Novelist Larry Donner (Billy Crystal) struggles with writer's block due to his resentment towards his ex-wife Margaret (Kate Mulgrew), who took all the credit for his manuscript and received acclaim for it, while Larry, struggling to make ends meet, takes a job teaching literature at a community college. Owen Lift (Danny DeVito) is a timid, middle-aged man who still lives with his overbearing, harsh and paranoid mother (Anne Ramsey). Owen fantasizes about killing his mother but can't summon the courage to bring his desires to fruition. As a student in Larry's class, Owen is given advice by Larry to view an Alfred Hitchcock film to gain some insight into plot development for his murder stories. He sees Strangers on a Train, in which two strangers conspire to commit a murder for each other, figuring their lack of connection to the victim will, in theory, establish a perfect alibi. Having overheard Larry's public rant that he wished his ex-wife dead, Owen forms a plan to kill Margaret, believing that Larry will, in return, kill his mother.
MPAA Rating: | PG-13 |
Genre: | Comedy, Crime, Thriller |
Country: | United States |
Produced By: | Arne Schmidt, J. Marina Muhlfriedel, Kristine Johnson, Larry Brezner |
Directed By: | Danny DeVito |
Written By: | Stu Silver |
Cast: | William Ray Watson, Danny DeVito, Kate Mulgrew, Bruce Kirby, Oprah Winfrey, J. Alan Thomas, Peter Brocco, Anne Ramsey, Joey DePinto, Annie Ross, Andre Rosey Brown, Kim Greist, Raye Birk, Tony Ciccone, Hettie Lynne Hurtes, Olivia Brown, Larry McCormick, Randall Miller, Rob Reiner, Branford Marsalis, Billy Childs, Stu Silver, Philip Perlman, Billy Crystal |
In Theaters: | Dec 11, 1987 |
Runtime: | 1 hour 28 minutes |
Production: | Orion Pictures, Rollins, Morra & Brezner, Throw Momma |
Budget: | $14,000,000 |
Box Office: | $57,915,972 |
Available On: | Itunes, Vudu |
Read More On: | Wikipedia |