Rating: R
Genre: Comedy Drama
Release Date: 07/09/2002
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol/Por/KO/TH
Sound: DS
Run Time: 122 Minutes
Distributor/Studio: Columbia TriStar

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, All Movie Guide

Be the first to review this product!

Cast:
Sally Field - Lilah Krytsick
Tom Hanks - Steven Gold
John Goodman - John Krytsick
Mark Rydell - Romeo, Comedy Club Owner
Kim Greist - Madeline Urie
Pamela Matteson - Utica Blake
George Michael McGrath - Singing Nun
Taylor Negron - Albert Emperator
Barry Neikrug - Krug
Angel Salazar - Rico
Damon Wayans - Percy
Joycee Katz - Joycee
Mac Robbins - Billy Lane
Max Alexander - Mister Ball
Paul Kozlowski - Jerry Petroviak
Barry Sobel - Robyn Green
Marty Pollio - Juggling Comic

Production:
David Seltzer - Director
Daniel Melnick Michael Rachmil - Producer
Daniel Melnick Michael Rachmil - Co Producer
Charles Gross - Composer
Bruce Green - Editor
David Seltzer - Screen Writer
Joe Hubbard Peter Smith Peg Cummings - Set Designer
John Jensen - Art Director
Jackie Burch - Casting
Reynaldo Villalobos - Cinematographer
Aggie Lyon - Costume Designer
Dan Moore - Costume Designer
Jim Van Wyck - First Assistant Director
Lee C. Harman - Makeup
Daniel Allan Carlin - Musical Direction/Supervision
Jackson de Govia - Production Designer
John R. Jensen - Production Designer
Michael Pollock - Songwriter
Robert Grieve - Sound/Sound Designer

Man on the Moon
    Jim Carrey / R / 1999
The King of Comedy
    Robert De Niro / PG / 1983
Comedian
    Jerry Seinfeld / R / 2002
The Godfather of Green Bay
    Pete Schwaba / R / 2005
Lenny
    Dustin Hoffman / R / 1974
The Fabulous Baker Boys [WS]
    Jeff Bridges / R / 1989
Postcards from the Edge
    Meryl Streep / R / 1990
Cracking Up
    Matt Mitler / 1994

1987 Los Angeles Film Critics Association