Lost in America
A status-conscious Los Angeles couple abandons secure careers for a luxurious road-life fantasy that collides with American absurdity and financial reality.
Overview
A yuppie couple's dream of freedom turns into a chaotic road trip across America.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- sardonic
- uncomfortable
- lazy sunday
- road movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a sharply observed, highly funny satire of yuppie ambition and consumer culture, strengthened by Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty's performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David and Linda liquidate their comfortable Los Angeles lifestyle to imitate the ideals associated with Easy Rider while retaining a luxurious Winnebago.
David treats perpetual travel as an escape from career disappointment, but the trip repeatedly exposes the limits of his idealized plan.
The Howards' decisions are shaped by jobs, assets, lifestyle expectations, and the fear of falling outside affluent social norms.
The film turns the couple's Winnebago-based imitation of Easy Rider into a pointed mismatch between rebellion and luxury.
Films like Lost in America, and why
Easy Rider
shared road movie structure, counterculture satire, and comic critique of middle-class aspiration
Broadcast News
shared neurotic relationship comedy, urban self-absorption, and sharp observational satire
National Lampoon's Vacation
shared American road comedy, gambling detour, and disillusionment with consumer culture
The War of the Roses
shared yuppie satire, marriage friction, and uncomfortable comedy about status anxiety
Movie Details
- Director
- Albert Brooks
- Release Date
- 1985-02-08
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (176)
Cast
- Albert Brooks
- Julie Hagerty
- Michael Greene
- Garry Marshall
- Maggie Roswell
- Tom Tarpey
- Ernie Brown
- Joey Coleman
- Art Frankel
- Donald Gibb
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lost in America about?
- A status-conscious Los Angeles couple abandons secure careers for a luxurious road-life fantasy that collides with American absurdity and financial reality.
- What is Lost in America like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lost in America as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Lost in America violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Lost in America.
- What did critics think of Lost in America?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a sharply observed, highly funny satire of yuppie ambition and consumer culture, strengthened by Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty's performances.
- Which films are like Lost in America?
- Films with a similar feel include Easy Rider, Broadcast News, National Lampoon's Vacation, and The War of the Roses.
- How long is Lost in America?
- Lost in America runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lost in America?
- In United States, Lost in America streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
