Checking Out * (1989, Jeff Daniels, Melanie Mayron, Michael Tucker) – Classic Movie Review 7038

Director David Leland’s 1989 comedy stars Jeff Daniels as airline worker family man Ray Macklin, who is suddenly convinced that  his number will be up any moment after his best friend dies of a heart attack, and he moves from hypochondriac to the bizarrest of behaviour.

Leland has his work cut out directing this morbid, very odd black comedy with a very iffy screenplay by Joe Eszterhas, though it does have its moments.

However, the movie is lifted a bit by the performances. The appealing Daniels does his best to keep what fun there is going and he is helped by TV stars Melanie Mayron (Thirtysomething) and Michael Tucker (LA Law). But if you fancy checking it out, be warned, it died at the cinema – and deservedly so.

Also in the cast are Kathleen York, Ann Magnuson, Allan Harvey, Jo Harvey Allen, Ian Wolfe and Felton Perry.

Checking Out is directed by David Leland, runs 96 minutes, is produced by HandMade, is released by Virgin, is written by Joe Eszterhas, is shot in Technicolor by Ian Wilson, produced by Ben Myron, is scored by Carter Burwell, and is designed by Barbara Ling.

Though Leland apparently assured Eszterhas he would not change his screenplay, Eszterhas found the the rough cut featured new subplots and characters. But then Leland recut the film to resolve most of Eszterhas’s objections.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7038

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