Punchline (1988)

Synopsis of Punchline

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, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

122 mins

Director(s):

David Seltzer

Writer(s):

David Seltzer

Producer(s):

Daniel Melnick, Michael Rachmil

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

R(Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Profanity, Adult Humor)

Categories:

Music & Performing Arts

• 1987 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Actor

Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

Looking for special editions of Punchline?

See All Versions

Subtitles:

Check All Versions

Closed Captioning:

Check All Versions