THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN

US, 1987, 88 minutes, Colour.
Danny de Vito, Billy Crystal, Anne Ramsey, Kim Greist, Kate Mulgrew, Branford Marsalis, Rob Reiner.
Directed by Danny de Vito.

Throw Momma From the Train certainly has an arresting title. It stars and was directed by Danny de Vito (Ruthless People, Romancing the Stone, The Tin Men). It co-stars popular comedian Billy Cristal as well as Ann Ramsay as a terrible mother. There is a guest spot by Oprah Winfrey and Rob Reiner as an agent.

The film acknowledged its borrowing from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. It is the situation where murders must be done - and it is proposed that two men do each other's murders. Danny de Vito, a would-be writer with a harridan mother, takes his part seriously. Billy Cristal as a divorced and harassed would-be
writer finds himself mixed up in something that is beyond him.

The fi1m, however, is pleasant and has a happy ever after ending,which means that, in some ways, it has its cake and eats it: thriller tactics, murder, comedy and sentiment. There is a Hitchcock-style score (like those of Bernard Herrmann) by David Newman.

1. A pleasing comedy, thriller?

2. The background of Strangers on a Train, Larry's explanation of the theory: eliminate the motive, the criss-crossing of responsibilities for killing? Owen watching Strangers on a Train in the cinema? The blend of the light and the serious?

3. Larry's world, novelist, divorce, rich wife, Hawaii, writing? The contrast with Owen's world, home, writing? The Hawaiian sequences? The musical score - as from a Hitchcock film?

4. The ideas about murder, mysteries, motives, alibis, writing, fantasy, reality?

5. Larry and writer's block, the amusing collage during the credits? Seeing Margaret on television? Upset, his behaviour with the class, listening to their stories, despising them? The mix-ups with Beth? His not doing things? Teaching, listening to the woman writer and her story about submarines? Not reading Owen's story? Bewildered at home, the opening, 'The night was ...'? The meeting with Beth, the abuse of Margaret, his class hearing this (and later using it for the police)? Owen following him, with Beth in the train? His talk with Owen and their discussion about Hitchcock?

6. The contrast with Owen: typing, at home, his mother's demands, imagining poisoning her, the scissors through her ears? Class, wanting his story to be read? Larry saying it was terrible (having only two characters, one of whom was killed)? Following Owen, at the train with Beth? The motives?

7. Owen going to Hawaii, entering Margaret's house, the gardener and the sex, the telephone call, onto the boat, pushing her overboard, the humorous collage of phone calls, meeting Larry, driving the car and crashing through the trees?

8. Larry and his exasperation with Margaret, her wealth, going to his agent and being let loose, drinking on the beach, the flat battery, the phone calls from Owen, borrowing his friend's car, driving recklessly, the frantic visit to Beth, the crash?

9. At Owen's home, the discussion about the murder, meeting Momma and being hit on the head with the frying pan, the ice, looking at Owen's coin collection - and the memories of his father, the possible ways of killing Momma: as a burglar, the doorway to the stairs (and his falling down)?

10. The police, the interview with Larry's friend, with Beth, her giving away the information? The arrival at the house, interrogating owen, Momma's arrival? Larry hiding in the pantry and Owen enticing the policeman to go there for tea and sugar?

11. Momma and:her attacking Larry, hearing the news on the television, trying to phone? Their being on the train, chasing Momma through the train, the Bingo carriage, saving her from falling?

12. Margaret, the divorce, taking her husband's novel, talk show, the wealth, the earrings, sex with the gardener on the boat? The irony of her being saved and doing a film deal? Larry in hospital and his exasperation watching Margaret? The complaints of his fellow patient?

13. The characters in the class, his sex coffee table book, his eye on Beth? The woman with her submarine novel?

14. Larry finally getting his novel started, Owen arriving and his being throttled, the irony of Owen's picture book? The happy ending -between hate and love?

15. The film and its references to other films, amusing for film buffs? Fantasy/reality?