Punchline

To say it has Tom hanks, Sally Field and John Goodman you'd expect better. Sally field plays a woman with a husband and kids having a midlife crisis. John Goodman plays her hubby who is underutilised And Tom, thank god he switched gears into dramatic roles.

"Punchline" is interesting, but not interesting enough. This movie is awfully one-sided. And it also doesn't have any ambiguity. The only character in this movie that does any real disagreeing is the John Goodman character. And yet, I expected him to yell, but he doesn't. Make him grouchy, and you might have a character, no matter how relevant to the plot, that works. And don't even get me started on the casting of Sally Field as a comedian. Seriously? Sally Field as a stand-up comedian? What were the filmmakers thinking? Why not cast someone Tom Hanks's age? Some of the audience in the movie may be laughing, but I didn't find myself laughing too much. And you probably won't either. **1/2 out of ****

There is something not right about this movie. What is it? I don't know. It could be one, a few or all of many things: Characterizations change by the minute, with flimsy and/or no explanation. It bounces back and forth and back again between slapstick, light-hearted comedy, gritty drama, and sappiness. It spends painful stretches focusing on comedy acts that are supposed to be funny (everyone on the screen thinks they are) but they really aren't. It runs far too long. But at the same time, it's okay. Amusing at least, and it has it's decent moments, among the forgettable and awkward ones.

55/100. David Seltzer's direction doesn't guide the film along as it should, he doesn't seem to know what direction to go in. . It jumps from comedy, to satire, heavy drama, romance and back again. Sally Fields and Tom Hanks try, but the material they are working with just doesn't know what it wants to be. The romantic angle is completely out of place, and overall the bitterness of the film is a turn off. Even the stand up comedy scenes shown in the film that are supposed to be good, simply aren't. The ending is not satisfying at all. It is a shame the stars didn't get better material, it could have worked so well in different hands.

A few years before Sally Field and Tom Hanks played mother and son in "Forrest Gump", they played stand-up rivals in the light comedy "Punchline". I will say that this isn't the funniest movie that I've ever seen, but it's great just for the tension between the performers, some of the stand-up jokes, and for Tom Hanks's definition of the rectum; you have to agree that his name for it is a lot more descriptive. So, this movie probably won't give you any kind of religious experience, but it's a fun way to pass time. Also starring John Goodman and Damon Wayans. Oh, and in case Sally Field is reading this: Happy 60th birthday! I'm in Russia right now, and yesterday, I went to Verkhoturye, where they have a convent. As a semi-birthday present to you, I said that the convent housed a flying nun. I know, you don't like that moniker, but I had to do something. Thanks for everything.

My father is a stand-up comic, and all I can say is that this film above most others shows comedians for what they truly are. Comedy is truly based out of pain, and the two main characters truly have a great deal of pain in their lives. All the actors give their performances more than two dimensions, and are truthful in what they are dong at all times. If your looking for a laugh out loud comedy, than you'll be greatly disappointed, this film is really about he drama of the life of people who are trying to make it in the entertainment business. As a closing statement, i have heard many comics who were around at the time of this picture say that Tom Hanks was one of the greatest comics that they had seen, and if he had not caught the acting bug first, that he would have been a great comic.

Tom Hanks performs the "Singing in the Rain" umbrella/street dance number like you'd never imagine it could be. I loved him in this movie. Probably more than the vast majority of his others. His portrayal of an emotionally tormented and lost young man blessed with a tremendous and natural talent for comedy - dark as it may be - broke my heart. I wasn't crazy about Sally Fields as his leading lady - the match up just didn't work for me. But as individuals they were both excellent. I would recommend it highly. It's not really a comedy as the title might suggest. It is, as I said dark, but with some very warm feelings about giving. I gave it an 8