Albert Brooks is so deft at showing how filmmaking distorts the very reality it aims to record honestly that it's hard to watch family documentaries anymore without thinking about Real Life.
Comment
11/01/06
Real Life (1979)
87
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:15
Fresh:13
Rotten:2
Average Rating:6.9/10
Synopsis: Satirist Albert Brooks makes his directorial debut in this hilarious mockumentary that focuses on the day-to-day life of a "typical" American family. Brooks plays himself, a producer who pitches a... [More]
Starring: Albert Brooks, Charles Grodin, Frances Lee McCain, J.A. Preston
Director: Albert Brooks, Penelope Spheeris
Reviews for Real Life
1 - 15 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Though amusing in spots, it goes too far with its one-note joke until it becomes abrasive.
02/15/06
Brooks messes with the genre from the start, spouting pseudoscience about how the filmmakers found their test subjects (led by a spot-on Charles Grodin).
02/07/06
Mr. Brooks is at his most droll.
05/09/05
Top CriticAlbert Brooks's first and funniest feature.
04/12/05
Mock-umentary predates reality shows, still funny.
12/27/04
Albert Brooks just before he became great.
12/21/04
No review available.
06/23/04
A great, underrated, lost gem of a film that accurately predicted and lampooned reality television long before it ever came to be.
02/04/04
No review available.
01/31/04
Real Life is funy in spots but is remarkable mostly for its Socratic open-endedness.
01/27/04
Brooks's directorial debut is also one of his best movies, largely due to the funny man's trademark multitasking as writer, actor and helmer.
05/24/03
No review available.
03/27/03
No review available.
11/18/02
There's a little bit of genuine prescience, inspiration, and intelligence coursing through its veins, but mostly that smattering of each just makes you crave more.
08/28/02
1 - 15 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Dressing Wonderland 
Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.
Wes Anderson on Fox
The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Win Glee DVDs
We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.
Win tickets to Cold Souls
Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser
Win the entire 007 collection
Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection
IGN RSS Feeds