The Couch Trip (1988)

A burnt-out shrink needs a temp. A charming escaped convict takes over his practice and radio show.

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writers:

Ken Kolb (novel), Steven Kampmann (screenplay)

Stars:

Dan Aykroyd, Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dan Aykroyd	...	John W. Burns, Jr.
Walter Matthau	...	Donald Becker
Charles Grodin	...	George Maitlin
Donna Dixon	...	Laura Rollins
Richard Romanus	...	Harvey Michaels
Mary Gross	...	Vera Maitlin
David Clennon	...	Lawrence Baird
Arye Gross	...	Perry Kovin
Victoria Jackson	...	Robin
Michael DeLorenzo	...	Lopez
Mickey Jones	...	Watkins
J.E. Freeman	...	Unger
David Wohl	...	Dr. Smet
Michael Ensign	...	Hendricks
Carol Mansell	...	Mrs. Blair

Storyline

The escaped delinquent John W. Burns, Jr. replaces Dr. Maitlin on a radio show, saying he's the psychiatrist Lawrence Baird. His tactless radio show is a hit, and he becomes very popular. But then Dr. Maitlin meets the real Dr. Lawrence Baird at a congress in London...

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Plot Keywords:

psychiatrist | impersonation | mental patient | radio | pantyhose | 

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Taglines:

A comedy of truly loony proportions.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Couch Trip

Filming Locations:

Century City Towers, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,351,891, 17 January 1988

Gross USA:

$11,005,304

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,005,304

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Williams Burns, Jr. (Dan Aykroyd) has the same prison number, 7474505B, that his earlier characters Jake Blues and Louis Winthorpe III had in The Blues Brothers (1980) and Trading Places (1983) respectively.

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Goofs

When Burns jumps from the building, his stunt man is easy to detect despite the angle in which the scene was shot.

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Quotes

Hendricks: [on "Baird's" radio program while taking a listener] Well, he said "balls", "asshole", "son-of-a bitch" and finally "fuck". We're on okay on "balls", we're riffy on "son-of-a-bitch" and even "asshole" is somewhat anatomically potentially forgiveable. But there's no getting around "fuck".

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Connections

References The Wild One (1953)

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Soundtracks

Fever
by Otis Blackwell (as John Davenport) and Eddie Cooley
Hudson Bay Music, Inc. on behalf of Fort Knox Music, Inc. / Trio Music Company, Inc.

User Reviews

An Under-rated Gem!

As a fan of Dan Aykroyd, I watched this film when it was recently shown in the middle of night on TV. I wasn't expecting much, so it came as a big surprise that I loved it so much.

This is the type of film that Dan Aykroyd seems to love to make. A chance for him to 'ham it up' and not take things too seriously. If you loved him in The Blues Brothers or Ghostbusters you'll know what I mean, and you'd be wise to check out The Couch Trip.

Avid fans of Aykroyd will also have fun spotting all the tiny links to his other films in the script!

I can't describe this film without spoiling it for you, so all I can do is tell you to check it out. I can't praise this film highly enough, and it must surely be time for a DVD release!!