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Throw Momma From the Train

Play trailer Poster for Throw Momma From the Train PG-13 1987 1h 28m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
65% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 55% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Larry (Billy Crystal), an author with a cruel ex-wife, Margaret (Kate Mulgrew), teaches a writing workshop where Owen (Danny DeVito), one of his students, is fed up with his domineering mother (Anne Ramsey). When Owen watches a Hitchcock classic that seems to mirror his own life, he decides to put the movie's plot into action and offers to kill Margaret, if Larry promises to murder his mom. Before Larry gets a chance to react to the plan, it seems that Owen has already sealed Margaret's fate.
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Throw Momma From the Train

Throw Momma From the Train

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Critics Consensus

Danny DeVito's direction is too broad to offer the kind of nastiness that would have made Throw Momma from the Train truly special, but DeVito's on-screen chemistry with co-star Billy Crystal makes this a smoothly entertaining comedy.

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Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009
Very clever and engaging from beginning to end, pic builds on the notion that nearly everyone - at least once in life - has the desire to snuff out a relative or nemesis, even if 99.9% of us let the urge pass without ever acting on it. Go to Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out Jun 24, 2006
If it all gets a little soft-centred towards the end, there's more than enough vitality and invention to be going on with. Go to Full Review Janet Maslin New York Times May 20, 2003
Mr. Crystal and Mr. DeVito ... make one of the oddest pairs imaginable but have a rapport that's a delight. Go to Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal May 23, 2026
3.5/5
A solid and satisfying mix of the sinister and the silly, with a confident visual language from director / co-star Danny DeVito and cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld and a respect for the darker cultural corners it explores. Go to Full Review Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 12, 2026
3.5/4
"Throw Momma from the Train" is a comic triumph for all involved. Go to Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Jun 14, 2022
Demonstrates more talent laughing at Hitchcock than Mel Brooks in High Society… [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bruce F @MoralMaster 22 hrs ago Kind of a remake spoof of strangers on the train but billy and Danny's chemistry is great i also like Danny's innocent feel threw the movie See more Chris S @Janomi Jul 5, 2026 Throw Momma from the Train has a clever noir-comedy hook, using Strangers on a Train as the basis for a twisted murder-swap misunderstanding between two miserable men. That setup gives the movie plenty of room for suspicion, confusion, and dark comic escalation. Danny DeVito gives the film its strange personality, both behind the camera and as Owen. His direction is cartoonish, grimy, and offbeat, while his performance makes Owen pathetic, desperate, weird, and oddly sympathetic. Billy Crystal gives the movie a sharper comic center as Larry, bringing bitterness and exasperation to a blocked writer trapped in Owen’s bizarre assumptions. The humor can be very abrasive, and Owen’s relationship with Momma becomes repetitive once the shouting and abuse take over. It has its moments and a memorable oddball identity, but the chaos is more effective in short bursts than across the full movie. See more Jason R @JasonR1489 Jun 23, 2026 A good film to watch, some funny moments, didn't know Danny DeVito directed it himself until now See more Jeffrey P @vanillavoodoo1 Jun 15, 2026 Such an 80s movie as it takes a topic that would be very dark if made in 2026 and finds a way to make it casual and non-chalant with some good laughs. Points for not including a montage with cringy 80s music. See more thiago S @Thiagostone Jun 13, 2026 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 Nicolas G @Samuel_Goldmann May 11, 2026 wtf is going on with the popcorn score. This movie is amazing. See more Read all reviews
Throw Momma From the Train

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Cast & Crew

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Danny DeVito

Director

Danny DeVito

Owen

Billy Crystal

Larry Donner

Anne Ramsey

Mrs. Lift

Kim Greist

Beth Ryan

Kate Mulgrew

Margaret Donner

Movie Clips

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Throw Momma From the Train

Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - You're Alive! Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - You're Alive! 2:37 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Larry Meets Momma Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Larry Meets Momma 1:36 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Poisoned Pepsi Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Poisoned Pepsi 2:09 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - You Killed My Wife! Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - You Killed My Wife! 2:44 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - He's Trying to Kill Me! Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - He's Trying to Kill Me! 1:37 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Owen's Coin Collection Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Owen's Coin Collection 3:00 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - She's Not a Woman, She's the Terminator Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - She's Not a Woman, She's the Terminator 2:07 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Saving Momma Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Saving Momma 2:14 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Larry Warns Momma Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Larry Warns Momma 1:22 Now Playing Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Larry's Wife on Oprah Throw Momma from the Train: Official Clip - Larry's Wife on Oprah 2:20 Now Playing View more videos

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Throw Momma From the Train

Throw Momma From the Train (1987) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Larry (Billy Crystal), an author with a cruel ex-wife, Margaret (Kate Mulgrew), teaches a writing workshop where Owen (Danny DeVito), one of his students, is fed up with his domineering mother (Anne Ramsey). When Owen watches a Hitchcock classic that seems to mirror his own life, he decides to put the movie's plot into action and offers to kill Margaret, if Larry promises to murder his mom. Before Larry gets a chance to react to the plan, it seems that Owen has already sealed Margaret's fate.
Director
Danny DeVito
Producer
Larry Brezner
Screenwriter
Stu Silver
Distributor
Orion Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Orion Pictures
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 11, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$54.4M
Runtime
1h 28m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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