Punchline

Punchline is a 1988 American comedy-drama film written and directed by David Seltzer and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Its story follows Steven Gold, a talented young comic, as he helps housewife Lilah Krytsick who wants to break into stand-up comedy. It stars Sally Field, Tom Hanks, John Goodman and Mark Rydell. The film was produced by Daniel Melnick and Michael I. Rachmil and was released on October 7, 1988. It grossed $21.0 million in the United States and Canada, against a budget of $15 million. It received generally mixed reviews and has a 57% approval rating based on 21 votes on Rotten Tomatoes.