Throw Momma from the Train (1987)

60% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(39,459 ratings)

The "exchange murders" plot gambit, played with utter solemnity in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, is used as the launching pad for raucous laughter in Throw Momma From the Train. Director/star Danny DeVito plays Owen Lift, a middle-aged bachelor, totally dominated by his gorgon mother, played… More The "exchange murders" plot gambit, played with utter solemnity in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, is used as the launching pad for raucous laughter in Throw Momma From the Train. Director/star Danny DeVito plays Owen Lift, a middle-aged bachelor, totally dominated by his gorgon mother, played with hilarious ferocity by Anne Ramsey. Billy Crystal co-stars as Larry Donner, a creative-writing professor, saddled with a vituperative, thoroughly despicable ex-wife, Margaret (Kate Mulgrew). Signing up for Larry's writing course, Owen has trouble at first with character development and construction in his stories. Larry recommends that Owen watch a screening of Strangers on a Train, which he considered a model of tight, concise storytelling. Owen is so entranced by the film that he decides to emulate Strangers star Robert Walker. That is, Owen wants Larry to bump off his mother, in exchange for Owen's murder of Margaret. Without being asked, Owen does away with Margaret (or so it seems), then hounds Larry to the point of killing "Momma." This being a comedy, the actual consequences of the swap-murder plot aren't nearly as calamitous as in the Hitchcock film. Cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld would apply the "black humor" lessons learned in Throw Momma From the Train for his own directorial debut, The Addams Family (1991). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Danny DeVito
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 11, 1987 Wide
On DVD: May 8, 2001

Critic Reviews

Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
darkly hilarious
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
Funny film that sort of play-acts being a black comedy
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
This black comedy careens all over the place to squeeze laughs out of matricide, jealousy, and the ego trip of writers. Most of the time, the humor is strained
Kevin A. Ranson, MovieCrypt.com
Sultry.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
A rather sweet little comedy masquerading as a black comedy.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Spencer S

This isn't funny. I didn't want you to keep those hopes so high like mine were when I started watching this. Comedy films coming out around this time included Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, City Slickers, and Ghostbusters, films with dopey leads, hard hearted eccentrics,… More
This isn't funny. I didn't want you to keep those hopes so high like mine were when I started watching this. Comedy films coming out around this time included Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, City Slickers, and Ghostbusters, films with dopey leads, hard hearted eccentrics, and lovelorn women. Many people like to lump this send off to Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, with the rest of these gems. Based on reviews from this site, my love of anything Danny DeVito or Billy Crystal, and an admiration of zany hard knocks, I truly wanted to see this flick. Not only that but it seemed like a reinterpretation of Hitchcock's thriller, and to have anyone telling me to go see a re-telling and that it's hilarious to boot, I am onboard. Why does this movie not work? It's crazed. It's supposedly black comedy, but I think you have to have people laugh in order to crush yourself into that genre. The fact that they're both writers adds nothing, Danny DeVitoâ(TM)s role is supposed to stupidly endearing but is just a rip-off of Lenny from Of Mice and Men, and Crystal himself doesn't exhibit his superior, odd, and loudly obnoxious persona that made him famous in When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers. No, here he is an incoherent mess with one frame of mind: to kill his ex-wife who has stolen his book and become a wild success. That would have been fine, had they not pounded it to death. I seriously don't know how this haphazard script came to be, though I know it all got made because Danny DeVito directed it. Here his direction doesn't help anything, and we're left with characters who are neither affable nor realistic, and a plot that ambles wherever it so pleases. The ending, or should I say last ten minutes, is the only section that even features the aforementioned train. The mother, Anne Ramsey who made her mark as Mrs. Fratelli in The Goonies, never speaks any audible dialogue other than a rasp here and there and always there is yelling. She's not scary or annoying here, just simply blah, neither slightly mean tempered nor spitefully evil. She is a nothing character, just like everybody else in this disjointed wretch. The villains don't get punished, no one learns any lessons, and somehow Crystal gets out of his writer's block. Is that because he let go of his hate? Because he was still pretty mean to DeVito at the end of the film. It's just so painful and dull. Watch for the actors and nostalgia and that is all.
moon r

A little comedic fun riffing off of Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" premise.
AJ V

I loved this dark comedy! The cast is brilliant, and although the story sort of borrows from Strangers on a Train, and it even admits to doing so, it's really hilarious, and I highly recommend seeing this movie, it's a lot of fun.
Lady D

A much better film than I remember this to be, based loosely on Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, Danny Devito and Billy Crystall make for a great comedy pairing in this films, making an entertaining watch.
Jens S

Hilarious black humor comedy about a murder pact. DeVito and Crystal work great together and the story offers many Hitchcock quotes and a pretty exciting and funny storyline. The winner of the film has to be Anne Ramsey who created a truly unique and terrifying old hag with her… More
Hilarious black humor comedy about a murder pact. DeVito and Crystal work great together and the story offers many Hitchcock quotes and a pretty exciting and funny storyline. The winner of the film has to be Anne Ramsey who created a truly unique and terrifying old hag with her character. Much like Crystal's character you're constantly torn between wanting to kill her and remembering your own moral values. Great fun!
Wahida K

Owen asked his friend, Larry, for a small favor... to Throw Momma from the Train!
Tim S

Pretty funny.
Anthony L

Apart from a couple of great lines, it?s not a great comedy
Film C

This movie is fairly amusing and entertaining but i also found it weird and just a littlebit crazy with danny devito playing a character that you swear is a psychopath but isnt!! It does keep you laughing the storyline and plot are much to b desired though although ok it could have… More
This movie is fairly amusing and entertaining but i also found it weird and just a littlebit crazy with danny devito playing a character that you swear is a psychopath but isnt!! It does keep you laughing the storyline and plot are much to b desired though although ok it could have been better! Billy crystal plays a writer who is engrosed in his wife with a large amount of hate towards her because she stole his book and now he has writers block, soon oscar (dannydevito) starts harrassing and comes up with an idea o crisscrossing so he'll kill billy crystals wife if billy kills his momma, then this takes on a funride of weird funny scenes! worth a watch? yes but not neccsessarly go out of your way to watch it!
Jani H

This movie has a geniously simple plot and it totally works. The chemistry between DeVito and Crystal is good and Anne Ramsey... Goddamn, she steals the show totally! Gotta be one of the most loved characters you wanna hate but you simply can't! A dark comedy with some slapstick… More
This movie has a geniously simple plot and it totally works. The chemistry between DeVito and Crystal is good and Anne Ramsey... Goddamn, she steals the show totally! Gotta be one of the most loved characters you wanna hate but you simply can't! A dark comedy with some slapstick elements. The dialogue is very funny and the timing is something that will leave you laughing out loud. Enjoyed it a lot!
Lafe F

An overplayed black comedy. Momma is sure ugly, but so is the idea of wanting to kill her. I just never got into this movie, even though I tried watching it enough times.
xGary X

A few quality laughs from a black comedy inspired by Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train. Anne Ramsey is hilariously monstrous as Devito's momma!
Tim B

This one manages to tell a chilling story in a touching way.
Stuart B

I loved this film when i was a kid. Watched it again last year and although its aged it is still a very fun movie.
Lanning :

The coin collection scene alone makes this movie unforgettable. I'm not a cry-at-the-movies person. That scene still makes me tear up. Flixsters, this movie is loaded with scenes you will never forget. So what? Have I used "forget" and variants of the word… More
The coin collection scene alone makes this movie unforgettable. I'm not a cry-at-the-movies person. That scene still makes me tear up. Flixsters, this movie is loaded with scenes you will never forget. So what? Have I used "forget" and variants of the word "forget" enough? And speaking of forgetting, don't forget: a writer writes, always :)
Deb S

Billy Crystal is Larry, a novelist whose pompous wife stole his manuscript, and Danny Devito is Owen, a poor guy who gets picked on by "the Mother from Hell," a vile and most annoying woman. After Owen watches an Alfred Hitchcock movie where the prospective assailants decide… More
Billy Crystal is Larry, a novelist whose pompous wife stole his manuscript, and Danny Devito is Owen, a poor guy who gets picked on by "the Mother from Hell," a vile and most annoying woman. After Owen watches an Alfred Hitchcock movie where the prospective assailants decide to "criss-cross," thereby extinguishing any evidence of motives in their murders, he ponders whether to do the same thing with Larry. Larry does, of course, refuse, but later, a desire for revenge makes him say yes. And so as things play out we see what happens when you try to throw someone's momma from a moving train. A hilariously funny yet tragic comedy that all boils down to a matter of taste.
Leo L

Absolutely hilarious!! Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal are phenomenal.
Marion R

It was funny-ish, I wish that it would have been a more darker film.
Audrey L

Well,the travel arrangements have been made,and my mom is coming to visit my husband and I for 3 months-arrrgghhh!!! Love the old girl,72 and just like the energizer bunny.She will arrive on May 9th and I'm guessin' by May 13th that annoying facial tic will emerge and not go… More
Well,the travel arrangements have been made,and my mom is coming to visit my husband and I for 3 months-arrrgghhh!!! Love the old girl,72 and just like the energizer bunny.She will arrive on May 9th and I'm guessin' by May 13th that annoying facial tic will emerge and not go away until August 9th when we tuck her in on Air Canada for her journey back to Newfoundland.Is'nt it wonderfully schizophrenic,these ties that bind,and strangle and tear into your neck like a Colombian necktie? We have a whole new refurbished room ready,with new furniture, a comfy new bed and a lock that works from the outside.The latter will be the biggest surprise of all! My husband will be quite pleased for 3 months,as she's a real take care of your man woman,who always takes his side...Anyway,I digress.I will need the help and support of my friends to get through the next quarter of a year.I'll have to play bingo-LOTS -that's the horror,the horror that is the icing on my mad cake.BINGO folks-do you realize what sacrafice that entails? I have'nt seen my mommy since 2005,when she came for Christmas and reorganized my cupboads to the point where I'm still looking for stuff. When she's here though,she's up with the birds and just loves to hand me my coffee before both eyes have opened-I just love her so much!!!! All prayers,incantations,meditations and lamentations are welcome at this most wonderful,yet horrifying time.
Lee K

meh.....