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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$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

Rob Reiner: Larry's agent.

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Goofs

When Owen sits on the porch (with the door open), his mother sits in her chair in the living room, and Larry lies down on the rug between them. Momma sees Larry on TV and yells "There's a murderer in the house!" at which point the camera turns back to Owen, with Larry notably absent from his place on the rug. The camera then returns to Momma calling the police at which point another cut is made to Larry awakening, lying on the carpet again in his original spot.

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Quotes

Larry: Hate makes you impotent, Love makes you crazy. Somewhere in the middle you can survive.

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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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Connections

Featured in Crafting a Dark Comedy Classic (2007)

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Soundtracks

THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW THEME SONG
Written by Frank Gari & Daniel O. Baker
Copyright © 1986, Frank Gari Productions, Inc.

User Reviews

Refreshingly Nasty

A deliciously nasty black comedy about a middle-aged schlub (Danny DeVito) who wants to bump off his mother and hatches a plan to do so with a bitter divorcée, who wants to bump off HIS ex-wife. The movie is completely unapologetic in its cynicism, and gives us no one to like, but for once that works in the movie's favor rather than as a turn off.

Anne Ramsey, as DeVito's battle axe mom, steals the show in a grotesquely funny performance. Even though she's a horror, you end up rooting for her, because it seems like she could kick both DeVito's and Crystal's asses at the same time with both hands tied behind her back.

Grade: B+