Jennifer Barlow Movies
Albert Brooks wrote, directed, and stars in this philosophical comedy about a man having a hard time making a case for himself in the afterlife. When advertising executive Daniel Miller (Albert Brooks) finds himself in a fatal car crash minutes after taking delivery on a new BMW, he's whisked away to Judgment City, where the recently dead are put on a sort of trial to decide their fate. If in your time on Earth you were able to face your fears and learn from your mistakes, you get to move on to a life in a better world. However, if you didn't, you have to go back to Earth and try again. As he spends the next several days watching various episodes from his life, Daniel gets the impression he doesn't stand much of a chance of moving on -- and his representative, Bob Diamond (Rip Torn), seems to have little confidence in his case. In the meantime, he frequents Judgment City's many restaurants (where the food is delicious and you can eat all you want without gaining an ounce), pays a visit to the Past Life Pavilion, and meets Julia (Meryl Streep), who seems so kind, sweet, and noble that her advancement is practically assured. Daniel and Julia fall in love, but what's going to happen if they don't end up in the same place? Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep make a witty and engaging romantic team in Defending Your Life, and Shirley MacLaine appears in a highly appropriate cameo. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, (more)
- 1989
- R
An entertaining hybrid of Amicus-style horror anthology and gritty low-budget western, this first-time effort from writer-director Wayne Coe succeeds where many such genre-bending attempts have failed. The quartet of uneven but well-mounted stories are spun around a desert campfire by grizzled, menacing bounty hunter Morrison (a rousingly hammy James Earl Jones) and wet-behind-the-ears city slicker Farley (Brad Dourif). Morrison starts off with the tale of an Indian tribe's ritual revenge against the drunken cracker who desecrates their sacred burial ground; When Farley seems interested but unfazed, Morrison follows up with the more visceral story of a Good Samaritan who succumbs to temptation while rendering aid to a pregnant woman, leading to a particularly disgusting (though definitely original) demise. Appalled by the storyteller's lack of taste, Farley counters with a down-to-earth morality tale involving a prairie settler's young daughter who witnesses her father's horrifying act of hate, realizing that the man she trusted with her life is a very human breed of monster. Morrison acknowledges his companion's skill but offers another violent story according to his own idiom -- that of a slick gunfighter who gets his comeuppance by his own hand after winning a deadly competition. The stories feature fine acting and direction but are ultimately overshadowed by the engaging framing story and lack much of the dramatic payoff of their earlier British counterparts. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Earl Jones, Brad Dourif, (more)
- 1989
The Enterprise is assigned to escort a young alien princess named Salia (Jaime Hubbard) to Daled Four. Wesley develops a crush on the girl, much to the displeasure of her guardian Anya (Paddi Edwards). Little does Wesley know that Anya possesses a secret power that could destroy him and the rest of the crew. Originally telecast February 26, 1989, "The Dauphin" was written by Scott Rubinstein and Leonard Mlodinow. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
To raise money for the Disabled Youth Services, Louise (Isabel Sanford) and Helen (Roxie Roker) stage a talent show with the help of Tom (Franklin Cover), Florence (Marla Gibbs), and Bentley (Paul Benedict). The winner will receive free TV time to promote his or her favorite charitable cause. George (Sherman Hemsley) schemes to use this opportunity to drum up business for his dry-cleaning store. "Off-Off-Off-Off Broadway" was The Jeffersons' 253rd and final episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, (more)
