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

Brightlyme i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

mikerosslaw That's right - that two actors in pic are both named George Wallace in real life - is the most interesting thing about this noisy, inept attempt at showcasing the fetid,dark world of standup comedy. Sally Fields and Tom Hanks both die as standup comics (despite the coached laughter from the extras in their audiences). A big deal is made about how they spent a few days with real standup comics, ignoring the fact that real "road comedians" spend literally years in the worst bars on Earth, just to get the chance for that one big break. How arrogant for Fileds and Hanks to think they could convey the pathos that every comedian lives with such a perfunctory preparation.No one in pic is sympathetic, likable, or even remotely interesting. John Goodman plays the cookie-cutter bully husband to wannabe Field's whiny, unappealing wife. Hanks is simply as loathsome as a case of the shingles. Playing against type, is so obnoxiously narcissistic, he makes you want to run him over with your car.The two actors actually named George Wallace in pic play Dr. Wishniak and the dude with his arm in a cast. That's right; two. Same name. The very same. The first is a veteran character actor from the '50s and '60s, the second, is actually a very good standup comedian who - you guessed it - doesn't get to do any standup in pic.A very reluctant three stars, mostly for George Wallace's (the good Dr. Wishniak) merciless excoriation of Hanks as a flunking medical student in the opening scenes (you'll cheer for what happens to Hanks).

Sean Lamberger A moderately hard-edged drama about the private and public lives of comedians, with a special emphasis on the desperate lengths they'll go to for a laugh, or to get an edge on the competition. Sally Field is the focal figure, a mousey housewife who feels destined for greatness but can't locate her own voice, while Tom Hanks plays a big supporting role as a natural performer who's an irresponsible, selfish a-hole behind the scenes. It's an uneven picture that doesn't really click for a number of different reasons. Primary among them is this unspoken sense that a movie about comedians should be funny. Though the on-stage segments are indeed quite flat, big punchlines (if you'll forgive the pun) aren't really the point of this story. Less forgivable is the awkward, cloudy relationship between Hanks and Field that dominates the plot, and the constant shifts in tone from one scene to the next. I never got a real handle on where the film was going, what it wanted to be or to say. That writing jokes is hard, I guess? Sometimes the happiest guy in the spotlight is actually a poisonous, miserable bastard? A complicated, tentative take that's puzzling in its lack of a firm identity.

gcd70 For a film about getting laughs, this Sally Field, Tom Hanks vehicle gets too few. The film is essentially a drama about stand up comedy, it must be said. Family drama, social drama and relationship drama are all covered, yet in its attempt to roll you in the aisles, "Punchline" lacks exactly that….the killer instinct.With its failure to focus on a single issue, "Punchline" loses power. Coupled with Tom Hanks terribly unfunny routines, and you have a floundering feature. The two actors do reasonably well I must admit, putting two solid performances together. Sally Field's housewife come comedienne even manages to grab a laugh. None of these positives can manage to rescue "Punchline" from the mediocre though.John Goodman is most enjoyable in his support role.Sunday, November 15, 1998 - Video

gwc-7 I didn't fully appreciate Tom Hanks' brilliance and power as an actor until seeing him in Punchline. He brings tremendous depth and pathos to the role of a gifted aspiring comic suffering from performance anxiety who is seeking to break in to the national limelight.Sally Fields' character as a cohort comedian plays off Hanks beautifully, as she competes for the spotlight while desperately trying to balance her passion for comedy and the irresistible pull of the stage with the demands of homemaking, children, and a less than sympathetic partner.The "punchline" in this movie has nothing to do with the jokes--be they good or bad.