Other Titles • Lost in America • Kopfüber in Amerika (1985)
Synopses for Lost in America (1985)
1.
It seems to lack something on first viewing--where's the third act, anyway?--but Albert Brooks's Lost in America is one of those movies that people keep quoting to each other long after they've seen it. And no one has come up with a more incisive look at the phenomenon of the '80s yuppie, a figure toward whom Brooks manages to aim both his satire and his sympathy. The bushy-haired, tightly-wound actor plays a well-paid L.A. executive who quits his job in a fit of pique when he fails to land a promotion. Armed with their savings, he and the wife (Julie Hagerty) buy a Winnebago and hit the road; they're going to search for America and find themselves. Right. They get as far as Las Vegas, where Hagerty has a little problem at the gaming tables. Brooks's rant on the concept of "the nest-egg" goes right into the comedy hall of fame, and his scene with a casino manager (Garry Marshall, underplaying beautifully) is a masterpiece of wheedling desperation. Somehow amidst the comedy, Brooks captures the panic beneath the upwardly-mobile go-go American guy, circa 1985. The open road will never be the same. --Robert Horton
(20 votes)
2.
Sedate married couple David and Linda Howard live lives of quiet desperation. David has put in eight long years as creative director of a top ad agency, while Linda has worked in a windowless office for the last seven years. They both know there's something missing but don't know how to fix it. When David doesn't get the promotion he's been counting on, they impulsively decide to drastically alter their quiet lifestyle--they quit their jobs, withdraw their nest egg from the bank, and head out on the highway in a brand-new Winnebago to live out their lives EASY RIDER style. There's just one small problem Linda never mentioned to David, and they soon find their plan drastically altered. Watch for filmmaker Garry Marshall in a hilarious role as a casino manager. Brooks and Hagerty make a terrifically funny couple, making this charming film an absolute delight from beginning to end.
(20 votes)
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