Better Off Dead... (1985)

Director:

Savage Steve Holland

Writer:

Savage Steve Holland (writer)

Release Date:

11 October 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

You've blown up your neighbor's mom. Your seven-year-old brother has better luck with women than you do. Your girlfriend has a new boyfriend. Relax, you're never...

Plot:

A teenager has to deal with his girlfriend dumping him among family crises, homicidal paper boys, and a rival skier.

Plot Keywords:

Skiing On One Ski | Christmas | Clay Animation | High School | Black Comedy

Cast

John Cusack	...	Lane Meyer
David Ogden Stiers	...	Al Meyer
Kim Darby	...	Jenny Meyer
Demian Slade	...	Johnny Gasparini
Scooter Stevens	...	Badger Meyer
Diane Franklin	...	Monique Junot
Laura Waterbury	...	Mrs. Smith
Dan Schneider	...	Ricky Smith (as Daniel Schneider)
Yuji Okumoto	...	Yee Sook Ree
Brian Imada	...	Chen Ree
Chuck Mitchell	...	Rocko
Amanda Wyss	...	Beth Truss
Curtis Armstrong	...	Charles De Mar
Aaron Dozier	...	Roy Stalin
Frank Burt Avalon	...	Roy's Ski Buddy #1

Also Known As:

Better Off Dead (USA)
One Way Love (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Norway:12 | UK:15 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

1636 Virginia Avenue, Glendale, California, USA

Company:

A&M Films

Trivia:

People protested the film's original tagline, "Sometimes...you're Better Off Dead," so it was changed to "Relax...you're never Better Off Dead."

Goofs:

Continuity: During the final ski race, the sun alternates back and forth between midday, late day, and completely overcast in the span of less than 10 minutes.

Quotes:

Lane Myer: [indicating to Mrs. Smith's accident] Gee, I'm really sorry your mom blew up, Ricky, guess she won't be able to eat any spicy foods for awhile.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Totally Awesome (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

A Little Luck

One Of The Great Teen Comedies Out-There

What a strange bird! A teen comedy that is smart, perceptive and very funny. I'm tempted to call it the best American teen comedy ever made (at least the best one I've seen). It is constantly unpredictable and insightful in ways that will surprise you. A parade of wacky, almost surreal scenes of comical mayhem operate from a solid, well constructed foundation. The film has great understanding of the complex world of teenagers, and what was known as the 80s culture. Also, the film is filled with well-tuned observations of life in general. Writer-director Holland has a keen eye for those insignificant details that make people's lives interesting, and significant. He makes you laugh because you recognize the absurdities of our daily life. John Cusack was one of the best young actors of his generation. He is irresistible here. Kim Darby is particularly funny as Cusack's nutty mom. I cannot recommend this movie enough. The film has no sex or other things that often make this type of film inappropriate for the young ones, so it is perfect for a family gathering. It is one of the few films made for a young audience that I'm sure adults will find funny too.