Lost in America

Lost in America
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Albert Brooks
Produced by Marty Katz
Written by Albert Brooks
Monica Johnson
Starring
Music by Arthur B. Rubinstein
Cinematography Eric Saarinen
Edited by David Finfer
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • March 15, 1985 (1985-03-15) (U.S.)
Running time
 91 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $10,179,000

Lost in America is a 1985 satirical road comedy film directed by Albert Brooks and co-written by Brooks with Monica Johnson. The film stars Brooks alongside Julie Hagerty as a married couple who decide to quit their jobs and travel across America.

Plot

David and Linda Howard are typical 1980s yuppies in Los Angeles who are fed up with their lifestyle. He works in an advertising agency and she for a department store. But after he fails to receive a promotion he was counting on and is instead asked to transfer to the firm's New York office, David angrily insults his boss and is fired. He coaxes his wife to quit her job as well and seek a new adventure.

The Howards decide to sell their house, liquidate their assets, drop out of society, "like in Easy Rider", and travel the country in a Winnebago recreational vehicle. They leave L.A. with a "nest egg" of a hundred thousand dollars but do not get very far. The plan goes awry when Linda loses all their savings playing roulette at the Desert Inn Casino in Las Vegas, where a desperate David tries in vain to persuade a casino manager to give the money back.

With nowhere to go, the couple quarrels at Hoover Dam, then ends up in Safford, Arizona. David unsuccessfully applies for a delivery job at a local pharmacy and resorts to an employment agency. After a counselor obnoxiously reminds him that he was fired from his high-paying job in advertising, David accepts the best position available — as a crossing guard, taunted by local school kids.

Linda, meanwhile, finds employment as the assistant manager at the local Der Wienerschnitzel, working under a kid half her age.

Only a few days after beginning their pursuit of the dream of dropping out of society, David and Linda are living in a trailer park, almost broke, working dead end jobs and accountable to brats. They decide that it is better to get back to their old lifestyle as soon as possible. They point the Winnebago toward New York, where David begs for his old job back.

Cast

Brooks originally did not want to direct himself and had wanted Bill Murray for the part of David Howard.[1]

Reception and awards

Lost In America received mostly positive reviews from critics and holds a 97% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 30 reviews.[2] The film was a commercial success, though not a blockbuster. The film's script won the National Society of Film Critics award for Best Screenplay.[3]

The film is number 80 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".

It is recognized by American Film Institute on these lists:

Home media

Warner Home Video initially released the film onto VHS and Laserdisc in 1985 and reissued it twice on video, in 1991 and 1997. The film made its DVD debut on April 3, 2001, and was made available for streaming on Netflix on July 1, 2016. Criterion released this on Blu-Ray on July 25, 2017.

References

  1. ↑ Brownfield, Paul (26 August 1999). "The Muse of Albert". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Lost in America". Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Lost in America". Retrieved 25 April 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
  4. ↑ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
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