Defending Your Life

Dir. Albert Brooks. 1991, 112 mins. U.S. 35mm. With Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant. After a stupid, split-second mistake, a Los Angeles advertising executive in his late thirties is killed after his car crashes into a bus. He soon wakes up in Judgment City, a way station through which the recently deceased must pass before moving on to the next plane of the afterlife. The food is remarkably delicious (and hilariously bountiful), but the stakes are high: all souls here must defend their life decisions in a trial, after which they move on to heaven or are sent back to earth to try the whole damn thing again. While fretting over the bleak prospects summoned by a life ruled by fear, Daniel falls for Julia (Streep), whose generosity and good nature would seem to make her future undeniable. Brooks’s captivating romantic comedy is a perfect showcase for the inimitable writer-director-star’s mix of caustic social observation and emotional warmth. 

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.