Punchline (1988)

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

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Field	...	Lilah Krytsick
Tom Hanks	...	Steven Gold
John Goodman	...	John Krytsick
Mark Rydell	...	Romeo
Kim Greist	...	Madeline Urie
Paul Mazursky	...	Arnold
Pam Matteson	...	Utica Blake
George McGrath	...	Singing Nun (as George Michael McGrath)
Taylor Negron	...	Albert Emperato
Barry Neikrug	...	Krug
Ángel Salazar	...	Rico (as Angel Salazar)
Damon Wayans	...	Percy
Joycee Katz	...	Joycee
Mac Robbins	...	Billy Lane
Max Alexander	...	Mister Ball

Storyline

Steven Gold is a stand-up comedian who is flat broke and has recently dropped out of medical school. He and several others work regularly at the Gas Station, a New York comedy club. The wages are lousy and everybody hopes for the big break. Lilah Krytsick is housewife with an ambition to be a stand-up comedian, however she doesnt seem to have the talent. Steven takes her under his wings and teaches her the art of comedy and humour. But when a TV station arranges a comedy evening at the club, Steve sees his opportunity for fame and stardom. Their friendship seems quickly forgotten and now it's every man and woman for him- or herself!

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Plot Keywords:

stand up | stand up comedian | comedian | woman | housewife | 

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Taglines:

Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Punch Line

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$21,032,267

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Fogwood, IndieProd Company Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the comedy night-club in Manhattan, New York was "The Gas Station".

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Goofs

When Sally Field comes home with a new haircut, she covers her face with a paper napkin. In varying scenes, she has it covered in different ways, and in some she does not have the napkin at all.

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Quotes

Lilah Krytsick: I forgot my purse.

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Connections

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

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Soundtracks

Saber Dance
(uncredited)
(from ballet "Gayaneh")
Music by Aram Khachaturyan

User Reviews

Made by people with no sense of humor...

A 'dramedy' about stand-up comedy written and directed by David Seltzer, who shows no wistfulness or whimsy for show-biz--for him, it's all about the anxiety of getting a performance right. Tom Hanks has acting talent to spare, yet he does not possess the right timing to be convincing as a stand-up comic (he's all fired up, but he's firing blanks). Sally Field fares somewhat better as a housewife/amateur comedienne who looks to Tom for advice and finds herself a little smitten; her routine on-stage isn't convincing either, but Field's gumshun saves her (she's likable despite the character being a cut-out). John Goodman (as Field's husband) has made a career out of playing down-to-earth, amiable guys; though he's unable to really shine with this shallow material, his low-keyed, self-effacing acting style brings out the best in Seltzer's formulaic impulses--he's the most pleasant part of the film. The writing is so purposefully sour, one squirms through the jokes as much as through the drama. The movie's main purpose is to show us the dark side of comedy...but who wants to see that? *1/2 from ****