Punchline (1988)

Director:

David Seltzer

Writer:

David Seltzer (writer)

Release Date:

7 October 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

It only hurts when you LAUGH!

Plot:

Steven Gold is a stand-up comedian who is flat broke and has recently dropped out of medical school...

Plot Keywords:

Elvis | Charles Manson Reference | Elvis Presley | Stand Up Comedy | Comedian

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Sally Field	...	Lilah Krytsick
Tom Hanks	...	Steven Gold
John Goodman	...	John Krytsick
Mark Rydell	...	Romeo
Kim Greist	...	Madeline Urie
Paul Mazursky	...	Arnold
Pam Matteson	...	Utica Blake
George McGrath	...	Singing Nun (as George Michael McGrath)
Taylor Negron	...	Albert Emperato
Barry Neikrug	...	Krug
Ángel 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
Katie Rich	...	Eve
Charles David Richard	...	Maitre D'
Casey Sander	...	Ernie the Bartender
Michael Pollock	...	Piano Player
Wanda Balay	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Tiffany Terry	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Christiane Eden	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Renna Bogdanowicz	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Susan Michael	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Kimberly L. Ryusaki	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Consuela Nance	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Barbara Collier	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Darunee Doa Hale	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Andrea Adams	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Marcy Del Campos	...	Waitress of the Gas Station
Candace Cameron Bure	...	Carrie
Laura Jacoby	...	Jenny
Bianca Rose	...	Heidi
Ron Ulstad	...	Madeline's Boss
Howard Weller	...	Crew-Cut Talent Scout
Richard Parker	...	Talent Scout with Glasses
George Wallace	...	Man With Arm In Cast
Andrew Parker	...	Boy on Gurney
Randy Fechter	...	Young Doctor
Sam H. Ginsburg	...	Sam, The Laughing Patient
Angela Bennett	...	Nurse
Cameron Thor	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
James C. Lewis	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
George Novogroder	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Suzanne Rains	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Susan Avants	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Scott Williams	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Carin Badger	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Sharon Lyn Borne	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Eva Dunlap	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Bob Zmuda	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers
Mark Eric Charbonneau	...	Audience Participants and Hecklers (as Mark Helm)
John Kirby	...	Marketing Man
Robina Suwol	...	Buffy
Robert Britton	...	Murray
Mark Goldstein	...	Mark
Melissa Tufeld	...	Mark's Wife
Dottie Archibald	...	Mrs. Ball
Susie Essman	...	Lilah's Hairdresser
Joey Vega	...	Waiter in Coffee Shop
Ben Hartigan	...	Older Clergyman
Jimmy Brogan	...	Younger Clergyman
Crane Jackson	...	Second Faculty Examiner
Rich Ramirez	...	Taxi Driver
Mike Starr	...	Man with Bullhorn (as Michael Starr)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lonna Montrose	...	Comedy club patron (uncredited)
Lilian Sasson	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Mike Tremont	...	Professor (uncredited)

Directed by
David Seltzer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Seltzer		writer

Produced by
Jerry A. Baerwitz	....	associate producer (as Jerry Baerwitz)
Daniel Melnick	....	producer
Michael I. Rachmil	....	producer
Jim Van Wyck	....	associate producer
Janice Yarbrough	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Charles Gross

Cinematography by
Reynaldo Villalobos		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bruce Green

Casting by
Jackie Burch

Production Design by
Jackson De Govia		(as Jack De Govia)

Art Direction by
John R. Jensen		(as John Jensen)

Set Decoration by
Peg Cummings
John Sweeney		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist (as Lee Harmon)
Craig Lyman	....	additional makeup artist: New York
Kaye Pownall	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jerry A. Baerwitz	....	unit production manager (as Jerry Baerwitz)
Ira Marvin	....	production supervisor: New York

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Princess McLean	....	second assistant director
Ricardo Méndez Matta	....	dga trainee (as Ricardo Matta)
John Rusk	....	dga trainee: New York
Liz Ryan	....	second second assistant director: New York
Jim Van Wyck	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Dennis DeWaay	....	construction coordinator
Joseph E. Hubbard	....	set designer (as Joe Hubbard)
Steven J. Jordan	....	set decorator: New York (as Steven Jordan)
Michael Milgrom	....	property master (as Mike Milgrom)
John Jay Moore	....	assistant art director: New York (as Jay Moore)
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master: New York (as James Raitt)
Pete Smith	....	set designer
Robert Topol	....	scenic artist: New York (as Bob Topol)
Matt Furginson	....	leadman (uncredited)
John Sweeney	....	swing gang (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist (as Kevin Bartnoff)
John Boyd	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
Steve Cantamessa	....	boom operator
Virginia Cook-McGowan	....	foley editor (as Virginia Cook McGowan)
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jay Dranch	....	adr editor
Patrick Drummond	....	sound effects editor
Robert Grieve	....	supervising sound editor
Margaret Guinee	....	assistant sound editor
Wilt Henderson	....	assistant sound editor (as Wilton Henderson)
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Mark Jennings	....	cable person
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Beth Lynk	....	assistant sound editor
Dennis Maitland	....	sound mixer: New York
Kim Maitland	....	boom operator: New York
Greg Orloff	....	foley mixer
Solange S. Schwalbe	....	foley editor (as Solange Schwalbe Boisseau)
Frank Smathers	....	dialogue editor (as Frank T. Smathers)
Rich Steven	....	dialogue editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	adr editor (uncredited)
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Harry Madsen	....	stunts
Felix Mauras	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Enrique Bravo	....	camera operator: New York (as Ricky Bravo)
Ted Churchill	....	steadicam operator: New York
Ray De La Motte	....	camera operator (as Ray Delamotte)
Alan R. Disler	....	first assistant camera (as Alan Disler)
Gary R. Dodd	....	key grip (as Gary Dodd)
Robert Dolan	....	chief lighting technician: New York (as Bob Dolan)
Candy Edwards	....	second assistant camera
Michael Gershman	....	camera operator (as Mike Gershman)
James McGrath	....	key grip: New York (as Jim McGrath)
Gary Tandrow	....	chief lighting technician
Raymond Fortune	....	electrician (uncredited)
Scott Rathner	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera, New York (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ferne Cassel	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aggie Lyon	....	costume supervisor: women
Dan Moore	....	costume supervisor: men
Andrea Ross	....	wardrobe: New York

Editorial Department
Scott Arundale	....	assistant film editor
William Goldenberg	....	assistant film editor
Phil Hetos	....	color timer (as Phillip Hetos)
Gina Mittelman	....	assistant film editor
Jonas Thaler	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Gary Anderson	....	orchestrator
Daniel Allan Carlin	....	supervising music editor
Lewis Goldstein	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Jim Barbarino	....	transportation captain (as James Barbarino)
Tim Hill	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Dottie Archibald	....	advisor: stand-up comedy
Diane Bandolas	....	production auditor
Paul F. Brinkman Jr.	....	location manager (as Paul Brinkman Jr.)
Edward Crocitto	....	location manager: New York (as Ed Crocitto)
Noori Dehnahi	....	production assistant
Susie Essman	....	advisor: stand-up comedy
Randy Fechter	....	stand-up comedy advisor: Mr. Hanks
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Christopher Gegen	....	assistant: Mr Seltzer
Louise Goodspeed	....	assistant: Ms. Field
Karen Hale Wookey	....	script supervisor (as Karen Wookey)
Nancy Hult	....	publicist (as Nancy Hult Ganis)
Jeannie Jeha	....	production office coordinator
Douglas Kor	....	advisor: stand-up comedy
Greg Long	....	production assistant
Ooty Moorehead	....	production office coordinator: New York
Scott Rubin	....	advisor: stand-up comedy
Barry Sobel	....	stand-up comedy advisor: Mr. Hanks
Linda Klein	....	medical technical advisor (uncredited)
Mike Revell	....	assistant production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Martin Perkins	....	special thanks: Mutual of Omaha

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Fogwood
• IndieProd Company Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:S | South Korea:15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Norway:10 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 (w)

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

David Seltzer first wrote the script in 1979 based on his experiences frequenting comedy clubs. Howard Zieff was attached to direct. When Zieff dropped out, the project was forgotten. In 1986, Daniel Melnick found the screenplay in a Columbia Pictures vault and wanted to revive the project. It was originally intended to be a small budget film with no stars but the studio sent the script to Sally Field. When she agreed to star in and produce the film, the budget was raised and Tom Hanks was cast.

Quotes:

John: $500! What the hell did you buy for 500 dollars?
Lilah: Jokes.

Movie Connections:

References "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962)

Soundtrack:

Ballet Suite Gayanaeh: Saber Dance

I wanted to like this

It's hard to envision a time in Tom Hanks' career where he had roles in 5 critically panned, as well as commercially dismal films. While I find Joe Versus the Volcano to be a genuinely remarkable and unique film, and Turner and Hooch to be a K-9 ripoff that is a lot more fun than any James Belushi vehicle, Punchline falls flat in too many ways to even get an A for effort.

Hanks is woefully miscast as a guy who's supposed to come off as a selfish jerk (it doesn't help that I can't help but imagine Tom asking viewers to donate to a WWII veterans memorial). When he borders on the icy cold determination of someone who believes they are bound for greatness but are relegated to mentor and also-ran, the movie and Hanks hint at greatness. But ultimately the role should have gone to someone more adept at playing selfish jerks: I imagine a young Kevin Spacey or a world-wearied Richard Belzer.

The real problem is the utter flatness of Sally Field's crowd-winning "jokes." Was I the only one groaning in horror at her Z-rate, HBO late-night schtick? The idea that she's a stunning new talent in the cutthroat world of 80s stand-up is unthinkable (I can't remember what documentary it was, but I saw an excellent collection of comedians talking about the desperate need to be the "next Eddie Murphy" and later the "next Roseanne/Seinfeld"). That's where the movie fails: it suggests that Hanks is just too unrelentingly cruel and embittered to attain stardom, while Fields good-natured "hilarious" insights into real-world pressures make her a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Neither fully embody their roles convincingly, and the writer just doesn't know good comedy.

Jay Mohr described the creative nadir in comedy: when the typical comedian was bland guys sporting a neon blazer, standing in front of brick walls blurting out tired clichés like "you ladies know what I'm talking about." It's obvious that David Seltzer (writer of the gut-busting Omen series and The Other Side of the Mountain) thinks the world of these garden variety hacks, and without convincing leads, remarkably funny stand-up routines, or the proper balance of convincing drama and humor, the movie just falls flat in every way. I'm giving it a four based on the gleam of promise in Hanks' otherwise unconvincing turn and the faint hope that he could actually portray a genuinely unlikable character in the future (though I doubt it considering a similar misstep with Bonfire of the Vanities and his lovable hit-man in Road to Perdition).