PG | 1h 52min | Comedy, Romance, Fantasy |1991
For the second time in as many weeks, I’m reviewing a movie with a central theme of the afterlife. Last week, it was “After Death,” a documentary from Angel Studios that respectfully approached the subject from scientific, medical, spiritual, and anecdotal perspectives.
Move On or Go Back
On his birthday, Daniel (Albert Brooks) buys a new BMW and, while distracted, drives it into an oncoming bus. This implies instant death. The next scene shows Daniel arriving at “Judgment City,” a weigh station of sorts that is not of this Earth, but has been designed to look like it is a high-end vacation resort.All those who pass through Judgment City will be there for five days when their lives will be examined to determine if they are worthy to move on to the nonspecific “next level” or be sent back to Earth. Although never referred to as trials, Daniel and others like him are asked to sit through a trial-like ritual, with a defender, an opposing prosecutor, and judges.
Daniel is represented by Bob Diamond (Rip Torn), an overly optimistic sort by anyone’s definition, who imparts his client with false hopes of winning. Bob’s going up against Lena Foster (Lee Grant), a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails sort who hates to lose, and who’s coming off a rare loss.
The major thrust of the plot is that defendants do not move forward or go back based on whether they were “good or bad,” but rather if they were “brave or afraid.”
White Lies
If for no other reason, Mr. Brooks deserves the highest of all possible marks for presenting a scenario that, if not entirely grey, is highly subjective and nebulous. Daniel never committed any mortal sins, but did tell hundreds of white lies, regularly exhibited fear, made many bad decisions, and more or less went through life looking over his shoulder in a perpetual state of gnawing self-doubt.This is the exact opposite set of circumstances for Julia (Meryl Streep), a mother of two whose every waking moment resulted in triumph over adversity, solving problems, and living a “glass half full” life.
On their first night at Judgment City, Julia meets Daniel at a nightclub, and is instantly drawn to his droll sense of humor. They intersect twice more before their respective trials are completed. It soon becomes more than clear that both adore each other but also reluctantly accept the realization that their post-Earth lives are likely headed in decidedly different directions.
In the three features he made before “Defending Your Life” (“Real Life,” “Modern Romance,” “Lost in America”), Mr. Brooks exhibited a filmmaking mindset that could rightfully be described as satirical, nebbish, and somewhat caustic. During this period, he was labeled by some as the West Coast version of Woody Allen, which is not entirely inaccurate as both men are Jewish with “glass half empty” outlooks.
When I first saw (and immediately loved) “Defending Your Life” in 1991, I felt Mr. Brooks had gone soft and somewhat sold out, bowing to the pressures of a major studio to make something more commercial that would appeal to the masses.
The modest $16 million box office take for the film indicated the masses didn’t rush out to see it, and Mr. Brooks would forever remain a niche or cult filmmaker.
For those who have been Mr. Brooks’s fans since the beginning, I have some great news. On Nov. 11, HBO Max will release “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life,” an in-depth biographical documentary that covers not only his career as a filmmaker but his life before movies. Included are clips from late-night TV appearances, and interviews with his past collaborators, other comedians, fellow actors, and directors.
Also worth checking out is the 2021 Criterion Collection home video release of the film, which includes recent and archival interviews, and a documentary short on the production design of Judgment City.
