Life in the Fast Lane (1998) User Reviews

It's not THAT bad...

[quickipanda · 5/10 · 24 November 2000]

This is by no means a great film, but I don't think that it's nearly as bad as the other reviews posted about it. It's a simple little movie with a couple of funny scenes. Fairuza Balk does a good job with the material she was given. As always I enjoyed Jeffrey Jones and I really liked Noah Taylor who I don't believe I've seen before. I did feel that Tea Leoni was wasted though, she can be very funny and she should have had better scenes.

I watched it last night and enjoyed it. It's as simple as that.



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Poorly done

[nd_4@hot · 20 May 2000]

Hmmm... why isn't there info for this movie here? It stars Fairuza Balk and Jeffery Jones. It's about Mona who's ex-boyfriend Jeff sends himself to her in a box and she accidently kills him. For the rest of the movie he follows her around. It's got a horrible soundtrack and the acting's no good and the story was weak also. So actually, this movie was crap. I still think Fairuza Balk's beautiful though. I only wanted to see it cuz she stars in it and because it was based on a story/song by Lou Reed called "The Gift" off the album White Light/White Heat. Great song. Lou Reed's great.

Apparently Hell was on my television.

[Figgiedan · 2/10 · 24 October 2000]

This flick, which is a.k.a. "Life In the Fast Lane" is easily one of the least entertaining movies I've seen in a long time. I think it was made in mind of the sick, twisted and jaded L.A. women who represent about .00000001 of the population in the States. The characters are all one-dimensional, even the lead. After she stabs her boyfriend in the head with some scissors, a cheap laugh is attempted (and unsucceeds) by sticking a cork in the boyfriend's skull to stop the bleeding. Oh, clever! Patrick Dempsey (whose movies are almost always a class act --sarcasm) plays this "devil" who changes her life - but from what we've seen, her life was this series of vignettes to begin with. No emotion, no laughs, no story. The only reason I give this a 2 is that Jeffrey Jones is ok as the priest and there is a bit of style (albiet zero substance) in the camerawork. Otherwise, one of the 5 worst films I've seen. Grade 2 out of 10 AN F! I think that even the most drugged out junkie who would laugh at a toilet seat falling would dislike this film. I can't stress enough how much you should stay away.

I'm Afraid it IS that Bad

[wmadavis · 2/10 · 9 November 2002]

The IMDB plot summary erroneously makes it sound like it is Noah Taylor's movie, when Fairuza Balk is the central character. It is unbelievable how such a cast of established actors could have been in such an amateurish, pointless, non-movie. Balk breaks up with Boyfriend Taylor, sleeps with the Devil (I guess - played by Dempsey), and accidentally kills Taylor -- who follows her about for the rest of the movie as a ghost. May be the worst movie I have ever seen.

Let the title be a warning

[irvingchris · 1/10 · 12 March 2011]

"There's No Fish Food in Heaven" or "Life in the Fast Lane" or whatever this movie needs to call itself has absolutely no idea what it's doing. This is an example of how the term "filmmaker" can be applied to any anxiously naive fool with some video equipment and enough capital to (at least at the time) pay for the film stock. Therefore, movies like this are a waste of both time and money. Movies like this help help bring ruination to an actor's career or relegate them to second-class "B" status. Rather than even attempting to discuss the plot, I want to instead (for whoever is reading) relate an anecdote.

Years ago, I worked in a video store. Not a Blockbuster, but an actual video store, a Mom 'n Pop video store. Like all private businesses, you can't afford to keep up with the competition, and in order to carry a full inventory, we would supplement our selection with independent cinema, for better or worse. This movie was one of those titles. I remember thinking this was one of those quirky, meet-cute comedies that would be ridiculous, indeed, but somehow parasitically enjoyable. I watched about fourteen minutes of the film before I realized I had been had. About a week later, a customer had come to the store and I was surprised to see that she was returning the film. Unable to resist, I asked her what she thought about the movie. The woman, a 40-something soccer mom, politely asked: "Can I have my money back? The other guy said this movie was hilarious." I wasn't the manager, but I obliged her and gave her the $2.65 refund. I did this not because she rented the movie, but because she actually watched the whole thing.

The young and hopeful aspirations of an entire filmmaking population could benefit from watching this film (indeed, countless more like it). Think about what you're doing; don't film something that is only a half-imaged abortion of an idea.

Well worth a rental

[bikeman-2 · 7/10 · 28 May 2000]

The story is not predictable, every time I thought they were going to resort to a cliche, the film zips off in another direction. Although neither the acting or plot are brilliant, it has does have a few laughs, and it held my interest until the very end. In that respect, it is much better than most of the "commercial" films I have seen lately. Well worth a rental.

Quirky, surreal and completely out of the norm

[VinnieRattolle · 8/10 · 9 February 2017]

Mona (Fairuza Balk) is a young artist who lives with her pregnant cousin (Debi Mazar), works at a pet store (run by Téa Leoni) and she's recently realized that sweet boyfriend Jeff (Noah Taylor) feels more like a brother than a lover. The lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur when Mona encounters a sexy stranger (Patrick Dempsey) who may be the devil himself - and her lust for this man directly results in Jeff's death. So what's worse than accidentally murdering your boyfriend? Being the only one who can see his ghost.

I can't help but wonder what all of the people who wrote bad reviews expected to see. This is one of those movies like "My Boyfriend's Back" or a John Waters opus where the characters don't function in a normal semblance of reality - they're all one-note and their actions/reactions are often absurd. And on top of that, it's low-budget fantasy, so some of the FX (as well as Debi Mazar's wig) are somewhat lacking... but that sorta adds to the fun.

The story juts along at its own pace and in its own direction, and I can't say that I ever anticipated what was coming next - though the ending was a little cliché (not that I could think of a more suitable one). Balk is likable as always as the leading lady and Taylor is charming as her dead weight. Dempsey was well-cast but he only appears in a few scenes and doesn't utter a single syllable. And renowned scene-stealer Jeffrey Jones also deserves mention for his supporting role as a minister. Unfortunately, Leoni plays it pretty broad and Mazar was uncharacteristically restrained (actually it feels like they should've switched parts).

"Life in the Fast Lane" was cute, it held my interest throughout and made me chuckle quite a few times. I couldn't really ask for more from such a dopey little comedy... except for maybe a better title ("There's No Fish Food in Heaven" wasn't much better, but at least it made sense for the film).

Life in the Fast Lane

[st8mint · 6/10 · 26 December 2004]

Noah was very good in this also. He brings new life to whatever role he's given, and although he usually plays the melancholy dramatic lover or boy next door, he enjoys playing some more lighthearted comedic roles. I think he's fantastic in this, and was interested that he also joined up with Fairuza in Almost Famous. I adore him in this role, even though this movie sometimes left a little to be desired here. A little off the edge or over the top, it's got some good qualities to it, and some good lines. Some of the plot is unrealistic, and a little sad--just a bit dark. But as a Noah Taylor fan, I definitely enjoyed it.

A dark romantic comedy that isn't very funny or romantic

[yankfan-2 · 7 May 2000]

Obviously the film is supposed to be a whimsical romantic comedy - with a dark edge to it. Unfortunately, it has some basic flaws. The plot moves along at a fairly slow pace. The main characters are not that interesting. It doesn't really rise above the level of "offbeat" or "quirky". The "story arc" is predictable after awhile. And, most importantly, It just wasn't that romantic, funny, or original.

I rented it (under the title, "Life in the Fast Lane") mainly because Fairuza Balk is in it. I wish she had a better story and script to work with. The film is mediocre at best.

not too artsy

[Dropo · 7/10 · 31 January 2004]

I don't like movies where the girl leaves the guy who doesn't do anything wrong within the relationship. That is just because I am insecure. Aside from that this is a pretty good movie. It is surreal at times, but doesn't go to far and become pretentious art schlock. If you are looking for something weird and fun, think about this one.

Fairuza Is The Only Good Thing

[Darkest_Rose · 1 January 2003]

Life in the fast lane or there's no fish food in heaven or whatever the hell you call it is about a frustrated artist Mona( Fairuza Balk). She has this boyfriend Jeff( Noah Taylor) who she has known forever and she doesn't really appreciate him. Suddenly Mona thinks she's going crazy because whenever she draws something, her painting really comes true. Suddenly she starts seeing this stranger who she cannot resist and has sex with him whenever she gets the chance too. Jeff wants to get Mona's attention again, so he puts himself in a box in front of Mona's doorstep. When Mona tries to open the box, she accidently stabs Jeff in the head and kills him. Now the spirit of Jeff follows Mona around everywhere and won't leave her alone unless she can find his body again. This wasn't really funny although it is considered a comedy, the only reason i even rented this movie was because of Fairuza Balk who I am in love with. I would give Life In The Fast Lane 5/10