This is one of my favorite movies of all time! It was written, directed, and starred in by Albert Brooks (best known for his Academy Award Best Supporting Actor nominated role in Broadcast News) and has Brooks’ offbeat perspective from start to finish. The movie begins with Albert Brooks’ yuppie character, Daniel, tooling along in the shiny new convertible he has purchased himself for his birthday. As he reaches over to mess with the radio he inadvertently swerves into an oncoming bus. In the next scene you see Daniel in line with hundreds of other white clad people and realize this is Brooks’ version of heaven’s way station called Judgment City. What follows is a humorous trial as Daniel has to defend his life to a panel of judges who will decide whether he has acquitted himself fearlessly enough in his life on Earth to move on to the next plane of existence or whether he needs to be reborn on Earth to try again. Meryl Streep plays opposite Brooks, as Julia (Daniel’s love interest), with her usual superb styling. The scene when Daniel and Julia visit the Hall of Past Lives is priceless! Rip Torn plays the “attorney” assigned to help defend Daniel and you can’t help but wonder whose side he is really on as Daniel’s trial goes along. If you enjoy movies with witty dialogue and unique view points, then Defending Your Life is a must see comedy for you!