Throw Momma from the Train (1987)

A bitter ex-husband wants his former spouse dead. A put-upon momma's boy wants his mother dead. Who will pull it off?

Director:

Danny DeVito

Writer:

Stu Silver

Stars:

Danny DeVito, Billy Crystal, Kim Greist

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny DeVito	...	Owen
Billy Crystal	...	Larry
Kim Greist	...	Beth
Anne Ramsey	...	Momma
Kate Mulgrew	...	Margaret
Branford Marsalis	...	Lester
Rob Reiner	...	Joel
Bruce Kirby	...	Detective DeBenedetto
Joey DePinto	...	Sargeant
Annie Ross	...	Mrs. Hazeltine
Raye Birk	...	Pinsky
Oprah Winfrey	...	Herself
Olivia Brown	...	Ms. Gladstone
Philip Perlman	...	Mr. Perlman
Stu Silver	...	Ramon

Storyline

Larry Donner is an author and writing professor who tutors people that want to write books. Larry's life has become a misery when his ex-wife Margaret has published a book he wrote under her name and has gotten rich over it. Owen Lift, one of Larry's students, offers Larry to kill Margaret, and in return Owen, wants Larry to kill his horrible mother. Larry thinks it's a joke, until he learns Owen killed his ex-wife. And Larry has now become the prime suspect.

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Plot Keywords:

writing | ex husband ex wife relationship | crisis of conscience | teacher student relationship | writer | 

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Taglines:

Owen asked his friend, Larry, for a small favor...

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tira a mamá del tren

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,318,878, 13 December 1987

Gross USA:

$57,915,972

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$57,915,972

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Danny DeVito once noted in an interview with Playboy Magazine that the scene where Owen shows his coin collection to Larry was inspired by his childhood habit of sharing things with friends that involved whatever he was into at the time. As director, he insisted on including such a sequence in the movie. Writer Stu Silver wrote the scene.

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Goofs

The locomotive is turned around in the two scenes when it passes the camera.

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Quotes

Momma: You were writing a letter.
Owen: No, Momma!
Momma: You are writing to tell them to take me away! You want them to take me away!
Owen: I'm writing a story for class, Momma! I don't want them to take you away!
Momma: Yes, you do!
Owen: Owen loves his Momma!
Momma: [to herself] Owen loves his Momma!
[singing mockingly]
Momma: Owen loves his Momma, Owen loves his Momma, Owen loves his Momma, Owen loves his Momma...

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Crazy Credits

The credit for Assistant Sound Editor Robert Martel has a gap in the vertical stroke of the L.

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Alternate Versions

When Larry reads out the title of a student's "coffee table book" hesays "One hundred girls I'd like to fuck". This like was (badly) dubbed over by the MPAA to say "pork" (presumably to achieve a PG-13 rating as use of that word in a sexual context results in an R). The edited version was exported around the world.

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Connections

Referenced in Serial Mom (1994)

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Soundtracks

LARRY'S SONG
Written by Branford Marsalis

User Reviews

Mostly Fun

Throw Momma From The Train is a good black comedy from Danny DeVito... Billy Crystal is great as Larry, a frustrated writer who wishes his ex-wife were dead. Danny DeVito plays against type as Owen, a childlike psychotic who allows his monster of a mother to run his life. Wouldn't life be simpler is these two could murder the women that make them miserable?

The first two-thirds of the movie are funny, especially the scenes involving Larry's writing class. But somewhere along the way it becomes a frantic nightmare, with Larry fighting for his sanity while a "kooky" musical score blares incessantly on the soundtrack. And the inconsistencies of Owen's character are more than a little distracting.

In the end, though, "Throw Momma From The Train" is an entertaining, original movie with some very funny scenes. It is worth checking out if you can rent it or see it on cable.

GRADE: B-