In 1991, writer/director Albert Brooks released Defending Your Life, a clever and thoughtful comedy about life, regrets, and what happens after you die. In this well-written script, you go to a place called Judgment City and a trial takes place to determine whether you move on to the afterlife or get sent back to Earth to try again.
Brooks plays an L.A. ad exec who learns through his trial that he was paralyzed by fear and that it kept him from living to the fullest. Meryl Streep costars as an almost angelic woman whose trip to the next world seems assured. Rip Torn has some very good moments as Brooks’ defense attorney. Defending Your Life is filled with the type of witty observations you’d expect to find for those familiar with Mr. Brooks’ work. The plot is extremely high-concept, but Brooks pulls it off well.
The film was a box office disappointment in February of 1991 earning a mild $16 million. It deserved better and it’s a picture worth seeking out. This is the kind of flick that you’ll find yourself with a big smile on your face once the credits begins to roll.
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