Checking Out (1989)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

David Leland

Writer (WGA):

Joe Eszterhas (written by)

Release Date:

21 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Nine out of ten doctors say Ray is perfectly healthy. But what do they know?

Plot:

Ray is a man obsessed with his own mortality. When Ray's best friend dies of a heart attack, Ray is...

Plot Keywords:

Hypochondriac | Independent Film

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	Ray Macklin
Melanie Mayron	...	Jenny Macklin
Michael Tucker	...	Harry Lardner
Kathleen York	...	Diana
Ann Magnuson	...	Connie Hagen
Allan Havey	...	Pat Hagen
Jo Harvey Allen	...	Barbara
Ian Wolfe	...	Mr. D'Amato
Billy Beck	...	Father Carmody
Trudy Dochterman	...	Val
John Durbin	...	Spencer Gillinger
Adelle Lutz	...	Dr. Helmsley
Felton Perry	...	Dr. Duffin
Allan Rich	...	Dr. Haskell
Danton Stone	...	Dr. Wolfe

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15 | USA:R

Company:

HandMade Films

Soundtrack:

ONLY THE LONELY

Paddy O'Furniture

This movie caught me completely off guard. Last night I hit the jackpot for a movie buff I discovered 2 movies that I never heard of before and they both did their job, they were entertaining. The first movie was suppose to be a cheesy horror movie, Defender of the Realm, which was much better then a lot of horror movies I have seen with big budgets and big names. The other movie was this one.

Comedy is not one of my favorite genre's, unless it a Mel Brooks or Albert Brooks and I liked Rodney Dangerfield's movies in the 80's. I never understood the fuss over Jim Carey and I am not a Porkeys or Caddyshack or a big Woody Allen fan. I was set to turn the channel but they were at a barbecue and one of the friends are telling these really bad but funny jokes and he suddenly drops to the ground. The guests thinks he is still joking but one has the sense to say "call a ambulance". The laughs come non stop from there. It is a black comedy. The Jeff Daniels character who is a co worker and friend of the dead guy becomes the biggest hypochondriac on film since Rock Husdson in Send me No Flowers. His wife was talking about the dangers of eating salt the day before and he scoffs it off. Now he because of the sudden death of his friend and the ER doctor saying it is not uncommon for that to happen with people his age he believes his days are numbered. The whole film circles around that premise.

What makes it hilarious is the various characters he runs into. He goes to a doctor believing he is a medial doctor only to find out hie a psycho therapist. His behavior is so crazy that the cardiologist referred him. He feels there is some conspiracy to lie about his prognosis and he just knows he is going to die, but no one else thinks that way, the therapist has a little cut on his finger and Daniels alarmed about it. What happens is priceless. Before that he meets some man in the waiting room who seems to be his type of guy. Reading medical books, whining about his health and looking for something to be wrong with him. He is suppose to be a health nut because of all of his imagined medical malady's and distrust of doctors, and Daniels wants to read this book he read. Well I am not going to say what happens but it has to be one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen in a movie.

This is a movie you have to see. Because it is a black comedy you really can't convey how funny it really is. What is so funny about a man friends dropping dead and he believing he is next?

I liked this movie so much I am going right over Amazon or Overstock and buying it if I can.