Punchline (film)
| Punchline | |
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Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | David Seltzer |
| Produced by |
Daniel Melnick Michael I. Rachmil |
| Written by | David Seltzer |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Gary Anderson Charles Gross |
| Cinematography | Reynaldo Villalobos |
| Edited by | Bruce Green |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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122 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15,000,000 |
| Box office | $21,042,667 |
Punchline is a 1988 American comedy film written and directed by David Seltzer and starring Tom Hanks as a talented young comic who helps a housewife, played by Sally Field, who wants to break into stand-up comedy.
Steven Gold (Hanks) is a struggling medical student who moonlights as a stand-up comedian. It quickly becomes evident that he is lousy at the former and excels at the latter. And yet, when he is given a chance at the big time, he cracks under the pressure. Lilah (Field) is a dedicated housewife who yearns to be a comic. She has the raw talent but does not have the command of craft that Steven possesses.
At first, he doesn't give Lilah the time of day. Steven is derailed by the unexpected appearance of his father and brother, both medical professionals. Lilah's unfailing support wins Steven's affections and he teaches her the fundamentals of stand-up comedy. Lilah has spent her cookie jar money to buy jokes. Steven advises her to connect with the audience to unveil the honest humor in her life as a wife and mother. Lilah discovers her natural gift of making people laugh. An uneasy friendship develops between the two as they share the personal conflicts they must resolve: Steven's desire to make it big vs. his inability to do so and Lilah's love of comedy vs. her love for her family.
Steven, beginning to appear emotionally unstable, develops a romantic attraction to Lilah - to her dismay. Lilah struggles to remain loyal to her family and her friend, while maintaining her conviction and love of comedy. Steven mimes a painful rendition of Gene Kelly's famous dance routine from Singin' in the Rain.
The film culminates in a competition at the "Gas Station" comedy club where Steven, Lilah and other aspiring comedians have been performing. A judges panel of television executives promise the winner a prime time opportunity and possible stardom. As they compete on stage, the characters also grapple with conflicts among their desires for success on stage, their loyalties to one another, and the expectations of their families. Pending the judges' final tally, with a note of support from her husband in her hand, and hearing Steven has only two of the five judges' votes, Lilah withdraws "in case the winner is me" and persists in leaving when the club owner reveals she was in fact the winner. She leaves with her husband who, after watching his wife do stand-up for the first time, is won over and begins suggesting ideas for her next set. The pair walk away arm in arm reminiscing about the funny and endearing sayings of their children. Inside, Steven is declared the winner of the show, which reflects Lilah's judgment and that of their competing fellow comics.
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