ComedyRomance

Better Off Dead...

- Insanity doesn't run in the family, it gallops.

High school student Lane Meyer sinks into suicidal depression when his girlfriend dumps him for jock Roy Stalin, the high school ski racing champion. Meanwhile, he has to deal with his eccentric family, a tenacious paperboy and an obnoxious neighbor whose mother is hosting a beautiful French exchange student named Monique.

Release Date : 1985-08-23

Language :EnglishHungarian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : A&M FilmsWarner Bros. PicturesCBS Theatrical Films

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Better of Dead

Cast

Character Name : Lane Meyer

Original Name : John Cusack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Al Meyer

Original Name : David Ogden Stiers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jenny Meyer

Original Name : Kim Darby

Gender : Female

Character Name : Johnny Gasparini

Original Name : Demian Slade

Gender : Male

Character Name : Beth Truss

Original Name : Amanda Wyss

Gender : Female

Character Name : Monique Junot

Original Name : Diane Franklin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Badger Meyer

Original Name : Scooter Stevens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charles De Mar

Original Name : Curtis Armstrong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Yee Sook Ree

Original Name : Yuji Okumoto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chen Ree

Original Name : Brian Imada

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Smith

Original Name : Laura Waterbury

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ricky Smith

Original Name : Dan Schneider

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rocko

Original Name : Chuck Mitchell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roy Stalin

Original Name : Aaron Dozier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roy's Ski Buddy #1

Original Name : Frank Burt Avalon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Kerber

Original Name : Vincent Schiavelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mailman

Original Name : Taylor Negron

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elizabeth Daily

Original Name : E. G. Daily

Gender : Female

Character Name : Roy's Ski Buddy #2 (as J. Warren David)

Original Name : Joe W. Davis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roy's Ski Buddy #3

Original Name : Peter Ellenstein

Gender : Male

Character Name : Buster

Original Name : Edward Mehler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roller Skater

Original Name : Thomas Rollerson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nerd #1

Original Name : Toby Iland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nerd #2 (as Jonathon Charles Fox)

Original Name : Jonathan Charles Fox

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nerd #3

Original Name : Darren Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jock #1

Original Name : Randy Stoklos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jock #2

Original Name : Sam High

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jock #3

Original Name : David Vaughn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chris Cummins

Original Name : Tina Littlewood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tree Trimmer

Original Name : Steven Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tree Trimmer's Helper

Original Name : Stuart K. Robinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joanne Greenwald (as Rima Delane)

Original Name : Rima Lyn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paperboy

Original Name : Yano Anaya

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paperboy

Original Name : Joey Tushnet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paperboy

Original Name : Sebastian Dungan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Smity

Original Name : Rick Rosenthal

Gender : Male

Reviews

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

2023-10-28

**A stupid teen comedy, but still funny enough.** Teenage films are not exactly my “cup of tea”, but I confess that this little comic film pleased me: after being abandoned by his girlfriend who, deep down, didn't like him and was just trying to be the girlfriend of the most popular boy in the neighborhood, a young man decides to die. After some half-hearted and half-hearted attempts, he ends up turning the situation around in a surprising way. It's a film that has the advantage of being funny, although it's still as stupid as any other teen film. They treat that snowy hill as if it were a Himalayan peak – they even gave it a name alluding to a real mountain in this range – and good skiing seems to be an obsession for the locals. It's the most absurd thing in the film, at least for me. We also have a bizarre and disgusting family that lives close to the protagonist and that I wouldn't want near my house: besides looking like a beautiful group of idiots, I don't know if those people take baths. There are still some additional oddities, but I won't say much about them... it's better to see. John Cusack did a good job. Still a teenager, the actor was already showing signs of having talent and knew how to take advantage of opportunities to grow in the artistic world, and here he makes a committed and competent effort. The rest of the cast is much weaker, largely due to characters who are essentially clichés with legs. Diane Franklin escapes thanks to a better character, and competent work from the actress.