Throw Momma from the Train
1987 · Movie · PG-13 · 88 min · ★ 6.2 · 60% critics
An author running a writing workshop is tormented by his ex-wife, while one student grows fed up with his own domineering mother. After watching a Hitchcock classic, the student believes he can mirror its criss-cross setup, pushing a deadly exchange forward—and the author gets swept up before he can stop it.
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Details
- Years
- 1987
- Release date
- 1987-12-11
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 60/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.2/10 (653 votes)
About
If you want a dark, Hitchcock-inspired comedy with plenty of tense plotting and big laughs from its leads, Throw Momma from the Train may land for you; Not for you if you dislike murder-based comedy or prefer straightforward, consistently funny pacing like Serial Mom or So I Married an Axe Murderer.
Pros: strong lead chemistry; standout comedic villain; fun dark premise | Cons: uneven pacing; morbid humor hit-or-miss; ending disappoints some
Themes
- writer's block
- train
- overbearing mother
- ex-wife
- aspiring writer
- mystery writer
- crime fiction writer
- dominant mother
- murder swap
Awards & recognition
- Saturn Award — Best Supporting Actress
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1988 · nominated
- Golden Globe Award — Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture · nominated
- Golden Globe Award — Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · nominated
Cast & crew
Danny DeVito
as Owen Lift
Billy Crystal
as Larry Donner
Kim Greist
as Beth Ryan
Anne Ramsey
as Mrs. Lift
Kate Mulgrew
as Margaret Donner
Branford Marsalis
as Lester
Rob Reiner
as Joel
Bruce Kirby
as Detective DeBenedetto
- JD
Joey DePinto
as Sergeant
Annie Ross
as Mrs. Hazeltine
Directed by Danny DeVito