Real Life

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Real Life

PG,

1979,

1h 39m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

83%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Filmmaker Albert Brooks wants to create a documentary that will get to the very heart of what it means to be an American family. To that end, he persuades the Yeagers of Phoenix, Ariz., to let him and his camera crew document virtually every moment of their waking lives. What's supposed to be a cinematic presentation of reality, however, soon becomes something quite different, as Brooks can't stop himself from comically interfering in their lives.

Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Aug 12, 2024

Albert Brooks’s film epitomizes his singular voice in the varied comedy landscape of the 1970s.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

May 16, 2019

1/4

A great idea. But the movie that Albert Brooks has made from it, alas, gets most of its laughs in the first 10 minutes, slides into a long middle stretch of repetitive situations and ends on a note of embarrassing hysteria.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Apr 30, 2018

While the fictitious Albert Brooks takes us cheerfully into his confidence, the Albert Brooks behind the camera sees through him with hilarious clarity.

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Rudie Obias

Battleship Pretension

Aug 31, 2024

In a lot of ways, Real Life was ahead of its time, especially when you consider the wide range of reality TV over the last 25 years.

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Peter Martin

ScreenAnarchy

Aug 20, 2024

3.5/5.0

Works best in its individual segments, becoming patchy in its second half, while still scoring big laughs. The individual segments are frequently very, very funny. ... Grodin and McCain ... are both terrific actors and expertly deliver their lines.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Mar 25, 2024

9.5/10

Brooks recognizes that the second you put “real life” on screen it becomes something else entirely.

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Feb 2, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

Draco R

Jan 2, 2019

Brooks saw the future of television. Good stuff. Although he should have taken it a lot farther.

Leia R

Feb 17, 2018

Another lost flixster rating. 1001 movies to see before you die.

Harry S

Jun 12, 2017

Smart and funny, and launched the most underrated comedy filmmaker in cinema history.

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Albert Brooks

Director

Albert Brooks

Albert Brooks

Charles Grodin

Warren Yeager

Frances Lee McCain

Jeannette Yeager

Dick Haynes

Councilman Harris

Matthew Tobin

Dr. Howard Hill

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Albert Brooks wants to create a documentary that will get to the very heart of what it means to be an American family. To that end, he persuades the Yeagers of Phoenix, Ariz., to let him and his camera crew document virtually every moment of their waking lives. What's supposed to be a cinematic presentation of reality, however, soon becomes something quite different, as Brooks can't stop himself from comically interfering in their lives.

Director: Albert Brooks
Producer: Penelope Spheeris
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 2, 1979, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Runtime: 1h 39m

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