Throw Momma from the Train Parent Guide

Working as a creative writing teacher in a local community college as he struggles to write a novel, Larry Donner (Billy Crystal) realizes that he has a bad case of writer’s block. Ever since when his (now ex-) wife, Margaret (Kate Mulgrew) stole the book he had been working on and published it under her own name, Larry has become increasingly unhinged. Owen Lift (Danny DeVito), one of Larry’s middle-aged students, has his own problems. Owen lives at home with his deranged and overbearing mother (Anne Ramsey), and he fantasizes about killing her. When he hears Larry screaming about his ex-wife, wishing her dead, Owen concocts a plan- to swap murders. If Owen deals with Margaret, and Larry kills his mother, they can each establish an alibi, and without an obvious motive, the police will never catch on…right?

Despite that dark and murderous premise, this is a comedy - and a goofy one at that. A lot of the jokes are slapstick gags, or situationally awkward moments. What this means is that you don’t have to be paying that much attention to have a good time: skipping the odd bit of dialogue here or there isn’t going to ruin your experience, although you would be missing out on Billy Crystal’s hysterical deadpan delivery. Anne Ramsey is the real highlight of the movie. Her unhinged, demanding, and abrasive performance provides the perfect motivation for murder, and the antics that ensue.

This is only the second film directed by Danny DeVito (the first being Matilda), and it shows. I’m not knocking the movie, which is a classic, but it is a little rough around the edges. Some of the jokes are a little too obvious to be properly funny, and the movie as a whole just feels a little childlike. It isn’t, especially because of the subject matter, but that disconnect is a shame, as without it the film could have been even funnier.

By the standards of a modern comedy, Throw Momma from the Train is almost completely innocuous. The language and sexual content are both infrequent and (usually) mild, and the violence is all goofy and played for laughs. Depending on the individual, this is broadly suitable for teenagers and young adults blessed (or cursed) with a dark sense of humor. With its standout performances, over-the-top slapstick, and macabre premise, Throw Momma from the Train has long been a favorite in my family. No, not because we’re all plotting murder (that’s just me), but because it’s such a good time.