Watch Punchline For Free

Truly Dreadful Film

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

good back-story, and good acting

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

"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 ****

This film was made in 1988, that happened to be the best year of my life. Why? I became totally satisfied with all the decisions I made, I loved being a reckless bachelor, and everyone around me seemed to be happy! Nationally speaking, in 1988, we were not at war, our economy was great, and a Republican was in the White House. Invariably, our checks and balances sheet gets bonus points when our economy is booming during a Republican administration. When Democrats are in the White House during a good economy, it is as if their implemented economic plans are a necessary evil. Republican's phraseology during a good economy under their watch is one of "Rugged Individualist Spirit" which basically becomes a euphemistic phrase for "Our policies are a luxury our nation can actually afford". What does this long dissertation have to do with this movie? Mostly the fact that it reflected our cop-aesthetic disposition as a nation during this period in time (1980's). In 1988, the camaraderie everybody shared with each other was due to the fact that they were all happy. The movie "Punchline" evoked a plight of "We are all happy, except!" "Except what?" "Except for the fact that I want to tell jokes" Tom Hanks and Sally Field are an unbeatable combination of acting talent that unearth a bevy of identifiable human frailties. For Sally Field's character, this was the question that she was finally ready to answer now; "You have a happy home and a wonderful family, why is it so important for you to be funny?" The answer,"I must express a part of myself that is me". "Indeed, such a craving is so important to me that it is as addictive as any harmful drug." The fact is, making people laugh is like a gambling addiction, alcoholism, smoking whatever, cocaine, or even investing good money after bad in a go nowhere business venture. Drugs and alcohol are for a kick! Investing money in a failing business venture is for purposes of hoping against hope that you will turn everything around and make huge profits! Telling jokes and being funny are all in the anxious anticipation that you will receive an unprecedented individualistic gratification!! This movie depicts whereby for a lot of people, a huge part of them believes that often times, nothing is more important to them than to make somebody genuinely laugh at something they say which is genuinely funny! When they hit a snag and gravitate to a very lackluster sense of humor, which may be as a result of the fact that they are having a run of bad luck with their witty spontaneity, it begins to drive them crazy. Somehow, just like an addiction to drugs and alcohol, making someone laugh is the most important thing in their lives! When this movie was made, Sally Field was 42 years old, this is an age where you begin to engage in soul searching. When I was 42, I lost my job, subsequently, I have yet to get a real one ever since. Your 40's is when your perspective changes and your priorities become increasingly more flippant and philosophical about the regimented and structured criterion which you have been living by! Now is the time for your middle aged fortitude to focus on attitudinal values which are a little more spiritually rewarding. The fact that this movie did not receive critical acclaim, and was downgraded for it's transparent mediocrity, is no surprise to me! This is seemingly appropriate that the academy would not recognize the lethal emphasis on how rewarding the penchant for making people laugh really is to many alternative individuals! So critics not liking this movie too much did not mean that they were wrong! In fact, it almost went in sync with the fact that any rational person cannot fathom that the intensely obsessive urge is to make someone laugh can almost be categorized as a debilitating disease! It can be though, believe me! Tom Hanks is fantastic in this movie, that "Singin in the Rain" score he performs is tremendously authentic!! Here is the gist of this movie from my angle, your average comedian is just a tad unusual, for that matter, so is owning a yacht!! The most appropriate assessment of this film, I liked it, and that is all that matters, or let me put it another way, IT WAS FUNNY!! That's everything, remember! Think of it this way; What can I get you to make you and addict? Crack? Crystal Meth? 100 proof whiskey? Laughter?!!

One of the best and also most overlooked films of Tom Hanks'career was the 1988 comedy PUNCHLINE, in which Hanks plays Steven Gold, a struggling stand up comedian who uses his comedy to work out his own inner demons, a lot of which stem from his childhood and his twisted and unresolved relationship with his father. Hanks walks the fine line of comedy and tragedy so effectively in this movie. One scene where he is excited to perform because a big agent is in the audience and is shattered when he learns it's really his father out there and he literally has a breakdown onstage is absolutely heartbreaking. He is also laugh out loud funny when he performs a stand up routine for a group of patients at a Brooklyn hospital and then two minutes later is looking at the chart of a terminally ill child. Steven Gold is a character so desperate to be loved that he thinks himself into believing that he is in love with a married woman (Sally Field) who also wants to do stand-up. Another great scene is when he pours his heart out to her and when she rejects him, he storms out in the rain and starts out doing Gene Kelly, but the dance in the rain turns into a brief descent into madness. Standup comics, for the most part, are not happy people, and Hanks conveys this so beautifully in this film. His final set at the film's climax reeks of his brilliance and he gets strong support from Field and John Goodman as Field's husband. If you somehow missed this early sleeper in Hanks' career, check it out.. definitely worth renting and repeated viewings.

**1/2This is a decent comedy-drama that has some very good moments. Unfortunately it has some bad moments, too. It does do a good job of avoiding cliches, though. The main reason to watch this film is for the oscar caliber performance of Tom Hanks.