Throw Momma from the Train
Tags: comedy, murder

Plot synopsis:
Novelist Larry Donner (Billy Crystal) struggles with writer's block due to his resentment towards his ex-wife Margaret (Kate Mulgrew), who stole his book and garnered mainstream success and critical acclaim with it. Owen Lift (Danny DeVito) is a timid, middle-aged fellow who still lives with his overbearing, abusive and paranoid mother (Anne Ramsey). Owen fantasizes about killing his mother but can't summon the courage to bring his desires into fruition. As a student in Larry's community college writing class, Owen is given advice by Larry to view an Alfred Hitchcock film to gain some insight into plot development for his mystery stories. He sees Strangers on a Train, in which two strangers conspire to commit a murder for each other, figuring their lack of connection to the victim will, in theory, establish a perfect alibi. Having overheard Larry's public rant that he wished his ex-wife dead, Owen forms a plan to kill Margaret, believing that Larry will, in return, kill his mother.
He tracks Margaret down to Hawaii and eventually follows her onto a cruise ship she is taking to her book signing. He then apparently pushes her overboard while she tries to retrieve an earring that fell out. Owen returns from Hawaii to tell Larry of Margaret's death and that Larry now "owes" him the murder of his mother, lest he inform the police that Larry was the killer. After having spent the night drinking alone during the hours of Margaret's disappearance, Larry panics because he lacks a sufficient alibi. That, along with a news report announcing that the police suspect foul play, convinces Larry that he's the prime suspect. He decides to stay with Owen and his mother in an attempt to hide from the police. Larry meets Mrs. Lift, but despite her harsh treatment of him he refuses to kill her. Eventually, when Mrs. Lift drives Owen to breaking point, Larry finally relents and agrees to go through with the murder.
After two unsuccessful attempts, Larry flees the Lift home when Mrs. Lift recognizes him as a suspect from a news broadcast about his ex-wife's disappearance. He boards a train to Mexico and, surprisingly, Owen and Mrs. Lift come along so as to avoid having to lie for him. During the journey, Larry's patience with Mrs. Lift finally runs out when she impolitely gives him advice on writing. He follows her to the caboose with the intent of throwing her from the train, but Owen begins having second thoughts about having his mother killed and gives chase. In the ensuing fight, Mrs. Lift falls from the train but is rescued by Owen and a repentant Larry. Mrs. Lift is grateful at her son for saving her, but unappreciative of Larry's help and kicks him, resulting in him losing his balance, landing on the tracks and breaking his leg.
During his recovery in hospital, Larry discovers that Margaret is still alive; she simply fell overboard by accident and was rescued by a Polynesian fisherman whom she has decided to marry. Much to his annoyance, Larry learns that Margaret plans to sell the rights of her ordeal for $1.5 million. On the advice of a fellow patient, Larry chooses to free himself of his obsession with his ex-wife and instead focus on his own life, thereby freeing him of his writer's block.
A year later, Larry has finished a novel based on his experiences with Owen and Mrs. Lift entitled Throw Momma from the Train. Owen visits and informs him that his mother has died (of natural causes) and that he's going to New York City for the release of his own book. Unfortunately for Larry, Owen reveals that his book is also about their experiences together. Thinking that his book has been scooped once again, an enraged Larry proceeds to strangle him, but stops when Owen shows him that his book is a children's pop-up book called Momma, and Owen, and Owen's Friend, Larry with the story drastically altered to be suitable for children. Months later, Larry, Owen, and Larry's girlfriend Beth (Kim Greist) vacation together in Hawaii, reflecting on the final chapter of Larry's book. Larry and Owen's books have now become best-sellers, making them both successful writers as well as close friends.

Review: Danny DeVito stars (and also directs) as Owen, a sort of dim-witted writing student who lives with his monstrous mother (Anne Ramsey).
Owen's writing teacher, Larry (Billy Crystal) is having trouble with his writing career because his wife (Kate Mulgrew) stole his first book and made it her own bestseller and lives the highlife in Hawaii.
Owen then gets the idea from "Strangers on a Train" that he will go to Hawaii and murder Larry's wife, while Larry will kill his mother.
Throw Momma from the Train, I think is a fun comic adventure, both Danny DeVito and Bill Crystal are funny, while Anne Ramsey's Oscar-nominated role of Momma is hysterically frightening.
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 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.
Owen loves his Mamma...only he'd love her better six feet under in this dark, laugh-out-loud comedy that both stars and is directed by Danny DeVito, with admirable assists from Billy Crystal and Anne Ramsey in the title role."Throw Momma From The Train" is a terrific comedy, even if it isn't a great film.
But it's a gut-splitting ride most of the way, with Crystal and DeVito employing great screen chemistry while working their own separate comic takes on the essence of being a struggling writer (DeVito is avid but untalented; Crystal is blocked and bitter).Crystal's Professor Donner believes his ex-wife stole his book (the unfortunately titled "Hot Fire") and can't write more than the opening line of his next book, which doesn't come easy.
Mr. Pinsky is probably the funniest character for laughs-per-minutes-on-screen, an ascot-wearing weirdo who sees literature as an excuse to write his opus: "100 Girls I'd Like To Pork."Then there's DeVito's Owen Lift, who calls himself Professor Donner's "star pupil" even though the teacher won't read his work in class.
Owen is a somewhat unusual character to star in a movie, a man-child in his late 30s who lives with his overbearing mother, Anne Ramsey, who calls him "lardass" and other endearing sentiments.
In any other movie, we'd be asked to feel sorry for Owen, but "Throw Momma From The Train" piles life's cruelties onto this sad sack for laughs and expects us to go along.
That's one big reason why this film probably loses a lot of people.For those of us who enjoy the humor of this character, even identifying with him, and take the rest of what we see here as a lark, it's not as big a stretch to go along with the bigger gambit this comedy takes, asking us to watch in amusement while Owen enlists Professor Donner's help in a plan to kill his mother.
Actually, he first goes to Hawaii to kill Donner's hated ex, then tells the professor it's his turn to kill Mrs. Lift, "swapping murders" as seen in Hitchcock's "Strangers On A Train."As a director, DeVito not only complements his actors' performances with scene-setting that places the accent on dialogue, he makes some bold visual statements, throwing in bits of amusing unreality to keep the audience on its toes (and away from taking things too seriously.)Also helping matters is writer Stu Silver, who keeps the laughs coming with his quotable patter.
Apparently Silver never wrote another screenplay after this, according to the IMDb, and that's a shame, because he had real talent for it.The best scene in this movie, when Crystal meets Ramsey, was actually used in its entirety as a theatrical 'coming attraction' presentation, the only time I've seen a movie promoted that way.
While giving classes of Creative Writing, he is stalked by the student Owen (Danny DeVito) that wants to know his opinion about his crime tale.
Owen, who wants to kill his detestable mother (Anne Ramsey), watches "Strangers on a Train" and misunderstands Larry's advice, believing that his teacher wants to swap murders to eliminate the motive.
However, Larry does not have an alibi and becomes the prime suspect, while the deranged Owen presses him to kill his mother as part of their supposed deal."Throw Momma from the Train" is one of the funniest comedies of the 80's and a great tribute to Alfred Hitchcock.
Larry Donner (played by Billy Crystal) is suffering from severe writters' block, brought on by the success of the novel that his Ex-wife (Make Milgrew) stole from him.Owen Lift (played by Danny DeVito) is suffering from the ability to write because of his nasty, demanding, over-bearing mother (played by Ann Ramsey).Larry, who is Owens' creative writing teacher, tries to advise him on the the fundamentals on writing a good murder novel.
Mostly Fun. Throw Momma From The Train is a good black comedy from Danny DeVito...
And the inconsistencies of Owen's character are more than a little distracting.In the end, though, "Throw Momma From The Train" is an entertaining, original movie with some very funny scenes.
Larry Donner (Billy Crystal) has a crazy life: His wife (Kate Mulgrew) stole his book and left him, he has a new budding romance with a girl named Beth (Kim Greist), he doesn't know how to start his book, and his students of his screen writing class are stranger than most.
The movie is completely unapologetic in its cynicism, and gives us no one to like, but for once that works in the movie's favor rather than as a turn off.Anne Ramsey, as DeVito's battle axe mom, steals the show in a grotesquely funny performance.
I recently stumbled across this film again after many years while channel surfing and soon I found myself laughing to beat the band.I had seen it years earlier when it was new.I'm not sure why I steered clear of it in subsequent years.Maybe it's under-rooted disturbing theme of murder.At any rate,I found myself engrossed in this film.Despite being dark around the edges,it really is an entertaining film.Billy Crystal was still in his prime,as was DeVito,and Anne Ramsey was a delight as "Momma"..Now that I have revisited this comedy gem that I had apparently forgotten,I will be looking to put it on the DVD shelf in the near future..
It's how Danny DeVito feels about Anne Ramsey, it's just how to put the plan in action.And his creative writing class taught by Professor Billy Crystal gives him the idea.
That and a viewing of Alfred Hitchcock's classic Strangers On A Train which gives DeVito the idea to switch murders with Crystal who hates his wife, Kate Mulgrew, who not only is cheating him out of an idea for a book he wanted to write, but is also carrying on with hunky Tony Ciccone.Throw Momma From The Train plays out kind of like Strangers On A Train as DeVito seems to have carried out his end of the murder scheme.
That woman might need killing, but she's going to take a lot of it.The only Academy recognition that Throw Momma From The Train got was an Academy Award nomination for Anne Ramsey for Best Supporting Actress.
Ramsey already had the throat cancer that would eventually kill her the following year, but look at the list of credits she managed to amass even after Throw Momma From The Train, she worked right up to the end.I've seen interviews with both of the stars of Throw Momma From The Train, Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito, and both have gladly conceded that Anne Ramsey's performance as the mother from hell both made the film the success it was and stole it out from under them.
stars: Danny Devito, Billy Crystal, Anne Ramsey, Kim Griest, Kate Mulgrew, Oprah Winfrey and Rob Reiner.After college class, teacher Larry (Crystal) wants his ex-wife dead and Owen (Devito) wants his momma (Ramsey) dead.
THE GOOD - Anne Ramsey is a hoot as the brutal old lady whom Danny DeVito wants to "throw off the train." She is truly a unique character.
Most people don't know what it means to really laugh at a comedy, and these people desperately need to watch "Throw Momma From the Train." I say with little hesitation that this is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, from beginning to end.
The story involves a young man (Danny DeVito) who wants to get rid of his annoying, grouchy mother (Anne Ramsey, nominated for an Oscar in a role that was completely flawless, in my opinion) and does so by killing off Billy Crystal's wife, whom Crystal wanted dead for stealing his novel.
Billy Crystal plays a teacher named Larry struggling with writer's block after his ex-wife stole his idea and turned it into a successful novel.
Danny DeVito is one of Billy's students named Owen, a middle-aged man living with his overbearing mother and daydreaming of killing her.
After seeing the aforementioned Alfred Hitchcock movie Strangers on a Train, Owen gets the idea that he and Larry should swap murders.
Immensely dark comedy for its time, about writer Crystal and student DeVito plotting a criss-cross murder à la STRANGERS ON A TRAIN.
Unfortunately, the film's most colorful character, Momma Lift (Ramsey), is way underused; and while Crystal and DeVito are both fine as the leads, neither deliver a memorable enough performance to justify Ramsey's lack of screen-time.
this movie was wonderful, funny comedy with danny devito and billy crystal.
i thought it was very funny, when devito went to the movie theatre to see the classic hithcock thriller "strangers on a train", and the scenes lines were being played over and over again to owen  about swapping murders criss-cross.
this film was  very funny, silly thinking to crystal that his wife was dead, and devito wanting his mom to be dead.
this was a dark comedy with certain scenes to laugh, having a wonderful time to audiences who love devito and crystal.
Inspired by Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN concept of two men swapping murders in exchange for getting rid of the two people messing up their lives, THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN is an original and very inventive comedy take on the idea.
It's a credit to Danny DeVito that he both wrote and starred in this minor comedy gem.ANNE RAMSEY is the mother who inspires the film's title and it's understandable why she gets under the skin of DANNY DeVITO with her sharp tongue and relentlessly putting him down for any minor infraction.
In a really neat spin on Hitchcock, Larry (Billy Crystal) and Owen (Danny DeVito) lead unpleasant lives: Larry's ex-wife has gotten rich by publishing a book that he wrote, and Owen has the most overbearing mother imaginable.
When Larry tells Owen to calm down by watching "Strangers on a Train", Owen gets the idea that they should do criss-cross murders like in the movie.
And just like in the movie, Larry thinks that it's a joke, but Owen's serious.How they came up with the idea for "Throw Momma from the Train" I'll never know, but it's a hilarious movie.
Now Crystal's wife -- she is a "slut" whom everyone would like to receive her comeuppance, thus her role, though minor, is also effective, because it has to justify Crystal's ridiculous case of "writer's block." While there are certainly dark moments, the movie is not depressing and, despite the murderous urges that the protagonists feel, they have redeeming qualities too.Overall, this is one of the funniest movies I can remember, one that I don't mind watching over several times..
"Throw Momma from the Train" by Danny DeVito is a parody of the famous Hitchcock film "Strangers on a train." I saw this movie in the theater when it came out and it remained as dear memory, so thirty years after I decided to watch it again.
Although it was 13th most successful movie of 1987 and I really like Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal, I was quite bored and last night I turned it off half an hour before it ended.
It's One of my top 10 fave 80's films AND top 10 fave comedies of all time!...as well The dialog is great, the chemistry is great, characters I can relate to, memorable one liners and top 3 of Ramsey's performances (the Louis Armstrong line had another 'I couldn't stop laughing ' moments for me.) I miss her.
Anne Ramsey is the highlight of the film, while Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito both seem to be coasting.
"You kill mine, and I'll kill yours."Billy Crystal does a little bit more than his usual line of characters, and Danny De Vito is always great (a very underrated actor and filmmaker who, in my opinion, has a better understanding of cinema than most of the big shots in studios).
Inspired by the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock thriller 'Strangers on a Train', Danny DeVito's 'Throw Momma From The Train' is one of the finest Dark Comedies to have hit Hollywood ever.
This movie is a pretty good film starring Danny DeVito, and Billy Crystal(probubly the funniest he has ever been).
Billy Crystal and Danny Devito aren't having fun, you can tell that.**SPOLIERS**I just want to state that Momma dies, and I'm pretty sure when they kill her, it's behind the scenes footage.This review is for one purpose, stating that because a movie is dark, in no way means it funny.VERDICT: ** of **** Not recommended.
Danny DeVito took a turn directing this dark comedy, and also plays Owen, a put-upon middle-aged man dominated by his overbearing momma(played indelibly by Anne Ramsey) who attends the writing class of Larry(played by Billy Crystal) a frustrated writer with a horrid ex-wife who stole his novel and got rich as a result.
This was a great comedy by two terrific comedic actors, Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito.
Billy Crystal is very good here as the pained author who is decimated to teaching a writing class (a class that also provides some of the funniest moments of the film).It's hard to categorize a movie like "Throw Momma From the Train".
Crystal is Larry, a novelist whose pompous wife stole his manuscript, and Devito is Owen, a poor guy who gets picked on by his Frankenstein for a mother, played by Anne Ramsey, who has the best performance in the whole flick.
Teaming up Billy Crystal with Danny Devito and Anne Ramsey for this film was a stroke of genius.
Does not go overboard with homage after to Hitchcock - Owen (Danny DeVito) was lucky he had "Strangers on A Train" playing at the local cinema, so the movie flat out tells you that that was the inspiration.
His teacher, Billy Crystal, is going through some serious writers block of his own and his wife has stolen his book and made it her own success, which also has him frustrated a great deal.Best parts are the book proposal by Mr. Pinsky ("One Hundred Girls I'd Like to Pork") and all scenes with Anne Ramsey, who is so horrible that even Mother Theresa would have wanted to kill her, too!.
But Anne Ramsey steals the show as the fiercesome, yet fragile mother of Owen.Overall it's funny, but in a dark way rather than a straight spoof  if you like the humour associated with Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner then this'll be right up your street..
Now that I'm in my mid 20's it makes a lot more sense.I think the reason I like this movie so much is that the comedy duo of Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito make for some interesting comedy, both slapstick (the frying pan and car scenes) and verbal (the arguments/conversations over murder and writing).The story revolves around Larry Donner(Crystal), a struggling writer who has his masterpiece stolen from him by his wife Margaret (played by a surprisingly radiant Kate Mulgrew, aka Capt.
Crystal is good as the stressy and later panicky writer talking to himself and trying to get out of his situations, DeVito is also good as the timid student who gets the wrong end of the stick and has dark thoughts but is a nice guy, and Ramsey does almost steal the show as the monstrously nasty Momma, it is both a funny and a dark film that has an interesting murder mystery concept, but it is also a fitting joke filled tribute to the Master of Suspense, a great black comedy.
Throw Momma From The Train is an earlier attempt from director Danny DeVito, and it's really not bad, if you like your dark comedies.
Billy Crystal played the part of Larry very well, and Anne Ramsey plays the familiar role as Owens mom.
A lighter reworking of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classic, Strangers on a Train, Throw Momma from the Train with Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito is a black comedy that's all fun and entertaining though terribly morbid.
Owen thinks about this and goes to see how Hitchcock did it by watching 'Strangers on a Train' then it comes to him; Larry wasn't talking about stories he was talking about getting away with murder; they would swap murders so each would kill somebody they had no motivation to kill, just like in the film!
To make matters worse Owen now expects Larry to kill his mother!While this isn't a classic comedy it has plenty of laughs which isn't a surprise when it stars Billy Crystal and Danny DiVito in the leading roles.
The movie is a very loose remake of Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, though comedy takes center stage instead of suspense.Danny DeVito lives with his mother--who is the vilest and most annoying lady on the planet, played by Anne Ramsey.