Throw Momma from the Train 4K 1987 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

It turns out that even such different people can have something in common. The unifying theme is the desire to get rid of a loved one—and to do so in the most effective way possible. One wants to kill his ex-wife, who still manages to make his life a living hell; the other dreams of a free, joyful life that is doomed to remain a fantasy because of his overbearing, domineering mother, who continues to nag her son, paying no heed to the fact that he is no longer a young man. It seems to them that in such a situation, the best way to avoid punishment is to swap murders...

Review 4K Movie

When I was a kid, I really loved Danny DeVito’s comedies and must have watched them over twenty times until the VHS tapes stopped playing, but as an adult, I somehow never got around to watching movies starring that funny, chubby guy. And I know that his movies are good and most likely won’t disappoint me, but sometimes one movie gets recommended to me, then another, or I get hit with nostalgia for old-school action heroes, so I end up putting off watching movies with this actor for later. But then a miracle happened: a beautiful sunny day, good company, and—not least—a DeVito movie that had passed me by back in the day. As a rule, this many positives usually meant the movie turned out to be a total flop that I’d want to forget like a bad dream, but luckily everything turned out fine, and the movie wasn’t just good—it was excellent. So, this is *Throw Mom Off the Train*.

The plot follows two men who are no longer young, each of whom is a writer of sorts, and both are going through a creative crisis. But this crisis of ideas isn’t caused by the muse deciding to pack her bags and head off to Hawaii, but by certain people who have turned the protagonists’ lives into a living hell. In Larry’s case, the problem is his ex-wife Beth, who not only constantly berates her husband but also stole his book and passed it off as her own work. And naturally, Larry is furious and wants his dear little wife to go to the other world, making sure she suffers as much as possible along the way. In Owen’s case, the stumbling block is his deeply hated mother, who doesn’t give the hero a moment’s peace. And the characters would have just been stewing in their own juices if Owen hadn’t gone to the movie theater to see a Hitchcock film and had a brilliant idea pop into his head—if he can’t kill his mother, he’ll kill Beth, and Larry, in turn, will kill his mom. Brilliant! But Owen didn’t take one thing into account—telling Larry!

So, here we have a black comedy with a criminal twist. And what’s the most important thing in movies like this? That’s right, the characters. And we’ll talk about them below.

The talented and versatile actor Bill Crystal landed the role of the main character, the failed writer Larry.
But Larry isn’t the kind of loser you see, say, in movies based on Stephen King’s novels—a drunk and a wisecracker—but a normal writer who’s hit a rough patch and can’t focus on writing his book because his thoughts are wandering in a completely different direction. And then there’s that jerk from the writing workshop who’s constantly calling Larry and making his life a living hell. It’s not just that you can’t focus—you’ll go gray before your time. Old man Crystal didn’t just play the writer well; he became the character. One moment he plays a calm and composed man, but the moment someone mentions his wife, Larry immediately flies off the handle and hurls curses at Beth, wishing her a speedy death. Or when Crystal’s character paces around the apartment in a desperate attempt to find inspiration. Trying to find the right word that will serve as a starting point for his creativity. And when he can’t find that word, he gets distracted by all sorts of trivial things—whether it’s the tape that Larry finds a very extravagant use for, or the TV that isn’t showing anything, but the protagonist tries to convince himself that he’s busy with something and puts off his creative work for later. And actually, for me—as I think for many people involved in creative work in one way or another—both the protagonist and his problems feel very relatable.

The equally talented actor Danny DeVito takes on a rather unconventional role—though what else would you expect from this actor? So, DeVito plays a middle-aged man named Owen, who only appears to be an adult; in reality, he is a child. A child who holds onto his own views on life, not those accepted by adult society. He doesn’t understand why his stories are bad—after all, there’s a thriller element, meaning one guy kills another. So what if there are only two characters in the story and no motive? It’s still a story! Owen, for no reason at all, pesters Larry, not even realizing that a person might have a personal life. What personal life? That word doesn’t exist in Owen’s vocabulary. But despite all this, De Vito’s character doesn’t evoke negative emotions, only positive ones. And really, how can you stay mad for long at this charming fat guy who does what he does not out of malice, but because he’s a big kid?

And since we’re on the subject of characters, we can’t fail to mention the source of all the trouble, who even features in the film’s title: Mom, played by Ann Ramsey. This elderly woman was nominated for an Oscar for this role, and not without reason, I’ll tell you. Because an elderly tyrant in a skirt who hates the world, the people who inhabit it, and even her own son is someone you won’t forget anytime soon. She’s constantly demanding something, always dissatisfied with everything, and accuses her own son of wanting to send her to a nursing home. In short, a person with the kindest soul whom you just want to smother with a pillow… Did I really just say that? You didn’t hear that!

To sum up, I’d like to say that even though the audience is presented with a crime comedy with such a suggestive title, the film is neither violent nor gory. It’s an interesting—and most importantly, heartwarming—film that tackles such poignant themes as the relationship between children and their parents, the strength of marital bonds, the depth of love between lovers, as well as friendship and just how far a person is willing to go for it. As for whether the characters will push their mother off the train, you’ll only find out once you’ve watched this wonderful comedy all the way through.