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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1980s
    Movies - 1980s Movies - T 2 Mins Read

    Throw Momma From The Train (1987)

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    The first of Danny DeVito’s occasional dalliances as a director is a deft, playful riff on Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951).

    When embittered writing teacher Larry (Billy Crystal) suggests that his inept student Owen (DeVito) becomes au fait with the Master of Suspense, Owen misinterprets this as a coded signal of murderous intent.

    Taking it upon himself to dispense with Larry’s poisonous ex-wife (Kate Mulgrew), Owen reports back expecting assistance in his quest to free himself from the oppressive clutches of his grotesquely nasty ‘Momma’ (Anne Ramsey).

    This slick black comedy plays to the greatest strengths of its fine cast. Crystal is on top form as the tightly-wound, neurotic Larry, while DeVito turns in an enjoyably self-deprecating performance as a downtrodden mummy’s boy at breaking point.

    throwmommafromthetrain1988

    But it is the Oscar-nominated Ramsey who steals the show, in what would be the last major role of her career – she died in 1988 aged just 58.

    The delight she takes in tormenting her son lends the comedy an enjoyably cruel edge and her creatively profane insults are a consistent source of amusement.

    Owen Lift
    Danny DeVito
    Larry Donner
    Billy Crystal
    Beth
    Kim Greist
    Momma
    Anne Ramsey
    Margaret
    Kate Mulgrew
    Lester
    Branford Marsalis
    Joel
    Rob Reiner
    Detective DeBenedetto
    Bruce Kirby
    Mrs. Hazeltine
    Annie Ross
    Pinsky
    Raye Birk
    Oprah Winfrey
    Herself
    Ms. Gladstone
    Olivia Brown
    Mr. Perlman
    Philip Perlman
    Ramon
    Stu Silver
    Millington
    J. Alan Thomas
    Bucky
    Randall Miller
    Rosey André
    Rosey Brown
    Mr. Lopez
    Tony Ciccone

    Director
    Danny DeVito

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