Lost in America

R

Released Feb 8, 1985

1 hr. 31 min.

Comedy

List

95%

40 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

After being snubbed at his advertising job, Los Angeles yuppie David Howard (Albert Brooks) convinces his wife, Linda (Julie Hagerty), to quit her job and join him on a cross-country road trip. The two liquidate their assets and leave the West Coast in a Winnebago, intent on finding themselves and discovering America. But during a stop in Las Vegas, the couple loses their savings at a roulette wheel and begins to see that their idealized notion of the American experience is terribly misguided.

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Critics Consensus

A satire of the American fantasy of leaving it all behind, Lost in America features some of Albert Brooks' best, most consistent writing and cultural jabs.

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Marc Z

This is a movie about a pre-midlife crisis. Albert Brooks and his wife are tired of their ordinary lives as white collar professionals. They are controlled and predictable and they long for more. When Brooks' career trajectory takes an unexpected turn he convinces his wife to do something bold and out of character. That bold move is to sell everything, quite their jobs, and travel the USA. Are they cut out for this lifestyle? Brooks is like a hardened Woody Allen. He is edgy and neurotic, but oddly likable in his quirky way. The strength of the film his interaction with Julie Haggerty. Gary Marshall is phenomenal as the Casino manager. This is memorable and has stood the test of time. Funny, but very thought provoking.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/23

Full Review

Alec B

A great assault on yuppie culture. I think the film could have afforded to be a bit longer, but that's a relatively minor complaint. Brooks and Hagerty are hilarious in this.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Albert Brooks stars and directs along with Julie Hagerty they play a married couple both striving for change from their usual lifestyle; the husband, David is dying for a promotion at his ad agency, the wife, Linda hopes to move into a new house not having to do retail anymore problem is he doesn't get the job and ultimately gets fired scolding at his boss so the new plan now is to 'get lost' in the beauty of America during a road trip while driving in an RV they have no destination in mind, not a care in the world, no giant goals to think about Freaking love Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty. Clever satire of the American dream dropping all worries and responsibilities. Could've used more destination hopping but the epilogue was quite funny. Lots of us want to see the true face of what the nation's made us being so confined and suffocated in our daily routines but there's always a chance to start over and go beyond it all.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/23

Full Review

Taylor L

Who goes out of their way to order a Mercedes with a brown paint job and a beige interior? Albert Brooks hasn't kept up in the popular consciousness as a writer, but he's plenty clever at it. Lost in America is a satire of satisfaction, with Brooks himself playing a yuppie who maintains a superficial love of liberty and possibility (mostly through movies) but who remains completely trapped by his own greed and is willing to get crushed under the corporate wheel as a result. When the opportunity comes, in a fit of uncharacteristic rebellion (but one fuelled by something as yuppie-ish as not getting a promotion), to explore a more liberated side of life out on the open road without attachments, Brooks' David and his wife Linda (Julie Hagerty) are met only with disillusionment. There's no real sense of American exceptionalism, the pair are governed by the same basic vices as everyone else, and eventually they come crawling back to the same dehumanizing system with hat in hand. The two make the hilariously heartbreaking decision that life inside the bubble, artificial as it may seem, is still preferable to the cold reality that there isn't much special about either of them. A fun comedy that is worthwhile as much for Brooks' outbursts as it is for his clever writing. (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Blobbo lost in Lost in America movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

dave s

Albert Brooks and Julie Haggerty shine as David and Linda Howard, a couple from Los Angeles who decide to liquidate their assets, quit their jobs and buy a mobile home in order to spend the next twenty years ‘touching Indians' and exploring America…until their plans are derailed in Las Vegas. It is totally engaging throughout thanks to a great script and solid performances from Brooks and Hagerty, who play two immensely likeable characters regardless of whether they are bickering or staring lovingly into each other's eyes. The film is filled with classic scenes, including Brooks' explanation of the meaning of what a ‘nest egg' is and the brilliant encounter between David and the casino manager. The only downside to Lost in America is the fact that, like the characters' physical journey, the film feels like it runs out of steam a bit over the last thirty minutes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Albert Brooks

Director

Albert Brooks

David Howard

Julie Hagerty

Linda Howard

Michael Greene

Paul Dunn

Tom Tarpey

Brad Tooley

Garry Marshall

Casino Manager

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Neil Jillett

The Age (Australia)

The script is rarely funny and often far too talkative, and the small amount of action is flat-footed. Brooks and his co-star, Julie Hagerty, do not show enough sparkle in their acting to make up for these deficiencies.

Apr 4, 2022

Full Review

Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Brooks, who wrote the script with Monica Johnson, is a highly original comedic spirit.

Oct 22, 2018

Full Review

Kirk Ellis

Hollywood Reporter

Too often, things are simply too painfully accurate to be particularly funny. Still, it's hard to fault Brooks' resolutely adult intelligence, and Lost in America - almost in spite of itself, really - is easily his most consistently amusing work to date.

Mar 19, 2018

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

These narcissistic yuppies thinking that they’re actually doing something bold is an amusing critique of the privileged upper class fetishization of the “freedom” of being broke.

Rated: 9.5/10

Mar 25, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Lost in America is unquestionably Brooks' funniest, most cynical, yet most insightful film, and the height of his wincing scenarios about disenchanted creatives.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 14, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

There's a fantastic scene featuring a hilarious turn by director Garry Marshall.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 1, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

After being snubbed at his advertising job, Los Angeles yuppie David Howard (Albert Brooks) convinces his wife, Linda (Julie Hagerty), to quit her job and join him on a cross-country road trip. The two liquidate their assets and leave the West Coast in a Winnebago, intent on finding themselves and discovering America. But during a stop in Las Vegas, the couple loses their savings at a roulette wheel and begins to see that their idealized notion of the American experience is terribly misguided.

Director: Albert Brooks
Production Co: Marty Katz Productions, The Geffen Company
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 8, 1985, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2008

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