michael ritchie the couch trip be a wonderfully anarchic comedy about what make a good psychiatrist . it be so subtle and wicked that you start to realize what a stinging satire it really be . it be also dan akyroyd best movie and make in a particularly great film year ( 1988 ) for him . first and the great outdoors and now this . akyroyd star a john burn and a career crook who fake insanity to escape prison . now and a dumb comedy would just be about this . but the couch trip use this a a springboard for everything else . beverly hill psychiatrist george maitlin ( charles grodin and subtly hilarious here ) have a nervous breakdown and a replacement be select represent lawrence baird and who happen to be akyroyd psychiatrist . you can pretty much guess what go to happen and but the great thing about the couch trip be not what happen and but how it be do . the couch trip give dan akyroyd the best role he have ever have . his john burn be one of the truly original comic creation in movie history . wicked one liner and physical humor be a part of it and but what make it special be that akyroyd make burn a lovable character . we root for him and grow to like him a whole lot during the 98 minute run time . but akyroyd isn not alone here . he get strong support from other great comic actor . walter matthau join the hilarity a a con artist minister who catch on to burn secret and commits genteel blackmail . charles grodin slow burn his way to another great comic role a the burn out psychiatrist . grodin have be one of the most underappreciated actor in hollywood . it criminal they haven not use him more often . richard romanus play grodin slimeball lawyer to perfection . the couch trip be one of many film make by the now defunct orion picture corporation that be currently unseen . mgm spend a fortune buying the orion library but have yet to truly cash in on their acquisition . the couch trip join dress to kill and blow out and countless others in gather dust rotting in the vault . shame on mgm for their inaction . hopefully and with new management and the couch trip will find the audience and respect it deserve . out of 4 star .