Defending Your Life

Name: Defending Your Life
Duration: 1 h 52 min

1hr 52m

1hr 52m
3.6/5 (9.6K)
87%
63

In an afterlife way-station resembling a major city, the lives of the recently deceased are examined in a court-like setting. More Details »

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Trailer 1 (01:51)

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Albert Brooks

Producer:

Robert Grand, Michael Grillo, Herb Nanas

Release Date:

Mar 22, 1991

Runtime:

1hr 52m

Synopsis

In an afterlife way-station resembling a major city, the lives of the recently deceased are examined in a court-like setting.

Cast

Albert Brooks
Meryl Streep
Rip Torn
Lee Grant
Buck Henry
Shirley MacLaine
Michael Durrell
Marilyn Rockafellow

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6

RATINGS 452 FANS

3.6

May 26, 2021

I love Brooks's non-religious reimagining of the afterlife as a place where you're measured by fulfilled potential and not just "good person vs. bad person", but I think the depiction of that idea gets sloppy once they bust out things like "you should've punched that child"…

1.3K Likes

demi adejuyigbe

Aug 11, 2016

Man I would lose my trial soooo hard.

626 Likes

matt lynch

Jan 16, 2021

I think meryl streep laughed way too hard at this man’s jokes

512 Likes

Alex
Sep 27, 2020

nothing gives me more anxiety than the thought of my fate being decided based on how much i anxiety i had when i die!!

406 Likes

Laura

Oct 31, 2020

albert brooks needs to calm down and let meryl streep enjoy her big plate of pasta with an endless noodle & thank the kind waiter for bringing him two giant boxes of pies

340 Likes

Laura

Dec 7, 2022

Brooks tones down the post-modern cynicism of his early movies and delivers a very gentle, witty and formally ambitious romantic comedy where the afterlife is a pristine, dreamlike bureaucratic purgatory of hotels, restaurants and offices, and your entire existence is…

294 Likes

Josh Lewis
Jul 5, 2021

80 Meryl Streep is the epitome of charming in this, and Albert Brooks compliments her with such effortless comedic wit and understated romance. It's impossible to watch Defending Your Life and not have a good time. The picturesque scope of Judgment City, with clean lines…

288 Likes

SilentDawn

May 17, 2014

From REAL LIFE through at least this film, Albert Brooks' movies depict a kind of post-Altamont fallout in which the Boomer ethos takes hold but only corrupts the status quo instead of overthrowing it. Me Generation solipsism births REAL LIFE's capitalistic and fame-seeking…

262 Likes

Jake Cole

Sep 13, 2020

I think it would be easy to defend my life, I'm a pretty good guy

217 Likes

brendan o'hare

See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

87%

Community 566

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Top Reviews

MovieDaddy liked

Defending Your Life

Heartfelt movie about reflection and character. Not the deepest offering in terms of philosophical, existentialism but still worth a watch. Might inspire people to do a little more with their lives.

3Y

Mickerdoo liked

Defending Your Life

Cute idea. I like that the pivot point is fear. Just wish the leads had more charisma and chemistry. I realize Brooks cast himself.

2Y

Dexter disliked

Defending Your Life

Interesting idea they could have but sadly did nothing with. And I know because I’m 99% clocked

2Y
LivinginaHC liked

Defending Your Life

The main character's very frustrating and annoying, but Meryl Streep makes it worth it

2Y

Jim Greysen loved

Defending Your Life

Rip Torn is awesome in this and Albert Brooks weaves a great story.

1Y

Hank Leet loved

Defending Your Life

One of the best depictions of the afterlife

3Y
Johanna liked

Defending Your Life

Manchmal bisschen langweilig, Message ✉️

1Y

Asem liked

Defending Your Life

Good movie, lacked some deepness though

4M

Matt Ortiz loved

Defending Your Life

W O N D E R F U L

2Y