Real Life

"An American Comedy"

1979 1h 39m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 102

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A pushy, narcissistic filmmaker persuades a Phoenix family to let him and his crew film their everyday lives, in the manner of the ground-breaking PBS series "An American Family".

“An American Comedy”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks
Charles Grodin
Warren Yeager
Frances Lee McCain
Jeannette Yeager
Lisa Urette
Lisa Yeager
Robert Stirrat
Eric Yeager
Matthew Tobin
Dr. Howard Hill
J.A. Preston
Dr. Ted Cleary
Mort Lindsey
Mort Lindsey

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Albert Brooks
Writers: Albert Brooks, Monica Johnson, Harry Shearer
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

47 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Albert Brooks, shot by Eric Saarinen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mort Lindsey. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Finfer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Albert Brooks and Charles Grodin and Frances Lee McCain carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An American Comedy".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0079781 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Albert Brooks directs. Eric Saarinen behind the camera. Mort Lindsey scores. David Finfer cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

147 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Albert Brooks, shot by Eric Saarinen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Mort Lindsey. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor David Finfer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Albert Brooks and Charles Grodin and Frances Lee McCain carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "An American Comedy".
7IMDB entry: tt0079781 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 13 themes, including "dysfunctional family", "mockumentary", "filmmaking", "found footage".