Punchline

Sally Field goes the Roseanne route in Punchline. Field plays a housewife and mother who suddenly develops the urge to be a comedienne. Her comic instincts are on target, but her timing and delivery stinks. Tom Hanks, a stand-up comic with a few years' experience under his belt, offers to teach ...more

Director David Seltzer's 1988 film about the world of stand-up comedy, Punchline is a slice-of-life backstage pass with some Hollywood embellishment. Seltzer employs a good bit of documentary style as he gives us a glimpse at the performers' heartbreakingly competitive world, featuring a slew of real-life luminaries (including Damon Wayans and John Goodman). Tom Hanks shows good emotional range in his role as an irascible hotshot comic, and Sally Field is convincing as a Jersey ...more