Defending Your Life | 
| Director: Albert Brooks
Actors: Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Roger Behr, Beth Black
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $5.99
You Save: $8.99 (60%)
New (37) Used (12) from $4.48
Rating:  106 reviews
Sales Rank: 332
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 2
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.6 x 0.5
MPN: WARD12049D
ISBN: 0790757257
UPC: 085391204923
EAN: 9780790757254
ASIN: B000056WRG
Theatrical Release Date: March 22, 1991
Release Date: April 3, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Albert Brooks proves there's laughs after death with this almost heavenly comedy--almost heaven as in Judgment City, where recently perished Daniel Miller (Brooks) learns whether he is worthy of advancing to a higher plane of existence or will be sent back to earth for another incarnation. His fate will be determined in a very special trial, during which scenes from his life are replayed on a giant screen. "Isn't it realistic?" a judge asks. "It makes some people nauseous." While the steely prosecutor (Lee Grant) will try to prove that Daniel failed in life to face his fears and insecurities, his glad-handing, reassuring defender (Rip Torn) will argue on behalf of this hapless "little brain" (a Judgment City term for residents of earth). As Woody Allen did for the future in Sleeper, so does Brooks create an original vision of the afterlife. In Judgment City, white-robed residents can eat as much as they want without guilt or fear of gaining weight. They can also visit the Past Lives Pavilion, where they are greeted by a hologram of--who else--Shirley MacLaine. Daniel finds himself touched by an angel. Meryl Streep gives an enchanting performance as Julia, whose exemplary life is in stark contrast to his. During her trial, the court watches in rapture as she saves not only children, but a cat from a burning building. Daniel and Julia are a match made in Judgment City, but first Daniel must summon up the courage to express his true feelings for her, or she will surely advance without him. Defending Your Life is Brooks's most ambitious film and, with Mother, his most accessible. --Donald Liebenson
Product Description
Judgement city is where the newly departed go to be judged before deciding whether they are heavenbound or hellbound. Special features: trailer: cast/director film highlights: subtitles in english french spanish and portuguese dubbed in quebec. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 06/07/2005 Starring: Albert Brooks Meryl Streep Run time: 112 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Albert Brooks
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| Customer Reviews: Read 101 more reviews...
 What If?? June 7, 2009
Barbi Price (Trenton, GA USA)
This movie makes you ponder....What if?? There is quiet humor and a load of funny moments!! A great little movie!!
 A Classic! April 23, 2009
Carolyn Overton (ABQ, NM)
I saw this probably 20 years ago and purchased it recently for my sister's family who just came through two losses of aging family members. They all needed a little comic relief and this is THE movie for such an occasion. It's respectful of death but with just the kind of comedic edge that gives plenty of food for thought with a smile. Albert Brooks, I adore you.
Defending Your Life February 18, 2009
Ron (Delray Beach, FL)
Love this movie. What a great way to think about life and what holds us back. Don't be afraid, order the movie. It might just change your life.
Defending, Defending your life January 20, 2009
Farley Dog (Omaha, Wis USA)
The dry humor of Albert Brooks left me with tears in my eyes. Meryl Streep is no phony baloney in this movie.
 Dull, plodding, endless... oh, a joke! How nice. December 30, 2008
Davalon (Tokyo)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This movie was funny to some extent in 1992. Viewed now, it is an endless chat fest where a character says something, and another character repeats the same thing, either in shock, surprise, or as a question. This type of "dialogue" is often found in scripts written by stars/directors or someone who is really incapable of writing natural dialogue.
The movie has tons of cultural references that may have seemed hysterical to an L.A. audience in the early 90s, but, again, viewed now is neither funny or interesting.
Our leads are Meryl Streep, who is gorgeous and has so much presence that it is unfortunate that she had to be in this film, and Albert Brooks, who was also the writer/director--but should have only been one of the three, not all.
The "courtroom scenes," which, at last count, we had to endure three times, go on and on and on. Brooks "spins" around his chair to look at his former life, and then spins back to look at the judges with all the verve and enthusiasm of Tony Perkins's dead mother in "Psycho."
Albert Brooks can be funny, no question about it. And this was a unique idea. But someone really needed to take a gardening shears to the script and to have cracked a whip on the set. The pacing is so deadly that I would have had to down a jar of Vivarin in order to maintain enough alertness to get through the whole thing.
Good idea; questionable execution, deadly pacing.
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