johnson

Stars:

Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty, Sylvia Farrel

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Albert Brooks	...	David Howard
Julie Hagerty	...	Linda Howard
Sylvia Farrel	...	Receptionist
Tina Kincaid	...	Model
Candy Ann Brown	...	David's Secretary
Maggie Roswell	...	Patty
Hans Wagner	...	Hans (voice)
Brandy Rubin	...	Paul Dunn's Secretary
Michael Greene	...	Paul Dunn
Tom Tarpey	...	Brad Tooley
Robert Hughes	...	Security Guard
Raynold Gideon	...	Ray
John Di Fusco	...	Motorcyclist
Michael Cornelison	...	Front Desk Clerk
Radu Gavor	...	Bellman

Storyline

David and Linda Howard are successful yuppies from LA. When he gets a job disappointment, David convinces Linda that they should quit their jobs, liquidate their assets, and emulate the movie Easy Rider, spending the rest of their lives travelling around America...in a Winnebago! (This is a kind of large, luxurious mobile home which suits a 1980's yuppie more than the counterculture dropout approach of Easy Rider.) His idealized, unrealistic plans soon begin to go spectacularly wrong.

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Plot Keywords:

winnebago | mobile home | yuppie | 1980s | las vegas nevada | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1985 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Eksyksissä Amerikassa

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Geffen Company, The, Marty Katz Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the shots of the American cross-country trip were filmed from camera placements set up in usually one of three perspectives: road-side set-ups; a camera car traveling parallel to the RV and a camera positioned on the RV's front passenger seat.

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Goofs

The bite marks on the grilled cheese sandwich keep changing.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

References Twilight Zone (1959)

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Soundtracks

"New York, New York"
Written by John Kander (uncredited) and Fred Ebb (uncredited)
Performed by Frank Sinatra
Courtesy of Bristol Productions, Inc. and Reprise Records

User Reviews

Great comedy, and quite an 80's time capsule.

Lost In America is one of those movies that I always meant to see, but never remembered to rent. A few weeks ago, I finally got a chance to see it, and I loved it.

Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty are perfect as the classic yuppie couple that decide to set out on the open road after a series of strange circumstances. Brooks' rave-out on his boss at the beginning of the film is priceless, as is his interaction with the unemployment office worker in the midwest... "I'll just check my $100,000 a year job file." Brooks is also great when he tries to reason with the casino owner, and arguing with Hagerty over her inability to use the words "nest" and "egg". "From now on, birds live in ROUND STICKS!!!, for breakfast, you will have THINGS over easy!!!!"

Most of the best dialogue and scenes are delivered from Brooks, but Hagerty is quite good as well, as the timid wife whos honest, yet HUGE blunder sets the tone for the rest of the film.

My only complaint is that it seemed about a half hour too short. When they decide to return to New York, I would've allowed one more wacky situation on the way back home, but it was not to be. It left me feeling that the ending was a bit rushed. But this is a minor complaint from a great film that deserves to be seen over and over.