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Movie
Poster for Punchline

Punchline

1988 · 123 min

A bittersweet, character-driven look at the comedy world that balances laughs with the quiet desperation of its performers.

Directed by
David Seltzer
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Tagline
Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.
Overview
Lilah Krytsick is a mother and housewife who's always believed she could be a stand-up comedian. Steven Gold is an experienced stand-up seemingly on the cusp of success. When the two meet, they form an unlikely friendship, and Steven tries to help the untried Lilah develop her stage act. Despite the objections of her family and some very wobbly beginnings, Lilah improves, and soon she finds herself competing with Steven for a coveted television spot.

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Directed by
David Seltzer
Genres
Comedy, Drama
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
  • warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • ambition
  • family
  • identity
  • obsession
  • friendship
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence none
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour6
Realism8
Romance3
Tension5
Darkness5
Complexity5
Emotional weight6

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Cast

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Details

Genres
comedy, drama
Directed by
David Seltzer
Written by
David Seltzer
Starring
Sally Field, Tom Hanks, John Goodman, Mark Rydell, Kim Greist, Paul Mazursky, Damon Wayans, Taylor Negron
Music
Charles Gross
Cinematography
Reynaldo Villalobos
Runtime
123 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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