Checking Out (1988): Cast, Box Office, Plot & Where to Watch
Checking Out is a 1988 comedy directed by David Leland, starring Jeff Daniels as Ray Macklin, Ann Magnuson and Allan Havey. It runs 1 hour 36 minutes and earned $30,877 worldwide. Stream it on Criterion Channel.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 36m (96 min)
- Director
- David Leland
- Genre
- Comedy
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- HandMade Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Checking Out About?
The premise of Checking Out without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After his best friend dies suddenly of a heart attack, Ray Macklin becomes consumed by the fear that his own minor aches signal an impending demise. Though doctors insist he’s perfectly healthy, Ray’s obsessive monitoring turns his everyday life into a slap‑stick saga of hypochondria, anxiety and comically exaggerated health rituals.
Checking Out Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- two word title
- surgical gown
- surgical mask
- medical mask
- latex gloves
- man wears underwear in public
- wife accuses husband of cheating
- heart attack
- family man
- fear of death
- anxiety
- airline
+38 more Show fewer
- joke
- nosebleed
- loving family
- jumping through window
- escape from hospital
- husband doesn't want to have sex with wife
- limo driver
- jacket stuck in car door
- running after a car
- fake bomb alert
- orgasm
- sex in a car
- punched in the face
- bar fight
- psychiatrist
- eccentric millionaire
- walking dead
- retirement community
- backyard barbecue
- undertaker
- fitness tracker
- panic attack
- oxygen mask
- singing dixie
- racist heaven
- reference to howard hughes
- business executive
- melancholic ending
- happy ending
- japanese doctor
- physical exam
- timeshare
- marital crisis
- death of a friend
- sudden death
- fast food
- appendicitis
- anxiety attack
Where to Watch Checking Out
Stream it on Criterion Channel. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 1
Criterion Channel Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Checking Out Cast & Characters
Jeff Daniels leads the cast as Ray Macklin, with Ann Magnuson as Connie Hagen and Allan Havey as Pat Hagen. Directed by David Leland; 18 actors are credited in all.
- Director David Leland
-
Jeff Daniels as Ray Macklin - Ann Magnuson as Connie Hagen
- Allan Havey as Pat Hagen
- Jo Harvey Allen as Barbara
Also Starring in Checking Out
· 14 more- Kathleen York Diana
- Melanie Mayron Jenny Macklin
- Felton Perry Dr. Duffin
- Matthew Hurley Joey Macklin
- Ian Wolfe Mr. D'Amato
- George Harrison Cleaner
- Stephen Tobolowsky Pharmacist
- David Byrne Bartender
- Michael Tucker Harry Lardner
- Allan Rich Dr. Haskell
- Billy Beck Father Carmody
- John Durbin Spencer Gillinger
- Danton Stone Dr. Wolfe
- Adelle Lutz Dr. Helmsley
Checking Out Plot Summary
What happens in Checking Out from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Ray Macklin [Jeff Daniels] and Pat Hagen [Allan Havey] are lifelong friends whose shared passion for aviation threads through the years and gives them something like a quiet code to live by. Their bond is put to the test at a crowded family barbecue when Pat suddenly collapses and dies of a cardiac arrest, right in front of Ray, mid‑dad joke: > “Why don’t Italians have barbecues? The spaghetti would fall through the grill.” Pat’s abrupt end leaves Ray reeling, caught between love for his friend and the awkward, almost clinical responses of everyone else around them.
Full summary
The whole story of Checking Out, scene by scene
Checking Out Box Office
Checking Out grossed $30,877 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$30.9K
- US & Canada
- $30.9K
How Well Do You Know Checking Out?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
What is the name of Ray Macklin's best friend who dies at the family barbecue?
Checking Out Also Known As
8 alternative titles, including “Un yuppie con estrés” and “Al diavolo il paradiso”.
- Also known as
-
- Un yuppie con estrés
- Al diavolo il paradiso
- Marcando em Cima
- Proč Italové nepoužívají gril?
- 了结
- Śmierć Na Raty
- Nehéz eset
- 천사의 키스
Seen Checking Out?
Movies Like Checking Out
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Checking Out, As Long as You’ve Got Your Health and The Check is in the Mail….
Checking Out FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office and post-credit scenes of Checking Out, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Checking Out?
Checking Out runs 1 hour 36 minutes (96 minutes).
When was Checking Out released?
Checking Out was released on October 26, 1988.
Who directed Checking Out?
Checking Out was directed by David Leland.
More films by David Leland Who is in the cast of Checking Out?
Checking Out stars Jeff Daniels as Ray Macklin, Ann Magnuson as Connie Hagen and Allan Havey as Pat Hagen, among 18 credited actors.
Where can I watch Checking Out?
In the US, Checking Out is streaming on Criterion Channel (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Checking Out make at the box office?
Checking Out grossed $30,877 worldwide.
Does Checking Out have a post-credit scene?
No. Checking Out has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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