Defending Your Life was written, directed, and starred Albert Brooks. He plays Daniel who is hit by a bus and killed on his birthday, right after picking up his new BMW. He ends up in a waiting place called Judgement City where he is to stand trial for his life. If he and his defense attorney, Bob Diamond (Rip Torn) can convince the judges that he didn’t live his life with fear, he can “move on”.
Defense attorney, Bob Diamond (Rip Torn) and Daniel (Albert Brooks)
Judgment City is representative of the Christian Purgatory or the Jewish place between the book of everlasting life and Gehenna. But in this film, there is also the concept of reincarnation and moving on to a higher existence.
 | While Daniel is there he meets a woman named Julia (Meryl Streep) and they fall in love. Julia has lived the perfect life without fear and just has to go through the motions of a trial. |
I have never met Meryl Streep, but I always get the impression that her personality is much like Julia in this film. It’s difficult to tell because she is such a fine actress, so this could have been just another great role, completely different from who she really is. She happens to be one of my favorite all-time actresses.
Judgement City is great. There is perfect weather, every sort of restaurant where the food tastes great and you can have all you can eat. There are places to visit like the Past Lives Pavilion, golf courses, comedy clubs, and nice hotels. (Julia’s is nicer than Daniel’s)
I also love the comedy style of Albert Brooks. He doesn’t have a fast paced wacky comedic style. His style is similar to the subtle, slow paced New York, Jewish style, although he is from California.
I also love the comedy style of Albert Brooks. He doesn’t have a fast paced wacky comedic style. His style is similar to the subtle, slow paced New York, Jewish style, although he is from California.
  |  |
Rip Torn and Lee Grant, who play opposing attorneys, Bob Diamond and Lena Foster are great as polar opposites.
Higher existence people working in Judgement City use up to 90% of their brains. While new arrivals use 3 to 5%. They are referred to as “Little Brains.” Daniel makes a comment to Julia that now he had to deal with brain envy.
Brooks and Streep have a surprising amount of on-screen chemistry.
The movie has a very satisfying ending where love conquers all.
Click the picture below for ordering information of my love story about death and the afterlife.
RSS Feed
