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Punchline

Play trailer Poster for Punchline R 1988 2h 2m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 44% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Lilah Krytsick (Sally Field) is a mother and housewife who's always believed she could be a stand-up comedian. Steven Gold (Tom Hanks) is an experienced stand-up seemingly on the cusp of success. When the two meet, they form an unlikely friendship, and Steven tries to help the untried Lilah develop her stage act. Despite the objections of her family and some very wobbly beginnings, Lilah improves, and soon she finds herself competing with Steven for a coveted television spot.
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Punchline

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
2/4
The problem may be that the movie isn't nearly tough enough. It needs to be more hard-boiled, more merciless in its dissection of egos, more perceptive about the cutthroat nature of show business. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 10/19/2024
2/4
...appealing subject matter that’s employed to initially promising yet ultimately underwhelming effect... Go to Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 06/15/2022
Tom Hanks gets a job so brilliant, so ambivalent, that it's hard to know whether to laugh, cry, or watch him dance beneath the rain. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Emily Sears Birth.Movies.Death. 09/26/2017
As someone who prefers her comedy with a side of melancholy, I'd say that the performance from Tom Hanks alone makes this a worthwhile watch. Go to Full Review Cathy Burke United Press International 08/23/2016
Though Punchline defies the Hollywood penchant for producing either pure comedy or straight drama, its view of those with the guts to stand before an audience and dare them to laugh is oddly uplifting. Go to Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com 03/23/2008
3/5
Unfunny, at times morose, comedy-drama about standup comics. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s @Thiagostone Nov 9 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Todd B Mar 23 A little bit raunchy, at times, considering fibs, youthamisms, and simple get your point across. This rom-com was good. Oh I forgot all about the real towel machine, where you don't get too much slack. Steve's character was an up in coming stand up comic, in the movie he bombed 💣 at least once to express that emotion humility. We're not only human and not perfect. So, Sally's character was a homebody, trying to find an outlet to express her emotions, and extracurricular activities, as a hobby. With supporting cast like Damon, John Goodman, and the henchman from The Last Boyscout 1992. See more M B 08/30/2024 I like this movie- Sally Field and Tom Hanks have really good chemistry, and maybe that's a bit of a surprise. It's funny, but the stand-up isn't funny- so it's a very odd movie. The movie is scored with very awful, down-clown music that pretty much ruins everything. I truly think the whole movie would have done better without the music score. See more Chinu D 08/20/2024 It’s a really good movie See more Adiya A 08/20/2024 There is one thing about this movie that cannot be missed. I can see that it worked really well on the small details. See more Bulgantamir B 08/20/2024 The director is a good person with experience See more Read all reviews
Punchline

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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David Seltzer

Director

Sally Field

Lilah Krytsick

Tom Hanks

Steven Gold

John Goodman

John Krytsick

Mark Rydell

Romeo

Kim Greist

Madeline Urie

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Punchline

Punchline (1988) Punchline (1988) Punchline (1988) Punchline (1988) Punchline (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Lilah Krytsick (Sally Field) is a mother and housewife who's always believed she could be a stand-up comedian. Steven Gold (Tom Hanks) is an experienced stand-up seemingly on the cusp of success. When the two meet, they form an unlikely friendship, and Steven tries to help the untried Lilah develop her stage act. Despite the objections of her family and some very wobbly beginnings, Lilah improves, and soon she finds herself competing with Steven for a coveted television spot.
Director
David Seltzer
Producer
Daniel Melnick, Michael I. Rachmil
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Fogwood Films, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 7, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$20.3M
Runtime
2h 2m
Sound Mix
Surround
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