5.9 Score

1987 • 1h 28min • PG-13 • Thriller, Comedy, Crime

Throw Momma from the Train

"Owen asked his friend Larry for a small favor."

Larry Donner, an author with a cruel ex-wife, teaches a writing workshop in which one of his students, Owen, is fed up with his domineering mother. When Owen watches a Hitchcock classic that seems to mirror his own life, he decides to put the movie's plot into action and offers to kill Larry's ex-wife, if Larry promises to murder his mom. Before Larry gets a chance to react to the plan, it seems that Owen has already set things in motion.

IMDb 6.3

RT 64%

MC 56

Director

Danny DeVito

Composer

David Newman

Top Cast

Danny DeVito

Owen Lift

Billy Crystal

Larry Donner

Kim Greist

Beth Ryan

Anne Ramsey

Mrs. Lift

Kate Mulgrew

Margaret Donner

Branford Marsalis

Lester

Rob Reiner

Joel

Bruce Kirby

Detective DeBenedetto

You earned + karma for this .

That's your 1st review. Keep going. You've reviewed movies. Keep going.

Reviewed • Remove from watchlist?

Overall feeling?

This just sets the vibe. You can still be picky later.

Changing your tone will clear your emotion picks. Continue?

How did it make you feel?

Pick your strongest feelings.

selected

Starter Pack

Unease & Intensity

Fun & Playfulness

Energy & Adrenaline

Warmth & Comfort

Emotional Weight

Reflection & Thought

Optional — you can skip this step

You've got the vibe. Now add the details.

Tag the best & worst performances — so readers know who carries the film.

⭐ best / • 💀 worst / • 🎭 character /

Tag standouts, scene-stealers, and weak links.

Danny DeVito Owen Lift

Billy Crystal Larry Donner

Kim Greist Beth Ryan

Anne Ramsey Mrs. Lift

Kate Mulgrew Margaret Donner

Branford Marsalis Lester

Rob Reiner Joel

Bruce Kirby Detective DeBenedett...

Joey DePinto Sergeant

Annie Ross Mrs. Hazeltine

Raye Birk Pinsky

Oprah Winfrey Herself

Olivia Brown Ms. Gladstone

Philip Perlman Mr. Perlman

Stu Silver Ramon

J. Alan Thomas Millington

Optional — you can skip this step

That's the surface. Want to go deeper?

Break down what worked in the story — your take becomes the one people reference.

Optional — you can skip this step

Unlock the full breakdown — the good stuff.

Rate the cinematography and direction — help others decide if it's worth the big screen.

Optional — you can skip this step

You survived the basics. Ready for the full mix?

Score the soundtrack and sound design — the stuff most reviewers skip.

Optional — you can skip this step

Review Summary

Score

Review type

You haven't selected anything yet.

Go back to pick a tone or some emotions.

Feeling

Verdicts

Acting

Details hidden from readers

Plot

Details hidden from readers

Visuals

Details hidden from readers

Sound

Details hidden from readers

Cast

You've hit the limit for guest reviews

Create a free account to keep reviewing and make your voice count.

Your review is ready - without an account it's the basic version.

You're not signed in

Without an account, your review won't include detailed breakdowns, cast picks, or genre tags. Readers will see a stripped-down version.

Guest reviews don't appear in ratings or top reviews.

Almost there - verify your email first.

Check your inbox for the verification link

Your review is saved and ready to go. Once you verify your email, you can publish it right away.

No reviews yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this film. Your structured review helps the community discover what makes it worth watching.

What you'll rate

Overall Tone Emotions Acting Plot Visuals Sound

If you liked this

8.4

Adaptation.

2002 • Comedy

5.2

Death to Smoochy

2002 • Thriller

7.7

Matilda

1996 • Comedy

5.6

Antichrist

2009 • Horror

7.2

Nocturnal Animals

2016 • Thriller

8.7

Hannah and Her Sisters

1986 • Comedy

4.8

Skin Deep

1989 • Comedy

7.5

Joker

2019 • Thriller

Movies

People

Movies

People

Throw Momma from the Train