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Punchline

  • 1988
  • R
  • 2h 8m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
8.9K
YOUR RATING
Tom Hanks and Sally Field in Punchline (1988)
Trailer 1
Play trailer2:10
2 Videos
54 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance

A medical school dropout and a housewife/mom try to make it as stand-up comedians. They become friends and help each other out at an NYC comedy club.A medical school dropout and a housewife/mom try to make it as stand-up comedians. They become friends and help each other out at an NYC comedy club.A medical school dropout and a housewife/mom try to make it as stand-up comedians. They become friends and help each other out at an NYC comedy club.

  • Director
    • David Seltzer
  • Writer
    • David Seltzer
  • Stars
    • Sally Field
    • Tom Hanks
    • John Goodman
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    8.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David Seltzer
    • Writer
      • David Seltzer
    • Stars
      • Sally Field
      • Tom Hanks
      • John Goodman
    • 39User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
    • 52Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos2

    Punchline
    Trailer 2:10
    Watch Punchline
    Punchline: A Really Big Fan
    Clip 2:48
    Watch Punchline: A Really Big Fan

    Photos54

    Tom Hanks and Sally Field in Punchline (1988)
    Tom Hanks and Sally Field in Punchline (1988)
    Tom Hanks and Sally Field in Punchline (1988)
    Sally Field and Katie Rich in Punchline (1988)
    Katie Rich in Punchline (1988)
    Sally Field and Katie Rich in Punchline (1988)
    Sally Field and Katie Rich in Punchline (1988)
    Tom Hanks in Punchline (1988)
    Tom Hanks and Sally Field in Punchline (1988)
    Tom Hanks in Punchline (1988)
    Tom Hanks and Sally Field in Punchline (1988)
    Tom Hanks and Sally Field in Punchline (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sally Field
    Sally Field
    • Lilah Krytsick
    Tom Hanks
    Tom Hanks
    • Steven Gold
    John Goodman
    John Goodman
    • John Krytsick
    Mark Rydell
    Mark Rydell
    • Romeo
    Kim Greist
    Kim Greist
    • Madeline Urie
    Paul Mazursky
    Paul Mazursky
    • Arnold
    Pam Matteson
    • Utica Blake
    George McGrath
    George McGrath
    • Singing Nun
    • (as George Michael McGrath)
    Taylor Negron
    Taylor Negron
    • Albert Emperato
    Barry Neikrug
    • Krug
    Ángel Salazar
    Ángel Salazar
    • Rico
    • (as Angel Salazar)
    Damon Wayans
    Damon Wayans
    • Percy
    Joycee Katz
    • Joycee
    Mac Robbins
    • Billy Lane
    Max Alexander
    Max Alexander
    • Mister Ball
    Paul Kozlowski
    • Jerry Petroviak
    Barry Sobel
    Barry Sobel
    • Robyn Green
    Marty Pollio
    • Juggling Comic
    • Director
      • David Seltzer
    • Writer
      • David Seltzer
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      About two months before the film started principal photography, Tom Hanks wrote and performed a five-minute stand-up comedy routine at the Los Angeles Comedy Store in California. Hanks once said of this: "It was pure flop sweat time, an embarrassment. That material lasted 1 minute 40 seconds, and it had no theme".
    • Goofs
      When Steven and Lilah are riding the #7 subway, the Manhattan terminus of the line is shown as Lexington Ave. The actual terminus should be 42nd St./ Times Square.
    • Quotes

      Steven: We are all Gods animated cartoons.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Punchline/Heartbreak Hotel/Memories of Me/Bird/Kansas (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      Remember Tonight and Smile
      Words and Music by Michael Pollock

      [Played leading into the end credits]

    User reviews39

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Rarely-Funny Comedians Struggle to Find What They're Searching For
    A moderately hard-edged drama about the private and public lives of comedians, with a special emphasis on the desperate lengths they'll go to for a laugh, or to get an edge on the competition. Sally Field is the focal figure, a mousey housewife who feels destined for greatness but can't locate her own voice, while Tom Hanks plays a big supporting role as a natural performer who's an irresponsible, selfish a-hole behind the scenes. It's an uneven picture that doesn't really click for a number of different reasons. Primary among them is this unspoken sense that a movie about comedians should be funny. Though the on-stage segments are indeed quite flat, big punchlines (if you'll forgive the pun) aren't really the point of this story. Less forgivable is the awkward, cloudy relationship between Hanks and Field that dominates the plot, and the constant shifts in tone from one scene to the next. I never got a real handle on where the film was going, what it wanted to be or to say. That writing jokes is hard, I guess? Sometimes the happiest guy in the spotlight is actually a poisonous, miserable bastard? A complicated, tentative take that's puzzling in its lack of a firm identity.
    helpful•5
    3
    • drqshadow-reviews
    • Jul 22, 2014

    FAQ1

    • I just saw Punchline (1988) with Sally Field and Tom Hanks. The closing credits had a fabulous trumpet piece in the soundtrack, but I couldn't find where it was identified. What is the piece and who played the trumpet???

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 7, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Movie Channel (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Punch Line
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Fogwood
      • IndieProd Company Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $21,042,667
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $160,742
      • Oct 2, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $21,042,667
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 8 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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