IMDb RATING
5.9/10
9.4K
YOUR RATING
A medical-school dropout and a homemaker/mom try to make it as stand-up comedians. They become friends and help each other out at a New York City comedy club.A medical-school dropout and a homemaker/mom try to make it as stand-up comedians. They become friends and help each other out at a New York City comedy club.A medical-school dropout and a homemaker/mom try to make it as stand-up comedians. They become friends and help each other out at a New York City comedy club.
- Awards
- 1 win
George McGrath
- Singing Nun
- (as George Michael McGrath)
Ángel Salazar
- Rico
- (as Angel Salazar)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAbout two months before the film started principal photography, Tom Hanks wrote and performed a five-minute stand-up comedy routine at the Los Angeles Comedy Store in California. Hanks once said of this: "It was pure flop sweat time, an embarrassment. That material lasted 1 minute 40 seconds, and it had no theme".
- GoofsWhen Steven and Lilah are riding the #7 subway, the Manhattan terminus of the line is shown as Lexington Avenue. The actual terminus should be 42nd Street/Times Square.
Featured review
I cannot say enough good things about this movie. It's one of the most original movies I've seen in a long time.
How often is it that we have this movie plot: boy meets involved girl, girl realizes boy is her true love, girl dumps her lover to marry boy, boy and girl live happily ever after? To say that this is not the case in this movie is a gross understatement.
The stand-up acts are not amazing, but that's not really what the movie's about. It's better if you look at it as a drama. I love how everyone thinks Tom Hanks, a very funny guy in this movie, is a one-dimensional person who is ALL about humor. That's the real point of the movie - he's not. I especially love the line (and I know I'll screw this up somehow):
Field: You're so funny because everything is a joke to you. Hanks: I'm so funny because nothing is a joke to me.
I've seen my share of comedy-dramas, but most I only liked for the comedy aspect. In this one I could just ignore all the stand-up and I'd still love this movie (although the opening scene is very well-done and funny).
I would highly recommend it, it comes on the cable movie channels a lot.
How often is it that we have this movie plot: boy meets involved girl, girl realizes boy is her true love, girl dumps her lover to marry boy, boy and girl live happily ever after? To say that this is not the case in this movie is a gross understatement.
The stand-up acts are not amazing, but that's not really what the movie's about. It's better if you look at it as a drama. I love how everyone thinks Tom Hanks, a very funny guy in this movie, is a one-dimensional person who is ALL about humor. That's the real point of the movie - he's not. I especially love the line (and I know I'll screw this up somehow):
Field: You're so funny because everything is a joke to you. Hanks: I'm so funny because nothing is a joke to me.
I've seen my share of comedy-dramas, but most I only liked for the comedy aspect. In this one I could just ignore all the stand-up and I'd still love this movie (although the opening scene is very well-done and funny).
I would highly recommend it, it comes on the cable movie channels a lot.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Punch Line
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $15,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $21,042,667
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $160,742
- Oct 2, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $21,042,667
- Runtime2 hours 8 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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