Defending Your Life (1991)

Director:

Albert Brooks

Writer (WGA):

Albert Brooks (written by)

Release Date:

22 March 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

The first true story of what happens after you die.

Plot:

In an afterlife resembling the present-day US, people must prove their worth by showing in court how they have demonstrated courage.

Plot Keywords:

Afterlife | Prosecutor | Courage | Car Accident | Defense Lawyer

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Albert Brooks	...	Daniel Miller
Michael Durrell	...	Agency head
James Eckhouse	...	Jeep owner
Gary Beach	...	Car salesman
Julie Cobb	...	Tram guide
Peter Schuck	...	Stan
Time Winters	...	Porter
Rip Torn	...	Bob Diamond
Sharlie Stuart	...	Susan
Beth Black	...	Soap opera woman
Clayton Norcross	...	Soap opera man
Jim McKrell	...	Game show moderator
Wil Albert	...	Game show contestant
Sage Allen	...	Game show contestant
Mary Pat Gleason	...	Waitress

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate #30916) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

770 The City Drive, Orange, California, USA

Company:

Geffen Pictures

Trivia:

Cameo: [Shirley MacLaine]The MC in the Past Lives Pavillion. (she's a believer in reincarnation)

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the Past Lives Pavilion, as the subjects walk to their viewing booths, the overhead asks them to proceed to the "first available booth on the left." The subjects actually proceed to the last available booth.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Daniel Miller: I was driving to work this morning thinking I will be here, in 2 months, it'll be 10 years. And you're like my real family. Isn't that tragic.
[laughter]
Daniel Miller: I got a call from my mother this morning, she wished me a happy birthday, and hinted around the fact that I wasn't making enough money. If you can call "are ya still making the same salary, honey" a hint. And my ex-wife used to say the same thing, although she never used the name "honey".
[laughter]
Daniel Miller: So, maybe in three years I can double my income?
Agency head: Good luck.
Daniel Miller: Four years? Okay. So, you're great people to work with, and this is a great present, and I wish I could squeeze all of you into one pretty woman.
[laughter]
Daniel Miller: And if you'd like to go to my office, I'll drive.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References West Side Story (1961)

Soundtrack:

That's Life

Sweet and highly entertaining.

A wonderful comedy-fantasy that has all the wit of a good Woody Allen movie combined with genuine sweetness and good-naturedness. It's one of those rare films that achieve profundity without pushing for it; here it is done with the help of the clever structure. Albert Brooks delivers some great one-liners and wins the audience's affection easily, while Meryl Streep is atypically unaffected and Lee Grant is excellent in her supporting role. And who could ask for a better ending? (***)