Albert Brooks has been making his offbeat brand of satirical comedies about the neuroses and anxieties of affluent Americans lost in the bubble of their own insular cultures for more than 40 years. His third film, Lost in America (1985), remains his most incisive and most popular. Brooks stars as David Howard, a successful Los Angeles ad executive who abruptly quits his job, after being passed over for promotion, and coaxes his wife Linda (Julie Hagerty) to follow suit. The couple fancy themselves as modern versions of the Easy Rider characters, dropping out of society to travel across America and "find themselves" in the comfort of a deluxe Winnebago while living off a cushion of over $100,000. But once that "nest egg" (the phrase becomes a mantra) is lost in a night of gambling fever in Las Vegas, everything unravels and they begin to long for their old, materialistic lives. Brooks has a low-key approach to comedy, exploring uncomfortable situations and awkward confrontations as he presents a hilarious take on mid-life crisis and disillusioned yuppies. One of the great satires of ‘80s materialism and the comfort zone of affluent urban Americans, the film is presented with a new restoration, and features extras including new interviews (with Brooks, Hagerty, executive producer Herb Nanas, and filmmaker and screenwriter James L. Brooks—no relation to Albert), and a booklet with an essay by critic Scott Tobias. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Lost in America
Criterion, 91 min., R, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95 Volume 32, Issue 5
Lost in America
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