Checking Out

Airline executive Jeff Daniels (as Ray Macklin) is startled when his childhood pal and adult co-worker drops dead at an annual fête. Worst of all, Allan Havey (as Pat Hagen) expires right before the punch-line of the joke question, "Why don't Italians like barbecues?" The tragedy turns Mr. Daniels into a raging hypochondriac. Preoccupied with sickness, Daniels loses his sexual urge for unsatisfied wife Melanie Mayron (as Jenny). Daniels thinks he's going to die while we're laughing at all the funny scenarios involving his expiration. It turns out the there is a surprise ailment for Daniels along with some vividly dreamy sequences...

The punch-line to the repeatedly-uttered joke, "Why don't Italians like barbecues?" is finally given, if you're waiting and wondering. It's not much of a joke, if you ask me; but, it apparently wasn't meant to be. Since this flat, slap-sticky comedy was produced by "Nelson Wilbury" aka Beatle George Harrison's HandMade Films, you do get a cool credits listen to The Traveling Wilburys' "End of the Line" and will also hear "Lefty Wilbury" aka Roy Orbison sing for "Only the Lonely". Among the interesting cameos is Mr. Harrison sweeping the floor in Heaven. Just thinking about that for a moment ought to put a smile on your face.

**** Checking Out (4/21/89) David Leland ~ Jeff Daniels, Melanie Mayron, Allan Havey, Michael Tucker

When a film's sole positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes states little other praise outside of the film being "constantly watchable," you know you have something on your hands. David Leland's Checking Out is a tiresome drag of a film, one with little comedy but a whole lot of strange, over-the-top circumstances that result in little else besides mounting annoyance and tedium. Unless you ever wanted to see the most annoying party-guest or your most insufferable acquaintance personified in film, there is little here for you to see.

The film stars Jeff Daniels as Ray Macklin, who always seemingly been obsessed with his own mortality, believing at times he'll never die and continue to live on in life. What a desirable bout of optimism this guy has. Anyway, when his close friend suddenly drops dead of a heart attack at a friendly barbecue, Ray is certain that every ache, pain, or feeling of discomfort that he experiences from there on out is a lethal sign that his demise is coming. Ray becomes an oppressive hypochondriac, fretting over small little instances and alienating everyone around him.

Does this sound like the kind of person you want to watch for ninety-one minutes? Would you want to live with this very same person? If you said no, then why would you want to endure a film with him in it? It is worth noting that Checking Out did have some potential for observations on existential and mortality dilemmas, but found ways to squander them in unfortunately lame attempts to brew humor out of one of the most irritating characters in recent memory. Daniels can be very funny, and when put alongside somebody (most notably Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber), uses verbal banter and conversational wit to even out some of the less funny physical/sight gags thrown in the mix. With Checking Out, there's no verbal banter nor conversational wit. There's simply situational humor that is forgotten as quickly as it was introduced.

Consider the scene where Ray wakes up, bathed in sweat and is so paranoid about dying he leaps out the window on to his family station wagon. This activates a blaring car alarm and causes the attention of his neighbors, who have to hear him panic and scream about him in the process of dying. Spare me, spare him, spare us.

The running gag in Checking Out is that Ray's friend, whose death started all this madness, died in the middle of telling a joke, with the punchline remaining a mystery. Ray's friend asks Ray and a crowded group of people, "why don't Italians like barbeques," before croaking on the spot. Ray can't get this out of his head, and resorts to asking people and reading several Italian joke books in order to find the punchline to this rather stale joke, the way I see it. If anything, Checking Out provides a solid case study on how difficult it was to obtain information, such as punchlines, before the creation and the rise of the internet. Things like that only help an old movie the more they age.

Checking Out, in short, is tedious and shockingly unfunny, given its talented director David Leland and its more-than-capable leading man Jeff Daniels. With Blu-Ray commanding more and more of the market for home media, Checking Out among other comedies from yesteryear such as Used Cars and Wild at Heart, have been getting releases on the platform in order to find ways to resurface back in the public or simply stay up-to-date with the changing home media platforms. Even with the most basic justification for releasing old, forgotten films on Blu-Ray, Checking Out is lucky it got its treatment.

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Melanie Mayron, and Michael Tucker. Directed by: David Leland.

This movie had one of the most funny moments I have ever seen. I have rarely laughed so hard. It was purely situational and lacked a punchline. It takes place when Daniels meets that fellow hypochondriac that is a multi-millionaire. He places so much faith in this guy and his so called health secrets. The fact is the rich health nut is a total hypocrite. He's a complete slob as depicted when he throws down his food wrappers. For a guy so concerned with his own health he ruins the very environment with which he occupies. The culmination of this reality hits Daniles like a mack truck when he sneaks into the limo of the "afluent health guru"-ha ha. The place is an utter pig sty. The limo is filled with rotting food and trash. Even funnier is all the books and health gear that is rat packed into this limo. It is at this moment that Daniels realizes he has been duped by his own madness. He realizes his misplaced faith in such a moron. Giddy with excitement from his moment of epiphany he starts laughing hysterically and starts trashing the contents of the limo. It's so funny because moments ago he thought this guy was all put together. Quite literally he can throw everything and anything around and this health nut wouldn't know the difference.

Other than that the movie is just OK. If that scene fails to impress you so be it.

I have seen too many films to count in my 63 years. This one is on my list of top 10. Cynical, absurd, wise, full of unforgettable characters and situations. It may not be everyone's kind of funny, but certainly is mine. Not everyone appreciates dark comedy and this one is dark. I seldom laugh out loud at films, but this one kept me in surgical stitches all the way through.

Absolutely chocked full of amazing performances. Check out Jo Harvey Allen in a scene with Jeff Daniels in the front seat of his car. Classic! Michael Tucker does a great turn as Jeff Daniel's Boss. Stephen Tobolowsky is unforgettable as a whacked out pharmacist. All of the actors are given some great material to work with. It must have been a joy for all of them.

Keep your eye peeled for David Byrne in a small role as a bar tender. Producer George Harrison (yes that one) also has a small role as a cleaner in heaven. Which is where he currently resides. He is wearing an orange jump suit pushing a broom!

I think I will sign off now and go check my blood pressure.

This movie caught me completely off guard. Last night I hit the jackpot for a movie buff I discovered 2 movies that I never heard of before and they both did their job, they were entertaining. The first movie was suppose to be a cheesy horror movie, Defender of the Realm, which was much better then a lot of horror movies I have seen with big budgets and big names. The other movie was this one.

Comedy is not one of my favorite genre's, unless it a Mel Brooks or Albert Brooks and I liked Rodney Dangerfield's movies in the 80's. I never understood the fuss over Jim Carey and I am not a Porkeys or Caddyshack or a big Woody Allen fan. I was set to turn the channel but they were at a barbecue and one of the friends are telling these really bad but funny jokes and he suddenly drops to the ground. The guests thinks he is still joking but one has the sense to say "call a ambulance". The laughs come non stop from there. It is a black comedy. The Jeff Daniels character who is a co worker and friend of the dead guy becomes the biggest hypochondriac on film since Rock Husdson in Send me No Flowers. His wife was talking about the dangers of eating salt the day before and he scoffs it off. Now he because of the sudden death of his friend and the ER doctor saying it is not uncommon for that to happen with people his age he believes his days are numbered. The whole film circles around that premise.

What makes it hilarious is the various characters he runs into. He goes to a doctor believing he is a medial doctor only to find out hie a psycho therapist. His behavior is so crazy that the cardiologist referred him. He feels there is some conspiracy to lie about his prognosis and he just knows he is going to die, but no one else thinks that way, the therapist has a little cut on his finger and Daniels alarmed about it. What happens is priceless. Before that he meets some man in the waiting room who seems to be his type of guy. Reading medical books, whining about his health and looking for something to be wrong with him. He is suppose to be a health nut because of all of his imagined medical malady's and distrust of doctors, and Daniels wants to read this book he read. Well I am not going to say what happens but it has to be one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen in a movie.

This is a movie you have to see. Because it is a black comedy you really can't convey how funny it really is. What is so funny about a man friends dropping dead and he believing he is next?

I liked this movie so much I am going right over Amazon or Overstock and buying it if I can.