The Couch Trip (1988)

Dan Aykroyd plays John Burns, a psychiatric patient under the care of the medically inept Dr. Baird. The two share a fierce rivalry culminating in Baird threatening to send Burns to a maximum security institution where he will be used for testing. Baird is also planning on leaving town to fill in for a psychiatrist radio show host who has fallen into a mid-life crisis. There's an identity mix up and Burns is mistaken for Baird, leading to him being the host of the show. But, believe it or not, Burns is actually better than the original host-and he has the popularity to prove it. He soon becomes the most listened to talk show in the U.S. and he definitely has the numbers to prove it. But, eventually the real Baird finds out about the mix up and attempts to track down Burns. What follows is a nice little cat and mouse game of a movie with some pretty decent acting on Dan Ayrkoyd's part. Walter Matthau also gives a good performance as Burns' cross country tag along.The tone of the film is incredibly well balanced and the jokes are mostly hits. In fact, there's nothing too terribly wrong with this film. It's surprising it's gained a reputation as a terrible film. It has a lot of heart in the story and it's very well cast. Dan Aykroyd is perfect as con-man John Burns. His performance is reminiscent of Bill Murray in "Stripes", which is an interesting turn for Aykroyd, considering by this time he had been type cast as the techno babbling sideman. It's interesting seeing Aykroyd in a full on lead role.So, overall, "The Couch Trip" is a fun little comedy It's nothing groundbreaking or spellbinding-but it is definitely a creative take on the cat and mouse genre. It's definitely not just your ordinary, average comedy.

There are a couple of significant problems with this film, although that's not to say that it's not worth watching. After all, I could have just turned if off, but I stuck with it.First, the longer I sat watching the film, particularly in the scenes in the mental institution, I had this feeling that Ackroyd was being very smug here. The "aren't I just terribly funny and clever" syndrome. Which is not to say that he wasn't fairly funny. But it bothered me. And, at least in that part of the film, things just happened so easily...and almost totally illogically. Things improved once he took up his role as a fake psychiatrist radio personality.Second, if you're watching this film because of Walter Matthau, you're probably going to be disappointed. He's very clearly the second or third banana here, and that's quite a step-down from his star status of less than a decade earlier. Yes, his role is critical to the story, but just about anyone could have played the park.Charles Grodin always worked out pretty well when a part suited him. This is not one of those times.I don't even know what to write about this movie. It's just "okay"; has a few funny moments. But it's just disappointing. Maybe watch it once. I can see why the IMDb is so low.

"The Couch Trip" is one of those silly comedies that they cranked out in the '80s. In this case, Dan Aykroyd plays a mental patient who poses as a psychiatrist, and he goes to Beverly Hills to sub for Charles Grodin. Most of the movie's humor springs from their satirical look at Beverly Hills and people's empty lives there (a woman has a power struggle with her maid).It's the sort of movie that you just watch to have a good time. Don't expect any kind of religious experience. But you'll most likely laugh a lot at how the Beverly Hills people flaunt their wealth. Also starring Walter Matthau, Donna Dixon, Arye Gross and Victoria Jackson (of "UHF").

This was an 1970s-type irreverent comedy, poking fun at the psychiatric profession and at Beverly Hills. I didn't mind that but I did object to more that irreverence regarding marriage and religion: two topics which secular filmmakers (meaning about everyone in Hollywood and elsewhere) just can't stop trashing. Walter Matthau plays a scuzzy character, "Donald Becker," who walks around with a cleric's collar on, which offends me but when has Hollywood ever been worried about offending Christians?Anyway, despite that nonsense the film has its entertaining moments and even some charm to it. Dan Aykroyd is good at paying a nut-case and Donna Dixon ("Laura Rollins") is a knockout. I am sorry she didn't have a bigger role.