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Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   334 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Jeff Hare

Writers (WGA):

Richard Marcus (screenplay)
Allen Swift (play)

Contact:

View company contact information for Checking Out on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

19 December 2006 (USA) more

Genre:

Comedy more

Plot:

A famed stage actor reunites his family for a party, and plans to commit suicide after-wards, unless they are able to convince him not to. | add synopsis

Awards:

5 wins more

User Comments:

A Hare-Raising Joy more (31 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Peter Falk ... Morris Applebaum

Laura San Giacomo ... Flo Applebaum

David Paymer ... Ted Applebaum

Judge Reinhold ... Barry Apple - baum

Jeffrey D. Sams ... Dr Sheldon Henning (as Jeffrey Sams)
Shera Danese ... Rhonda Apple

Mary Elizabeth Winstead ... Lisa Apple

Dan Byrd ... Jason Apple
Tony Todd ... Manuel
Alex Datcher ... Raphaella

David Bowe ... Allen

Bob Bancroft ... Foyt

Luis Antonio Ramos ... Luis
Galen Yuen ... Foreman

Joey Gray ... Dan
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Additional Details

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material and thematic elements.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Germany:6


Fun Stuff

Quotes:

Morris Applebaum: You are normal, and you were born into a crazy family, and that makes you crazy. more


FAQ

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13 out of 15 people found the following comment useful.
A Hare-Raising Joy, 26 December 2005
9/10
Author: DeanKM from United States

This wonderfully witty comedy-drama wowed the crowd at the Philadelphia Film Festival, whipping them into wild applause at its conclusion. Buttressed by adept performances by a nuanced cast, sturdy execution by director Jeff Hare, a brisk pace, and one of Peter Falk's best performances in years, the film emerges as a loving homage to the highs and woes of family life.

Falk excels as Jewish ninetysomething Morris Applebaum, a wildly eccentric Shakespearean thespian who decides to end his life, but not before rounding up his three grown children and throwing a "big fat Jewish suicide party." The film brims with indelible delights. There's Morris's "tushy room"; Laura San Giacomo's passionate rendering of Morris's cynical daughter; rapid-fire comedic dialogue that recalls the work of Neil Simon and Woody Allen; the wry timing of David Paymer, who plays Morris's tightly wound psychotherapist son; and Morris's patented egg creams (but be careful, drinking them too fast will cause a nasty brain freeze). It's all enveloped in a feel-good, intimate atmosphere set in New York City.

Director Jeff Hare proves to be a master craftsman, drawing out memorable performances from his cast and lending the film a mirthful humanity. I was fortunate to see an earlier film by Hare: the dark and powerful "Perfect Little Man," starring Neal McDonough ("Minority Report") as a Los Angeles man spiraling into madness. The visceral grit of "Perfect" and the nostalgic breeze of "Checking Out" are a testament to Hare's eclecticism and wide-ranging talent. I'm looking forward to checking out his future work.

I heard "Checking Out" lacks a distributor at this point. Some wise company would do well to pick up this crowd-pleasing gem, for it's a potential box-office titan in the vein of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Most nobly, it would give people around the world a chance to experience the joys of this movie.

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new website for 'checking out' uhcj2002
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