Better Off Dead...

Lane Meyer, a high school student in California, is dumped by his girlfriend Beth, who prefers Roy Stalin, the captain of the school ski team. Convinced his life is over, Lane makes several attempts to end it, all of which fail and leave him bruised and embarrassed. Between his eccentric family, a persistent paperboy and an intrusive neighbor, he also has to prepare for a ski race that could change how Beth sees him. A French exchange student staying nearby, Monique, gradually draws his attention.

Better Off Dead... was released in 1985 and marked the directorial debut of Savage Steve Holland, who also wrote the screenplay; it is the first of the nine features he has directed. John Cusack plays Lane, with Amanda Wyss as Beth, Diane Franklin as Monique, Aaron Dozier as Roy, Curtis Armstrong as Charles De Mar and David Ogden Stiers as Lane's father. The film runs 97 minutes and blends comedy with romance.

Made for about four million dollars, it took roughly ten million worldwide, a solid return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.1 out of 10 from around 54,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.6 out of 10 from a much smaller pool of 564 votes, so the two audiences differ somewhat in their enthusiasm. A critics' rating of 6.8 out of 10 from 28 reviews places it close to the IMDb figure.