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Better Off Dead... is a 1985 American Christmas romcom film, written & directed by Savage Steve Holland, that was released in theaters on October 11, 1985. Executive produced by Gil Friesen & Andrew Meyer, and produced by A&M Films, It tells the story of high school student Lane Myer who is suicidal after his girlfriend breaks up with him shortly before Christmas.

Synopsis[]

In the town of Greendale in northern California, high school student Lane Myer's two main interests are skiing and his girlfriend of six months, Beth. Shortly before Christmas, Beth dumps Lane for the handsome and popular captain of the ski team, Roy Stalin. Roy is an arrogant bully who unfairly rejects Lane at ski team tryouts. Beth also criticizes Lane's car, an old station wagon. Although Lane also owns a 1967 Camaro, he has not been able to get it running and it sits on the drive in a dilapidated state.

Lane lives in a suburban development with his mother, Jenny, a ditzy housewife who routinely concocts creepy (and creeping) family meals; his genius little brother, Badger, who never speaks but at the age of "almost 8" can build powerful lasers and attract trashy women from "How-to" books; and his lawyer father, Al, who daily tries to stop the menacing paperboy, Johnny, from breaking his garage door windows with thrown newspapers. Furthermore, Johnny claims that the Myers owe him two dollars for newspapers, and persistently hounds Lane yelling "I want my two dollars!" Lane also regularly encounters two Korean drag racers who speak in Japanese, one of whom learned to speak English by listening to Howard Cosell.

Lane cannot get past Beth's rejection and decides that death is the only way out of his misery. He makes several half-hearted attempts at suicide, which all comically fail. With the help of his best friend, Charles de Mar, (who in lieu of not being able to get "real drugs" in their small town, constantly inhales everyday substances like Jell-O, snow, and nitrous oxide in a whipped cream can) Lane tries to ski the K-12, the highest peak in town, in hopes of getting Beth back but wipes out. Lane is further embarrassed when he gets fired from his humiliating fast food job at Pig Burgers in front of Roy and Beth, who are there on a date. To top it all, he increasingly begins to suffer from neurotic hallucinations owing to the mounting frustrations in his life.

As Lane attempts to either end his life or win back his ex-girlfriend, he gradually gets to know a new girl: a French foreign-exchange student named Monique, who has a crush on him. She is staying with Lane's overbearing neighbor Mrs. Smith, who continually tries to force Monique into being a girlfriend for her socially awkward son Ricky. The pair are so annoying that she pretends she cannot speak English. Monique, a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, turns out to be an excellent auto mechanic and skier who helps Lane fix his Camaro and tries to build his confidence. When Roy insults Monique, Lane challenges him to a ski race down the K-12, with the winner to be captain of the ski team. Monique helps Lane prepare for the race, which he ultimately wins despite losing a ski and being pursued by Johnny. Beth rushes to embrace Lane at the finish line, but he rejects her and after besting Ricky (who attempts to keep Lane from rescuing Monique from the restraints of his mother) in a ski-pole swordfight, drives off with Monique in his Camaro. Lane and Monique are last seen kissing on the home plate at Dodger Stadium, with Johnny bicycling towards them, while in a scene in the first half of the end credits, Badger launches a home-made space shuttle from his room through the roof of the house.

Songs[]

Title(s) Performed by
"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" Neil Sedaka
"She's Gone" Daryl Hall & John Oates
"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" Paul Simon
"Hurt So Bad" Linda Ronstadt
"Winter Wonderland" Darlene Love
"Here Comes Santa Claus" The Carpenters
"Foxy Lady" The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"A Man Alone" Frank Sinatra
"One Way Love"
"A Little Luck"
Elizabeth Daily
"Everybody Wants Some!!" Van Halen
"Like to Get to Know You Well" Howard Jones
"Mannish Boy" Muddy Waters
"Shine" Martin Ansell
"Arrested by You" Rupert Hine
"With One Look (The Wildest Dream)" Rupert Hine
Cy Curnin
"Dancing in Isolation" Terri Nunn
"Come to Your Rescue" The Thinkman Band

Cast[]

Casting by Caro Jones

Actor(s)/actress(es) Character(s)
John Cusack Lane Meyer
David Ogden Stiers Al Meyer
Kim Darby Jenny Meyer
Demian Slade Johnny Gasparini
Scooter Stevens Badger Meyer
Diane Franklin Monique Junot
Laura Waterbury Mrs. Smith
Daniel Schneider Ricky Smith
Yuji Okumoto Yee Sook Ree
Brian Imada Chen Ree
Chuck Mitchell Rocko
Amanda Wyss Beth Truss
Curtis Armstrong Charles De Mar
Aaron Dozier Roy Stalin
Frank Burt Avalon
Joe W. Davis
J. Warren David
Peter Ellenstein
Roy's Ski Buddies
Vincent Schiavelli Mr. Kerber
Edward Mehler Buster
Thomas Rollerson Roller Skater
Toby Iland
Jonathon Charles Fox
Darren Harris
Nerds
Randy Stoklos
Sam High
David Vaughn
Jocks
Tina Littlewood Chris Cummins
Steven Williams Tree Trimmer
Stuart K. Robinson Tree Trimmer's Helper
Taylor Negron Mailman
Rima Delane Joanne Greenwald
Elizabeth Daily Self
Angie Rubin Backup Singer
Yano Anaya
Joey Tushnet
Sebastian Dungan
Paperboys
Rick Rosenthal Smitty
Rich Little (voice) Additional Character(s)
Credited/Uncredited
Ron Anello
Dominick Certo
Jude Cole
Robert Gianette
Dennis Crosswhite
The Band
Uncredited
Catherine Fitz
Stevie Mack
Students

External links[]

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