A bitter ex-husband wants his former spouse dead. A put-upon momma's boy wants his mother dead. Who will pull it off?A bitter ex-husband wants his former spouse dead. A put-upon momma's boy wants his mother dead. Who will pull it off?A bitter ex-husband wants his former spouse dead. A put-upon momma's boy wants his mother dead. Who will pull it off?
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total
Andre Rosey Brown
- Rosey
- (as Andre 'Rosey' Brown)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAnne Ramsey's speech impediment was caused by operations she underwent in order to treat throat cancer. During filming she was undergoing additional oral surgery and endured intense pain. However, according to director Danny DeVito, she never requested to be excused from work. "Momma" went on to become Ramsey's most critically-lauded performance, culminating with Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1988. Sadly, she died only six months after the ceremony because of that very same throat cancer.
- GoofsWhen Larry reads out the title of a student's "coffee table book" he says "One Hundred Girls I'd Like To Pork" but his lips are clearly mouthing the final word as "Fuck." This line was presumably overdubbed to avoid an R rating.
- Crazy creditsThe credit for Assistant Sound Editor Robert Martel has a gap in the vertical stroke of the L.
- Alternate versionsNetwork TV versions restore extra footage.
- ConnectionsEdited into Throw Momma from the Train: Deleted Scenes (2001)
- SoundtracksLarry's Song
Written by Branford Marsalis
Featured review
A writer writes - well, he tries to, anyway
Billy Crystal is Larry, a writer who hasn't written and is suspected of murder in "Throw Momma from the Train," costarring Danny Devito and Anne Ramsey. The phrase "black comedy" was invented for this insanity, which is a take-off on Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train." In fact, Owen (Devito) gets the idea of having Larry kill his mother in exchange for Owen killing Larry's ex from watching that famous film. "I saw the movie. Criss-cross," Owen tells Larry. Not that Larry knows what he's talking about until it appears it's too late - just like "Strangers." Larry, a writing teacher, claims that his ex-wife, played by Kate Mulgrew, stole his book and put her name on it. She has become a big celebrity, appearing on "Oprah," where she refers to Larry as "a beast." Owen is in Larry's class. He lives with an abusive Neanderthal mother (Ramsey) and has visions of poisoning her, sticking a scissors in her head - you name it. It's not long after seeing "Strangers on a Train" that he's in Honolulu, stalking Larry's wife. While she's leaning over a boat railing trying to get an earring, Owen stands behind her and creeps up...Soon the police are looking for Larry to question him, but he's at Owen's where he's being encouraged to live up to his end of a bargain he had no idea he made. You know, "criss-cross." There are several scenes copied from "Strangers," which are hilarious. I especially loved Larry's confession to the sleeping Mrs. Lift, Owen's mother, similar to when Guy thinks he's talking to Bruno's stepfather.
Crystal and DeVito are complete masters of comic dialogue and timing and will leave you laughing, often out loud. Ramsey is repulsively funny - a totally "out there" performance. Kim Griest and Rob Reiner also have roles - Griest is Crystal's girlfriend, and Reiner has what amounts to a cameo.
The ending is very clever, and the whole film will leave you laughing.
Crystal and DeVito are complete masters of comic dialogue and timing and will leave you laughing, often out loud. Ramsey is repulsively funny - a totally "out there" performance. Kim Griest and Rob Reiner also have roles - Griest is Crystal's girlfriend, and Reiner has what amounts to a cameo.
The ending is very clever, and the whole film will leave you laughing.
helpful•305
- blanche-2
- Mar 25, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Throw Mama from the Train
- Filming locations
- Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii, USA(location)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $14,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $57,915,972
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,318,878
- Dec 13, 1987
- Gross worldwide
- $57,915,972
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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