****/**** Image B+ Sound B+ Extras B+
starring Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty
written by Albert Brooks & Monica Johnson
directed by Albert Brooks

by Bryant Frazer Early in Lost in America, David Howard (Albert Brooks) is trying to convince his wife, Linda (Julie Hagerty), that it’s a good idea to abandon their Los Angeles house in favour of an interstate-ready mobile home. He describes the amenities in detail–it even has a “microwave that browns”–and outlines his dangerously misguided fantasy of dropping out of society to explore the country. “Linda,” he says, “this is just like Easy Rider, except now it’s our turn.” That’s a good line, and not just because Albert Brooks–round-faced, pushing 40, with enormous glasses and a distinctive Jewfro–is a physically and temperamentally unlikely candidate for the Easy Rider lifestyle. It’s really funny because it’s so clearly a terrible idea. In a rush of pride and vocal anger at being passed over for a desired promotion, David lost his job as an advertising copywriter, unwrapping himself from the protective swaddle of gainful corporate employment. Now he wants to drag Linda, a department-store HR functionary, into the void with him. It’s like a car wreck in slow-motion, except the guy driving sold his air bags for gas money and is delivering a peppy monologue about how great it feels not to be wearing a seat belt. This, we understand, is a calamity in the making.