After his girlfriend Beth Truss ditches him for boorish ski jock Roy Stalin, sad sack high school student Lane Meyer decides that suicide is the only answer. But his inept attempts bring him... Read allAfter his girlfriend Beth Truss ditches him for boorish ski jock Roy Stalin, sad sack high school student Lane Meyer decides that suicide is the only answer. But his inept attempts bring him nothing but agony and embarrassment.After his girlfriend Beth Truss ditches him for boorish ski jock Roy Stalin, sad sack high school student Lane Meyer decides that suicide is the only answer. But his inept attempts bring him nothing but agony and embarrassment.
- Ricky Smith
- (as Daniel Schneider)
- Roy's Ski Buddy #2
- (as J. Warren Davis)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Savage Steve Holland, the film is mostly autobiographical. Holland was suicidal when his high school girlfriend left him for captain of the ski team. A paperboy named Johnny Gasparini would harass him for two dollars. According to Holland, the ex-girlfriend contacted him to apologize when the film came out.
- GoofsAt the final race, the race official signals Lane to go first. The official then sends Roy 5 seconds later, thus suggesting that the race is based on time. Lane beats Roy by only a fraction of a second. Therefore, Roy had the better time and should have won the race.
- Quotes
[Lane waves to two tree trimmers from the cargo hold of a garbage truck]
Tree Trimmer: [33:27] Now that's a real shame when folks be throwin' away a perfectly good white boy like that.
- Crazy creditsThe last line of the credits reads The film's over... you can go now.
- Alternate versionsNetwork TV/HBO versions include two additional shots at the end of the film, one being a wide angle shot of the baseball stadium, and the other being a close up shot of Monique and Lane kissing together. Because of the deletion of these shots, the music and sound effects on the current video release are not synchronized with the picture.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: Better Off Dead/The Journey of Natty Gann/Commando (1985)
- SoundtracksBreakin' Up Is Hard To Do
Written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield
Performed by Neil Sedaka
Courtesy of RCA Records
"Better off Dead" is a cute romantic comedy even thirty-one years later. The story is funny and there are hilarious situations. Further this film has not aged and entertains. Maybe the greatest difference is that in the viewer that enjoyed this cult-movie in 1985 now is able to understand much more Lane's father attitudes. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Minha Vida é um Desastre" ("My Life Is a Disaster")
- claudio_carvalho
- Sep 3, 2016
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $10,297,601
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $56,371
- Aug 25, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $10,297,601