Image credit: Defending Your Life: Everett Collection
'LIFE' PARTNERS Streep and Brooks are heavenly
Meryl Streep
SCREEN GEM: Defending Your Life (1991)''Defending Your Life'' is a past gem from Oscar nominee Meryl Streep
COSTARS Albert Brooks, Rip Torn, Lee Grant
PREMISE In this Brooks-directed satire, the afterlife proves no less bureaucratic than life on Earth. Streep and Brooks are a match made in purgatory: Her altruistic life means she'll progress to a higher plane of existence; his angsty time on Earth makes him a likely candidate to be sent back for another go at it.
FUN FACT Universal Studios' tramway buses stand in for Judgment City's only means of transport.
WHY IT'S GREAT Like ''Adaptation,'' ''Defending'' displays Streep's natural comic talents. It's a joy to see her so relaxed, easygoing, and enchanting -- no wonder Brooks falls for her.
Movie Calendar
- January 3
- January 4
- January 6
- January 13
- January 20
- January 27
- February 3
- February 10
- February 17
- February 24
- March 2
- March 9
- March 16
- March 23
- March 30
- April 4
- April 6
- April 13
- April 20
- April 27
- * Dates subject to change
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.