ALBERT BROOKS: DEFENDING MY LIFE Special Screenings

World Premiere

Rob Reiner profiles Albert Brooks, comedic legend, acclaimed filmmaker, talented character actor and a lifelong friend, who Reiner first met in their high school drama club. Brooks began his comedy career while still a teenager, and was soon booking spots on THE TONIGHT SHOW and virtually every other variety program on the air in the early- to mid-1970s. Brooks’ unique blend of the brainy and the absurd, and his penchant for inventive sketches that slyly subverted expectations, earned him praise as a comedy genius – even funnier considering he was born Albert Einstein in 1947 to singer/actress Thelma Leeds and comedian Harry Einstein. From there, Brooks branched out into writing and directing, first making comedic short films that played a role in the eventual launching of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE then his feature debut with 1979’s REAL LIFE, a satire of 1973’s landmark documentary AN AMERICAN FAMILY that’s notable for its prescience about the eventual reality TV craze. Critically acclaimed films such as MODERN ROMANCE, LOST IN AMERICA and DEFENDING YOUR LIFE would follow, along with notable roles in TAXI DRIVER, BROADCAST NEWS – for which he was nominated for an Oscar®, FINDING NEMO and DRIVE. Reiner combines expertly curated archival footage of Brooks’ amazing early television performances and film roles alongside interviews with an impressive roster of collaborators and fellow comedians testifying to Brooks’ greatness, including Larry David, David Letterman, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Jonah Hill, Judd Apatow, Steven Spielberg, James L. Brooks, Ben Stiller, Wanda Sykes, Conan O’Brien and Sharon Stone. –Todd Hitchcock