Plot
Sally Field goes the Roseanne route in Punchline. Field plays a housewife and mother who suddenly develops the urge to be a comedienne. Her comic instincts are on target, but her timing and delivery stinks. Tom Hanks, a stand-up comic with a few years' experience under his belt, offers to teach Field the ropes. As they get to know each other, Hanks and Field begin to pick up on each other's shortcomings; though Hanks has far more talent than Field, for example, he has a positively ruinous habit of expressing his deep-down dislike of everyone else in the world, and this frequently alienates his audience. Writer-director David Seltzer times Punchline like a good joke; he continually sets up for the expected, then pulls a last-minute fast one, keeping the film lively and unpredictable throughout. The supporting cast, coincidentally including future Roseanne star John Goodman, is uniformly superb. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
Director David Seltzer's 1988 film about the world of stand-up comedy, Punchline is a slice-of-life backstage pass with some Hollywood embellishment. Seltzer employs a good bit of documentary style as he gives us a glimpse at the performers' heartbreakingly competitive world, featuring a slew of real-life luminaries (including Damon Wayans and John Goodman). Tom Hanks shows good emotional range in his role as an irascible hotshot comic, and Sally Field is convincing as a Jersey housewife-turned-comedienne. Hanks demonstrates an edgy side to his comedy that all but vanished in his later transformation into a blockbuster actor. The film's subtext probes the nature of comedians and comedy itself: the funny can often be sad, and vice versa. ~ Mike DiBella, RoviCast
- Sally Field - Lilah Krytsick
- Tom Hanks - Steven Gold
- John Goodman - John Krytsick
- Mark Rydell - Romeo, Comedy Club Owner
- Kim Greist - Madeline Urie
- Damon Wayans - Percy
Credit
John Jensen - Art Director, Jackie Burch - Casting, Daniel Melnick - Co-producer, Michael Rachmil - Co-producer, Aggie Lyon - Costume Designer, Dan Moore - Costume Designer, Jim Van Wyck - First Assistant Director, David Seltzer - Director, Bruce Green - Editor, Charles Gross - Composer (Music Score), Daniel Allan Carlin - Musical Direction/Supervision, Michael Pollock - Songwriter, Lee C. Harman - Makeup, Jackson de Govia - Production Designer, John R. Jensen - Production Designer, Reynaldo Villalobos - Cinematographer, Joe Hubbard - Set Designer, Peter Smith - Set Designer, Peg Cummings - Set Designer, Robert Grieve - Sound/Sound Designer, David Seltzer - Screenwriter, Gene S. Cantamessa - Production Sound Mixer| Punching the Clown (2008 Film), Punching a Hole, Playing a Roll (1990 Film) | |
| Punchy Cow Punchers (1950 Film), Puncture (2011 Film) |
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
