Defending Your Life Reviewed by Bruce Cantwell It isn't Albert Brooks's satire of the afterlife that makes Defending Your Life so brilliant but the skill with which he finds a western analogy for eastern beliefs. "Nothing else ever made sense to me, and the only other thing I thought (death) might be was dirt, which I couldn't get financing for. Two hours of dirt – no one's gonna really put up much money," says Brooks in a 1991 Rolling Stone piece. I'm not implying that this is what he set out to do but consider this: the state of Nirvana (no fear, no desire) is a little tougher for western audiences to imagine than romantic yearning. Julia (Meryl Streep) is a woman who knew no fear on earth and knows no desire in the afterlife. For Daniel Miller (Brooks) whose last go-round on earth was frought with anxiety, finding her is the equivalent of enlightenment but to join her in the next life and leave the cycle of birth and death on earth, he must demonstrate that he has conquered his fear. It doesn't look good for him. Bob Diamond (Rip Torn) is Miller's defense attorney, pumping his client up with optimism because he none-too-secretly knows that the poor sap doesn't have a chance of going forward. Lena Foster (Lee Grant) has the goods on him. Bob Diamond: Did we ever stop to think that this young boy had a bond with his father? I don't think it had anything to do with the friend. I just think Daniel couldn't lie to his dad. That's all. Lena Foster: You're nodding, Mr. Miller. Does that mean you agree with Mr. Diamond? Daniel Miller: Oh, yes. I had a bond with my father. I pretty much never lied to him. Lena Foster: You never lied to your father? Would you like me to show you at least 500 examples? Daniel Miller: I said "pretty much" never lied. I didn't say I never, ever lied. You have to lie sometimes... in an emergency. But, ah, it doesn't mean the bond is affected. If you've got the bond the bond is always there, and if you have to lie occasionally you're not going to interfere with the bond. You know, the bond can wait for a little lie and... in the end it's there for you. You know, sometimes in the middle of a lie I found that the bond would kick in... maybe squeeze a little truth out. Bob Diamond: Psst, wrap it up. Daniel Miller: I'm through. Even though most of the film takes place in the next world, of course, Brooks gets a lot of pot shots off at this one and, as usual, his aim is on.

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