Stupid! Possibly the dumbest script for a full-budget movie in Hollywood history, and the "chemistry" between Tomlin and Travolta is utterly laughable. The direction is as clumsy as you are ever likely to see. Only a pretty lively soundtrack saves it from being my #1 worst movie of all-time. Feeling charitable, I give it 2/10.
75 Reviews
Get out your magnifying glass and you can catch a few glimpses of truth in the screenplay
moonspinner5512 March 2003
Wretched, empty romantic drama gives the word 'shallow' a whole new face. Soon-to-be-divorced Malibu housewife (Lily Tomlin) wanders around Hollywood and the beach, running her fingers through her hair, coddling her mutt and rubbing her forehead; seems a stud like John Travolta is just what she needs, but he's more puppy dog than pouncing lover (annoying, childish, needy, clinging). There's a good line here and there: I liked it when Lily Tomlin says, "I've never had cheap sex...I have to admit I was looking forward to it." But Travolta's character ("Strip"!) is ridiculous and hasn't been thought out; he's just a bleeding heart ex-runaway looking for true love. It feels about as real as a cartoon. *1/2 from ****
Travolta's star fell some after this "Moment"
jrs-82 February 2006
"Moment By Moment" came out at a perfect in the career of John Travolta. Hot off the huge successes of "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" he must have thought he could do no wrong and boy was he ever wrong about that. You don't get much worse then "Moment By Moment" which is a silly love story between an older woman and a young man. A provocative idea you say? Perhaps, but there is nothing provocative about this movie.
Travolta and Lily Tomlin are cast in the leads and we can see right from the start that they have absolutely no chemistry what so ever. That right there would sink any love story. But writer/director Jane Wagner's awful script continues topping (or bottoming) itself with hopeless ideas and ridiculous situations without directly confronting the central issue of the story.
You would think in a movie about an older woman/younger man relationship we might get a reason as to why Travolta (who, get this, plays a beach stud named Strip!)is attracted to older women (particularly someone like Lily Tomlin). How about one small scene where we see him on a date with a girl his own age and he can't relate to her? With that we could understand his desires but here it's just plot device to move things along.
The whole movie runs on empty. Tomlin (who has since come out of the closet and admitted director Wagner is her longtime companion) is hopelessly miscast. She may be older but she sure didn't fit the bill for what a young man looks for in an older woman. They could have put some make-up or seductive clothing on her to try and at least create the illusion of the sexy woman but perhaps Wagner's intent was to show the normal everyday woman. I hate to tell you this Jane but people don't buy it when a normal, everyday woman is seduced by a beach stud named Strip.
"Moment By Moment" has long been forgotten and rightfully so. It's set up is preposterous, dialogue is laughable, and the acting is downright horrible. It's so bad it almost makes "Battlefield Earth" look not so bad. Skip this junk and thank me in the morning.
Travolta and Lily Tomlin are cast in the leads and we can see right from the start that they have absolutely no chemistry what so ever. That right there would sink any love story. But writer/director Jane Wagner's awful script continues topping (or bottoming) itself with hopeless ideas and ridiculous situations without directly confronting the central issue of the story.
You would think in a movie about an older woman/younger man relationship we might get a reason as to why Travolta (who, get this, plays a beach stud named Strip!)is attracted to older women (particularly someone like Lily Tomlin). How about one small scene where we see him on a date with a girl his own age and he can't relate to her? With that we could understand his desires but here it's just plot device to move things along.
The whole movie runs on empty. Tomlin (who has since come out of the closet and admitted director Wagner is her longtime companion) is hopelessly miscast. She may be older but she sure didn't fit the bill for what a young man looks for in an older woman. They could have put some make-up or seductive clothing on her to try and at least create the illusion of the sexy woman but perhaps Wagner's intent was to show the normal everyday woman. I hate to tell you this Jane but people don't buy it when a normal, everyday woman is seduced by a beach stud named Strip.
"Moment By Moment" has long been forgotten and rightfully so. It's set up is preposterous, dialogue is laughable, and the acting is downright horrible. It's so bad it almost makes "Battlefield Earth" look not so bad. Skip this junk and thank me in the morning.
Oh, the joy!
Kronos-828 April 2003
Though Ms. Tomlin apparently (and with good reason) tried to have this movie buried, it turned up on AMC last week, and oh joy! oh bliss! I was able to tape it to own for all time.
No lover of bad movies can claim such status if you haven't seen this one. It is an absolute DELIGHT from beginning to end, from the cheesy 70s titles displayed while a bored Lily shops Rodeo Drive to a "romantic" score, to the astonishing lack of character development by the lead actors, to John Travolta's reason for running away from home (Mom and Dad forgot his birthday -- two years in a row!) to some of the funniest dialog ever (Lily to John: "Are you a member of the Auto Club?", which line is wittily and meaningfully repeated at the end of the film; and the "tuna" lunch scene). John's character name -- STRIP -- should clue you in on the fun in store -- every time Lily utters it, you find yourself wondering if she's saying his name or issuing a directive. And the hot tub scene is one for the ages.
You'll find yourself wondering if it was all meant as a joke, but when you realize that all these people were apparently dead serious (witness Lily's phone "breakdown" with her ex), you'll want to watch it again and again to savor the wonderful horror of it all.
This movie has EVERYTHING (even two loveable mutts, one with a bandaged foot, and a mob murder subplot that dies quicker than the victim). If you must, scour your TV listings EACH week so that you won't miss the next showing. It will be well worth the wait, I promise.
No lover of bad movies can claim such status if you haven't seen this one. It is an absolute DELIGHT from beginning to end, from the cheesy 70s titles displayed while a bored Lily shops Rodeo Drive to a "romantic" score, to the astonishing lack of character development by the lead actors, to John Travolta's reason for running away from home (Mom and Dad forgot his birthday -- two years in a row!) to some of the funniest dialog ever (Lily to John: "Are you a member of the Auto Club?", which line is wittily and meaningfully repeated at the end of the film; and the "tuna" lunch scene). John's character name -- STRIP -- should clue you in on the fun in store -- every time Lily utters it, you find yourself wondering if she's saying his name or issuing a directive. And the hot tub scene is one for the ages.
You'll find yourself wondering if it was all meant as a joke, but when you realize that all these people were apparently dead serious (witness Lily's phone "breakdown" with her ex), you'll want to watch it again and again to savor the wonderful horror of it all.
This movie has EVERYTHING (even two loveable mutts, one with a bandaged foot, and a mob murder subplot that dies quicker than the victim). If you must, scour your TV listings EACH week so that you won't miss the next showing. It will be well worth the wait, I promise.
"Use in case of accidental poisoning"
redservo10 July 2006
I used to think that I had seen all 'The Bad Classics, but I have been mistaken.
WORST SCRIPT - WORST EDITING - WORST ACTING - UGH.
I'd heard of this film, but never understand the acute severity of CRAP that oozed from every sleazy, polyester pore in the rotten flesh of this movie!
How, by gods, did this pathetic drivel EVER make it to a public theater in 1978, and then, cruelly, at many more on TV, and in HI-DEF, no less? At least the 'hep 70' soundtrack' was in Dolby.
Pay close attention to Ms. Tomlin's laugh while pouring her friend a cocktail. This movie makes me ache for Joel, Crow & Servo.
I watched Waterworld a few nights back, and recalled the jibes by critics, calling it Kevin's Gate, etc. And now, I wonder why this big LOAD wasn't called Tomlin's Titanic.
I can't help flying in to hysterics imagining what the outtakes looked like. More drugs were snorted, shot, popped and smoked in this flick than Easy Rider. The cast party must've been quite the par-tay to
I wanted disparity to find something happy or at least conciliatory. No such luck.
So now I'm off to watch a good film, say, 'Manos, the Hands of Fate". (Even the dog is a better actor).
WORST SCRIPT - WORST EDITING - WORST ACTING - UGH.
I'd heard of this film, but never understand the acute severity of CRAP that oozed from every sleazy, polyester pore in the rotten flesh of this movie!
How, by gods, did this pathetic drivel EVER make it to a public theater in 1978, and then, cruelly, at many more on TV, and in HI-DEF, no less? At least the 'hep 70' soundtrack' was in Dolby.
Pay close attention to Ms. Tomlin's laugh while pouring her friend a cocktail. This movie makes me ache for Joel, Crow & Servo.
I watched Waterworld a few nights back, and recalled the jibes by critics, calling it Kevin's Gate, etc. And now, I wonder why this big LOAD wasn't called Tomlin's Titanic.
I can't help flying in to hysterics imagining what the outtakes looked like. More drugs were snorted, shot, popped and smoked in this flick than Easy Rider. The cast party must've been quite the par-tay to
I wanted disparity to find something happy or at least conciliatory. No such luck.
So now I'm off to watch a good film, say, 'Manos, the Hands of Fate". (Even the dog is a better actor).
Completely misguided effort
Boyo-216 September 2002
Lily Tomlin is a talented person, there is no denying it. But judging from this pseudo-romance, you'd think she was just a lousy actress.
Travolta has tons of charm, if nothing else, and it seems slightly unfair that he took the hit for how bad this movie is. If he didn't take the hit, he certainly lost some career momentum because of it. Its not his fault that the movie is bad and I think he tried to make something of the pitiful script he was handed.
These two likable actors crash and burn in this dreary story of two bored and boring people. They meet cute in Schwab's Drug Store (thereby bringing a bad name to a place that has come Hollywood history) when he's there to meet his friend, and she's there to get a refill on her Seconal. He follows her down the street since they had met briefly before and he wants to thank her for something ridiculous. Its just a reason to have them (ha, ha) 'conversing', as it were, so don't pay that much attention. She runs to her beach house, which he also tracks her down at. He wants to be friendly and open and she is bottled up and rude. Its just so they can 'overcome' all that, later on.
Eventually, after much more inane dialogue and stupid reasoning for them to have another scene together, they warm up to each other and begin an affair. The movie does not improve and Lily goes from Ice Queen to Simpering Romantic Fool in twenty seconds.
Strip (Travolta) eventually figures out he's being used for sex only and that Trish does not love him. He leaves in a huff and Lily and her friend visit every seedy bar in Southern California looking for him. Ugh, right.
The dialogue is not even funny enough to laugh at, though when Trish asked Strip "Are you a member of the Automobile Club", I howled.
It just seems like a waste. Lily and her partner Jane Wagner were not allowed near anything even remotely dramatic again. Travolta emerged eventually, but this isn't his fault, like I said. He does try but not even Olivier could have made this flimsy material work. 1/10.
Travolta has tons of charm, if nothing else, and it seems slightly unfair that he took the hit for how bad this movie is. If he didn't take the hit, he certainly lost some career momentum because of it. Its not his fault that the movie is bad and I think he tried to make something of the pitiful script he was handed.
These two likable actors crash and burn in this dreary story of two bored and boring people. They meet cute in Schwab's Drug Store (thereby bringing a bad name to a place that has come Hollywood history) when he's there to meet his friend, and she's there to get a refill on her Seconal. He follows her down the street since they had met briefly before and he wants to thank her for something ridiculous. Its just a reason to have them (ha, ha) 'conversing', as it were, so don't pay that much attention. She runs to her beach house, which he also tracks her down at. He wants to be friendly and open and she is bottled up and rude. Its just so they can 'overcome' all that, later on.
Eventually, after much more inane dialogue and stupid reasoning for them to have another scene together, they warm up to each other and begin an affair. The movie does not improve and Lily goes from Ice Queen to Simpering Romantic Fool in twenty seconds.
Strip (Travolta) eventually figures out he's being used for sex only and that Trish does not love him. He leaves in a huff and Lily and her friend visit every seedy bar in Southern California looking for him. Ugh, right.
The dialogue is not even funny enough to laugh at, though when Trish asked Strip "Are you a member of the Automobile Club", I howled.
It just seems like a waste. Lily and her partner Jane Wagner were not allowed near anything even remotely dramatic again. Travolta emerged eventually, but this isn't his fault, like I said. He does try but not even Olivier could have made this flimsy material work. 1/10.
Is there a rating worse than awful
ewallace_db12 November 2004
Mind numbing boredom in the guise of a poorly written romance - I would need to go back to school for an English degree to be able to capture in words how truly awful this film was. If there was any justice, everyone involved with this turd would be fined and black listed from Hollywood. I think the overall premise was that Trovalta's career was hot and a lot of hormonally charged girls would flock to see anything he was in. I had the misfortune to see this film when it first came out. I was dragged there by a cute girl who was a Trovalta fanatic. Even she was yawning midway through. The only scene I remember enjoying was at an art exhibit. They took a few well aimed shots at what sometimes passes for art. Kind of ironic since this thing was anything but art.
I had (blessedly) forgotten this train wreck
preppy-36 February 2008
Rich and lonely Trish (Lily Tomlin) meets and falls in love with Strip (John Travolta) who's at least 15 years younger than her. They both have issues--but do they love each other enough to battle those issues together? Believe me--you won't care!
I had forgotten that I saw this. I was 16 when it came out and this (inexplicibly) has an R rating. I had always loved Lily Tomlin and wanted to see it. In fact at the time this came out Tomlin and Travolta were (purportedly) madly in love with each other in real life. It turns out that was all a publicity stunt to sell the movie. Anyways, I conned my mom into taking me to see it. Wow--was THAT a mistake! Talk about dull! My mom and me literally kept dozing off during the movie. By the end (which is REAL stupid) I actually was giggling at how hopeless this movie was. It bombed badly and years of therapy helped me block it. But...it's come back to haunt me! Tomlin and Travolta CAN be good (given the right material) but this script was just so tedious and dull that even they couldn't pull it off. Travolta is as good as anyone can be. Tomlin REALLY tries but she's hopelessly miscast. She only got the role because director Jane Wagner and her were (and still are) lovers. I (sorta) want to see this on DVD to see if it's as bad as I remembered. I've heard there might actually be a DVD release of this in the works. That would be kind of cool. Well there IS a DVD of it out now (December 2021) and a friend got it for me as a joke. I just got through seeing and it's even worse than I remembered! A 1 all the way.
I had forgotten that I saw this. I was 16 when it came out and this (inexplicibly) has an R rating. I had always loved Lily Tomlin and wanted to see it. In fact at the time this came out Tomlin and Travolta were (purportedly) madly in love with each other in real life. It turns out that was all a publicity stunt to sell the movie. Anyways, I conned my mom into taking me to see it. Wow--was THAT a mistake! Talk about dull! My mom and me literally kept dozing off during the movie. By the end (which is REAL stupid) I actually was giggling at how hopeless this movie was. It bombed badly and years of therapy helped me block it. But...it's come back to haunt me! Tomlin and Travolta CAN be good (given the right material) but this script was just so tedious and dull that even they couldn't pull it off. Travolta is as good as anyone can be. Tomlin REALLY tries but she's hopelessly miscast. She only got the role because director Jane Wagner and her were (and still are) lovers. I (sorta) want to see this on DVD to see if it's as bad as I remembered. I've heard there might actually be a DVD release of this in the works. That would be kind of cool. Well there IS a DVD of it out now (December 2021) and a friend got it for me as a joke. I just got through seeing and it's even worse than I remembered! A 1 all the way.
God, what a groaner!
norskidragon20 July 2006
It has been many years since I've seen this movie, which is fine by me! Nothing against Lily Tomlin and John Travolta; I think they are superb actors, and of course John is THE MAN on the dance floor. But every actor makes what I call 'groaners', movies that are just plain bad. Like Tom Cruise and 'Legend'.
However, there is another reason why I hate this movie. Do you recall when Lily's character was searching for 'Strip'? She traces her finger on a Thomas Brothers map book, and stops on...Colton, California. Which is also my hometown. The exterior shot they used was most definitely NOT Colton. It looked liked Trailer Trash Central. My brother was watching this film in the old Studio Theater in San Bernardino, the city adjacent to Colton. When they showed that scene, everybody broke out in laughter and said, "Yep, that's Colton!" Come on, people. We gave you Gene Evans. We gave you Jimmy Webb and Jim Messina. We gave the Chicago Cubs Ken Hubbs. So give us, and the rest of the Inland Empire, a little respect.
However, there is another reason why I hate this movie. Do you recall when Lily's character was searching for 'Strip'? She traces her finger on a Thomas Brothers map book, and stops on...Colton, California. Which is also my hometown. The exterior shot they used was most definitely NOT Colton. It looked liked Trailer Trash Central. My brother was watching this film in the old Studio Theater in San Bernardino, the city adjacent to Colton. When they showed that scene, everybody broke out in laughter and said, "Yep, that's Colton!" Come on, people. We gave you Gene Evans. We gave you Jimmy Webb and Jim Messina. We gave the Chicago Cubs Ken Hubbs. So give us, and the rest of the Inland Empire, a little respect.
Must see to believe....
bastonal-27 December 1999
This is a tough one one to find on television, but if you ever get a chance to see it...Don't miss it, sit back and be ready to laugh and jaw-drop for one of the most unintentionally funny movies I have ever seen (next to 1966's---The Oscar) this is number two...You better tape it if it ever does come on, because it'll be years before you'll catch it again...When Lily with her goofy grin, says "Oh Strip" to a absolute lunk-head of a stud, Travolta, I'm in laughing heaven...
The agony of watching this goes on moment by moment!
rosscinema10 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
How could a film that stars two incredibly talented and witty actors fail on such an astronomical level and possess a script so devoid of life and energy? Aah....a question for the ages! Story is about a woman named Trisha Rawlings (Lily Tomlin) who is going through a painful divorce and while she is walking down the street she keeps getting pestered by Strip Harrison (John Travolta) who reminds her that he was a valet at one of her parties. Trisha is staying at her beach home in Malibu and "Surprise" keeps meeting Strip who insists on intruding into her life and he tells her that he is trying to raise money to get his drug pushing friend out of jail.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
One day Strip learns that his friend has died while in jail and seeks solace from Trisha who lets him stay with her. She eventually succumbs to his charms and they start spending every aching moment with each other. After time Trisha's friends and her husband find out about her boy toy and now she must consider if she should break it off but he overhears her having a conversation with a friend and he takes off.
This film is directed by Jane Wagner who is a comedy writer and a personal friend of Tomlin's and they had worked together before. This film has the reputation of being one of the worst films ever made and it's hard to dispute that. There simply is no life or energy going on in this agonizingly long film! You would think that a script that was written by a comedy writer would have some sort of wit or creativity in it even by accident but it doesn't. First the film takes almost an hour before they start their romance and we have to painfully watch Travolta practically stalk Tomlin and anyone else would have called the cops on him. Then for no reason Tomlin gives in to his annoying charms and we get the privilege of watching them stare at each other and mutter things like "I'm tired of cheap sex, it makes me feel cheap" and Tomlin responds with "I have never had cheap sex, I was looking forward to it". I understand Tomlin's character having sex with a young stud like Travolta but why would she fall in love with a guy that hangs around with drug dealers and lives in a flop house and has no ambition in life? She wouldn't! Hell, his name alone is annoying enough. The film drags on and on for an hour and forty five minutes with endless shots of walking and sitting on the beach. As an actress Tomlin is usually reliable for giving energetic performances but she just stares into space here like she's hypnotized. This is unfortunately not one of those "It's so bad it's funny" because that would make this as somewhat watchable. Instead, it's just hypnotically dull and totally empty in terms of wit and creativity.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
One day Strip learns that his friend has died while in jail and seeks solace from Trisha who lets him stay with her. She eventually succumbs to his charms and they start spending every aching moment with each other. After time Trisha's friends and her husband find out about her boy toy and now she must consider if she should break it off but he overhears her having a conversation with a friend and he takes off.
This film is directed by Jane Wagner who is a comedy writer and a personal friend of Tomlin's and they had worked together before. This film has the reputation of being one of the worst films ever made and it's hard to dispute that. There simply is no life or energy going on in this agonizingly long film! You would think that a script that was written by a comedy writer would have some sort of wit or creativity in it even by accident but it doesn't. First the film takes almost an hour before they start their romance and we have to painfully watch Travolta practically stalk Tomlin and anyone else would have called the cops on him. Then for no reason Tomlin gives in to his annoying charms and we get the privilege of watching them stare at each other and mutter things like "I'm tired of cheap sex, it makes me feel cheap" and Tomlin responds with "I have never had cheap sex, I was looking forward to it". I understand Tomlin's character having sex with a young stud like Travolta but why would she fall in love with a guy that hangs around with drug dealers and lives in a flop house and has no ambition in life? She wouldn't! Hell, his name alone is annoying enough. The film drags on and on for an hour and forty five minutes with endless shots of walking and sitting on the beach. As an actress Tomlin is usually reliable for giving energetic performances but she just stares into space here like she's hypnotized. This is unfortunately not one of those "It's so bad it's funny" because that would make this as somewhat watchable. Instead, it's just hypnotically dull and totally empty in terms of wit and creativity.
A film with few defenders and fewer fans that deserves a closer look
elisereid-2966630 August 2020
When I was a teenager, I scoured bad movie review websites because A) I thought they were funny, and B) it was a way to discover movies I'd never heard of. Sometimes when I actually saw those movies, I agreed with the critics, but other times I thought they were way off. Sure, some bashed movies don't deserve good reviews, such as Monster a Go-Go (the worst movie ever made, in my opinion), but others were merely misunderstood. It's clear that when this movie came out, nobody understood what Jane Wagner was trying to say with Moment by Moment.
But if she's reading this today, I want her to know that I got it, and I think the movie is unjustly overlooked.
Most people are so put off by the early, awkward as hell encounters between Tomlin and Travolta that they immediately label the movie as a turkey. But what nobody seems to realize is, those scenes were *meant* to be awkward as hell. And as likeable as Strip (Travolta) seems, we understand why Trish (Tomlin) is put off by him-any woman can tell you (if you bother to listen) how uncomfortable strange men make her when they come on so strong. It's very rare that a movie shows you how the woman feels in such an encounter-too many movies show such behavior as "romantic" and that the woman actually likes such attention. Trish clearly doesn't like it for a long stretch of the movie, but she begins to trust Strip all the same, once she gets used to him, and she eventually sees him like the audience does.
The most telling line of dialogue is one that many people miss-when Trish's ex-husband picks a fight with her over her relationship with Strip, he asks how old he is, and Trish responds that he is about as old as the woman with whom her ex had the affair that ended their marriage. The ex responds that it's "worse" for Trish because she's a woman, and it's a double-standard that Trish can't understand. This message of the movie is underplayed because it would have only turned audiences further off to suggest that her relationship with Strip (which critics and audiences alike bashed) would be considered the same as many celebrated, mainstream movies with a middle aged leading man with a girlfriend in her twenties who finds him irresistible. This is a trope so common in American cinema that to see it reversed is a novelty, but one that audiences couldn't accept. This reflects the inherent sexism of many male viewers (whether they want to admit it or not) that only like movies with passive, un-intrusive heroines that don't speak their minds. And it is male ticket buyers that tend to determine whether or not a film is a success (note how many of the critics that hated Moment by Moment were men).
But Travolta is really the revelation here. Very few major movies with a hot actor of the time are willing to put him on the screen and allow him to be *truly* vulnerable, but this movie lets him do it, and the scenes where he describes his childhood are magically heartbreaking. The scene where he accuses Trish of using him for "cheap sex" also broke my heart. The idea of putting a young, male actor in a romantic movie and making him the vulnerable one (rather than his co-star), is very seldom seen in hit movies, and audiences weren't ready for that in 1978 in the wake of Saturday Night Fever and Grease (both of which featured Travolta as a "tough guy").
The awkwardness of the early scenes make this movie a hard sell to most people, and yes, some of the dialogue comes across as weird because we're so used to Hollywood movies where everybody speaks with wit, unnatural wit. But Moment by Moment has its heart in the right place, and didn't deserve to be branded a camp classic.
But if she's reading this today, I want her to know that I got it, and I think the movie is unjustly overlooked.
Most people are so put off by the early, awkward as hell encounters between Tomlin and Travolta that they immediately label the movie as a turkey. But what nobody seems to realize is, those scenes were *meant* to be awkward as hell. And as likeable as Strip (Travolta) seems, we understand why Trish (Tomlin) is put off by him-any woman can tell you (if you bother to listen) how uncomfortable strange men make her when they come on so strong. It's very rare that a movie shows you how the woman feels in such an encounter-too many movies show such behavior as "romantic" and that the woman actually likes such attention. Trish clearly doesn't like it for a long stretch of the movie, but she begins to trust Strip all the same, once she gets used to him, and she eventually sees him like the audience does.
The most telling line of dialogue is one that many people miss-when Trish's ex-husband picks a fight with her over her relationship with Strip, he asks how old he is, and Trish responds that he is about as old as the woman with whom her ex had the affair that ended their marriage. The ex responds that it's "worse" for Trish because she's a woman, and it's a double-standard that Trish can't understand. This message of the movie is underplayed because it would have only turned audiences further off to suggest that her relationship with Strip (which critics and audiences alike bashed) would be considered the same as many celebrated, mainstream movies with a middle aged leading man with a girlfriend in her twenties who finds him irresistible. This is a trope so common in American cinema that to see it reversed is a novelty, but one that audiences couldn't accept. This reflects the inherent sexism of many male viewers (whether they want to admit it or not) that only like movies with passive, un-intrusive heroines that don't speak their minds. And it is male ticket buyers that tend to determine whether or not a film is a success (note how many of the critics that hated Moment by Moment were men).
But Travolta is really the revelation here. Very few major movies with a hot actor of the time are willing to put him on the screen and allow him to be *truly* vulnerable, but this movie lets him do it, and the scenes where he describes his childhood are magically heartbreaking. The scene where he accuses Trish of using him for "cheap sex" also broke my heart. The idea of putting a young, male actor in a romantic movie and making him the vulnerable one (rather than his co-star), is very seldom seen in hit movies, and audiences weren't ready for that in 1978 in the wake of Saturday Night Fever and Grease (both of which featured Travolta as a "tough guy").
The awkwardness of the early scenes make this movie a hard sell to most people, and yes, some of the dialogue comes across as weird because we're so used to Hollywood movies where everybody speaks with wit, unnatural wit. But Moment by Moment has its heart in the right place, and didn't deserve to be branded a camp classic.
Hear Me Out Here...
The Doomite3 July 2006
OK, right off the bat, I'll admit that this movie isn't anywhere near "Citizen Kane" as far as motion picture greatness is concerned. But it's also nowhere near the dog that most reviewers make it out to be. I should know. I've watched "Moment by Moment" 3 times, and it seems like I get a bit more truth out of every viewing. Sure, Lily Tomlin may be more of a comedienne than a dramatic actress (I've got "9 to 5" on DVD, and it's great to see her taking on Dabney Coleman's "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" of a boss along with Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton). I can also see how John Travolta took a major risk as an actor by playing ultra-sensitive Strip after hitting it big with tough guys Vinnie Barbarino on "Welcome Back, Kotter" and Tony Manero and Danny Zuko in "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease", respectively. But come on guys, give this film a chance!
Travolta's Strip is basically a drifter, a young runaway trying to survive in southern California. Tomlin, as Trish, is a wealthy, disenchanted older woman who's about to go through a divorce from her cheating husband. Both Trish and Strip have had it with their respective worlds. Strip wants to make something of his life, and Trish is trying to find some excitement in hers amidst a sea of boredom, although she doesn't acknowledge this when Strip first takes notice of her. Throughout the movie, both Strip and Trish learn from each other about life. Trish learns to follow her heart more often, instead of what her high-class "friends" think she should do with her life. Meanwhile, Strip learns that his dreams of getting out of his dead-end life aren't enough, that he needs to do whatever it takes to follow through with them. I believe that the main idea of this movie is that you have to BE YOURSELF, no matter what society thinks of you. And that's probably the main reason I like this movie so much (all right, I have to admit that the younger man/older woman thing was the first thing that turned me onto the film, but the reason I just gave about being yourself rates an extremely close second).
If someone were to watch this movie only once, I can understand them trashing it for (among other things) the weak points in the dialog and Lily Tomlin's seemingly frozen mask of boredom and disillusionment. All I'm asking is that if you're ever lucky enough to see "Moment by Moment" (you can still find "unofficial" videos of this movie on eBay, and I've heard that it sometimes shows on WE or AMC), don't dismiss it as some lame, late '70s chick-flick. I'm a straight guy, thank you very much (who, incidentally, is in a relationship similar to that of Trish and Strip's, but far happier), and I can still see the truth hidden in this under-appreciated film. Hopefully those who read my review (and/or see the movie for themselves) can, too.
Travolta's Strip is basically a drifter, a young runaway trying to survive in southern California. Tomlin, as Trish, is a wealthy, disenchanted older woman who's about to go through a divorce from her cheating husband. Both Trish and Strip have had it with their respective worlds. Strip wants to make something of his life, and Trish is trying to find some excitement in hers amidst a sea of boredom, although she doesn't acknowledge this when Strip first takes notice of her. Throughout the movie, both Strip and Trish learn from each other about life. Trish learns to follow her heart more often, instead of what her high-class "friends" think she should do with her life. Meanwhile, Strip learns that his dreams of getting out of his dead-end life aren't enough, that he needs to do whatever it takes to follow through with them. I believe that the main idea of this movie is that you have to BE YOURSELF, no matter what society thinks of you. And that's probably the main reason I like this movie so much (all right, I have to admit that the younger man/older woman thing was the first thing that turned me onto the film, but the reason I just gave about being yourself rates an extremely close second).
If someone were to watch this movie only once, I can understand them trashing it for (among other things) the weak points in the dialog and Lily Tomlin's seemingly frozen mask of boredom and disillusionment. All I'm asking is that if you're ever lucky enough to see "Moment by Moment" (you can still find "unofficial" videos of this movie on eBay, and I've heard that it sometimes shows on WE or AMC), don't dismiss it as some lame, late '70s chick-flick. I'm a straight guy, thank you very much (who, incidentally, is in a relationship similar to that of Trish and Strip's, but far happier), and I can still see the truth hidden in this under-appreciated film. Hopefully those who read my review (and/or see the movie for themselves) can, too.
The most unromantic movie,but yet funny in all the wrong places...
mrgb4819 March 2013
I finally saw this stinker after hearing so much about it and it does deserve the bad reviews it's received.I don't mind romantic movies,as long as the two leads have chemistry,but Travolta and Tomlin have none.I know how Tomlin got cast and that was because her partner wrote and directed it,but still,Tomlin is no romantic lead.A great comedienne,but not a romantic actress by a long shot..A couple of scenes made me laugh and that was when Strip said he felt "cheap" when Trish just wanted to have sex with no commitment.How many guys would say they felt "cheap"? And the other one was when Strip got all upset when he told Trish he loved her,but she didn't say it back to him.He ran off like a baby that didn't get what he wanted..I kept thinking that Travolta's sister Ellen looks a little bit like Lily and the sex scenes between John and Lily seemed a little weird...If you're going to make a romantic movie,make sure it has passion and make sure it has depth.This has neither one...In real life,Strip would never be attracted to Trish,so the movie is implausible for that alone..The reviews speak for themselves and the critics were right,but I guess this could be considered a camp classic and a guilty pleasure,so maybe that's all it deserves to be and nothing more..
Read these reviews ant tell me you don't wanna see it!
xavrush8923 October 2003
I have never laughed my fool head off so hard as when I read some of the reviews here. But why be mean to Lily? MALE actors cast themselves ALL THE TIME opposite leading ladies far younger and even more COMPLETELY out of their league. (Woody Allen, Jack Nicholson, Sean Connery anyone?) That being said, the main reason to watch this is that it's so not ABOUT anything that it's surreal. If you put yourself in the context of the ME decade, you can see what Jane Wagner was going for here, two people "finding themselves." The trick is making anyone else care. Well, I cared, in the same sense that I care when I see a pile-up on the freeway. Still, if you like Travolta's hairy chest this is a good one watch it in. (If you like it waxed, see "Two of a Kind.") If you want to see Lily in an atypical role, this is the one to watch too. Let's face it, as film disasters go, I'll take this over "The Majestic" any day!
John and Lilly try to find direction in a film by Jane Wagner
snicewanger10 June 2014
This film is stupefyingly bad. Other then the fact that they happen to look like brother and sister, there is absolutely no chemistry between Tomlin and Travolta. Tomlin's attempt to portray a well-to-do Southern California matron who is totally bored with her life until she encounters Travolta comes off totally unbelievable and her character is just uninteresting. Travolta's plays his character as an emotional vacuum who views their relationship with all the enthusiasm of an ex-con checking in with his parole officer. I found myself checking my watch every five minutes hoping that my misery would soon end. I was more entertained by my triple bypass surgery.After it was over I told my wife how I felt and she said"For heaven's sake why didn't you say something? I wanted to leave halfway through!"
Jane Wagner is incredibly talented writer of observational and ironic comedy but she displayed no talent for directing a romantic drama. The film is not just bad it is a colossal bore. It's not even interestingly bad.It's 102 minutes of my life I will never get back and I cannot un-see it.I have heard that it has become a cult favorite. Well the cultists can have it. I'll watch The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe instead.
Jane Wagner is incredibly talented writer of observational and ironic comedy but she displayed no talent for directing a romantic drama. The film is not just bad it is a colossal bore. It's not even interestingly bad.It's 102 minutes of my life I will never get back and I cannot un-see it.I have heard that it has become a cult favorite. Well the cultists can have it. I'll watch The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe instead.
Something better left unwatched
jjnxn-113 May 2013
Unbelievably wrong headed piece of tripe was so notorious a flop on its release that it has become an unspeakable badge of shame for both of it's stars and director.
Lily Tomlin is an incredibly talented woman but even the most gifted people usually have things they can't do and overblown melodrama is something that is beyond Lily. The part itself is awful but something that a larger than life star such as Susan Hayward or Lana Turner could have found a way to make work with glamour and gravitas, there is none of that here. John Travolta is vapid and annoying, an empty vessel with the ridiculous name Strip. His character is those things but he brings nothing to the role other than that. At least he wears very little during most of the film and at this time in his career was quite attractive so if you're a fan of his that's something. But it's the ONLY thing he brings to the picture.
Both stars are awful but they are only part of the larger problem which is that not only is the script dreadful but it is directed or rather undirected with zero sense of purpose or point of view. What are we supposed to take away from this meandering mess other than the memory of Lily saying Strip! Strip! over and over again? The answer seems to be that she has no clue and neither will you.
Damaging the reputation of all involved spare yourself and skip this.
Lily Tomlin is an incredibly talented woman but even the most gifted people usually have things they can't do and overblown melodrama is something that is beyond Lily. The part itself is awful but something that a larger than life star such as Susan Hayward or Lana Turner could have found a way to make work with glamour and gravitas, there is none of that here. John Travolta is vapid and annoying, an empty vessel with the ridiculous name Strip. His character is those things but he brings nothing to the role other than that. At least he wears very little during most of the film and at this time in his career was quite attractive so if you're a fan of his that's something. But it's the ONLY thing he brings to the picture.
Both stars are awful but they are only part of the larger problem which is that not only is the script dreadful but it is directed or rather undirected with zero sense of purpose or point of view. What are we supposed to take away from this meandering mess other than the memory of Lily saying Strip! Strip! over and over again? The answer seems to be that she has no clue and neither will you.
Damaging the reputation of all involved spare yourself and skip this.
Words do not exist.
Bevan - #44 June 2001
Remember that Saturday Night Live skit a zillion years ago where Michael O'Donoghue and two extras did an impression of Tony Orlando and Dawn plunging 10' inch knitting needles into their eyesockets?
Doing that may be the only thing that can save your sanity if you're otherwise doomed to watch this movie. If there is a God, He or She will have prevented this film from existing in either VHS or DVD. (Unfortunately, they'll put any trainwreck up on DVD now.) Awful, awful. This isn't even funny-bad like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Highlander II. Certainly the worst movie I've ever seen with my own eyes, and by far the worst I paid to see. (Okay, my best {female} friend wanted to go and wanted company. My bad.)
There's no purpose in going further into details.
My question is this: alright, at the time, Tomlin was a name with an Oscar nomination and a Tony award under her belt, and Travolta was the cinematic sex god de jour of 1978. You couldn't just bury the project once it was filmed; this wasn't precisely Nipsy Russell and Nancy Walker as co-stars. But did it really take the whole filming process to figure out that Tomlin - a lesbian twice her co-star's age - and Travolta had zero screen chemistry? This project should have been ashcanned fifteen minutes into filming.
1/10: the Ultimate Awful Movie to which all other awful movies cower in homage. Can I vote zero?
Doing that may be the only thing that can save your sanity if you're otherwise doomed to watch this movie. If there is a God, He or She will have prevented this film from existing in either VHS or DVD. (Unfortunately, they'll put any trainwreck up on DVD now.) Awful, awful. This isn't even funny-bad like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Highlander II. Certainly the worst movie I've ever seen with my own eyes, and by far the worst I paid to see. (Okay, my best {female} friend wanted to go and wanted company. My bad.)
There's no purpose in going further into details.
My question is this: alright, at the time, Tomlin was a name with an Oscar nomination and a Tony award under her belt, and Travolta was the cinematic sex god de jour of 1978. You couldn't just bury the project once it was filmed; this wasn't precisely Nipsy Russell and Nancy Walker as co-stars. But did it really take the whole filming process to figure out that Tomlin - a lesbian twice her co-star's age - and Travolta had zero screen chemistry? This project should have been ashcanned fifteen minutes into filming.
1/10: the Ultimate Awful Movie to which all other awful movies cower in homage. Can I vote zero?
Moment by moment, I was ripping my hair out! It's so bad!!!
ironhorse_iv31 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I really hate this romantic love movie. I really doubt, a rich, middle-aged Beverly Hills socialite with an icy demeanor will inexplicably falls for a homeless, drug-pushing street kid, but there has been real life examples of such things happening. Still, the story doesn't give you, anything, but annoying drama from both from the socialite, Trisha Rawlings (Lily Tomlin) and the drug-addict, Strip (John Travolta). Directed by Jane Wagner, Moment by Moment was just stressful and ugly looking to watch. First off, the two actors are horrible. Lily Tomlin does nothing but many blank, expressionless faces throughout this film. The other reaction, we got from her is a hidden disgust face for Strip, or a confused look of how to act like she is in love. Lily Tomlin was a gifted comic actress, but those skills nearly use in this film. Instead, she has little to no personality, and talks like a piece of wood. I don't see how John Travolta's character can fall in love with her, unless Skip had an ulterior motive, like getting the money. Jane Wagner is actually Tomlin's lesbian partner, and has been for over thirty years. You can now tell, due to utter lack of chemistry between Tomlin and Travolta in this movie. It makes sense. John Travolta plays the role, as a droopy over the top, over reacting, over acting, man-baby. He also seem more of a stalker, then a love interest. Most women like men that act like men, not annoying stalker man-child. The first part of the movie has Lily continuing to tell him to stop bothering her. He continues, very annoying trying to make her love him by offering illegal sleeping pills to Trisha. Wow, how romantic. It's like the relationship between a drug dealer and an addict. He's OK about getting drunk, and getting loaded on sleeping pills, but when Trisha mention pot. Strip is livid, because, all of a sudden, he doesn't want her to do drugs. He has standards! What?! This relationship get more confusing, as Strip talks more about his male friend, Gary who never show up in the film, more than anything else. It's like a closet gay man was trying to prove he isn't gay, by trying to sleep with a woman that looks like a guy. John Travolta probably took this role, so people would stop asking him about that question. He seems more like a closet homosexual now, even after doing this movie. The relationship if you call that a relationship, isn't much anything, but a stupid series of breaks ups acts between Trisha and Scrip. When Trisha finally gives in to his love quest, he tells her to stop following him. She continues to look for him, after hundreds of walks outs throughout the film. Give up, woman. Strip is just a character with odd major mood swings. These people shouldn't be together. They don't even look right. The two could have just as easily been playing mother and son or sister & brother, with their identical dark hair and shaggy hairdos. To be honest, the whole thing feels like we're watching an incestuous relationship. Its throw me off, every time, they hold a scene together. It get more creepy when you find out that John Travolta took the role, because he just coming out of a tragic relationship with an older woman himself with actress Diana Hyland, who actually played his mother in a previous movie. Also the movie get more gross, as Lily has a striking resemblance to John's real-life actress sister, Ellen, and they are both around the same age to boot. I'm about to vomit. Lily Tomlin is not pretty at all even if Strip was high on drugs, most of the film. I know the 1970s has a different taste of attractive, but in the modern sense. It's not attracting. The hot tub scene in Moment by Moment is not sexy, but disturbing with all the hair with both the guy, and woman. How disturbing it is to watch two clones spoon together. There is no sexy moments, unless you count how boyish the film makes Travolta. It would certainly get gay guys to watch it. The plot doesn't do any favors here. It's establish that they met before, without even once showing it. It's add a Mafia and a porno sub-plot, 3/4th in the film time-frame, but it's never mention again or resolve. The dialogue is a mess. Lot of time and film wasting dialogue about them talking about minor things or doing childish things like building sandcastles. Honestly, what's the point of this film? That a May-December romance can work? Is the movie about love being stronger than class and age differences because it didn't seem like it was addressing that. Another fault is the film is how clichés it is, even for a 1970's romantic film. I hate the horrible ending, with the picture freezes, and a "Polaroid frame" is placed around them. Gees...it's not like I ever saw that before in a film. The movie could had work if it had a better soundtrack, rather than cheesy sax-heavy music or funky rock music. I hate Yvotte Elliman's music in this. A good Ballard or classical composer score would make this movie, much better. Overall: This movie nearly hurt John Travolta's career. It wasn't until Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction until his career was kinda revitalized. Moment by Moment is not a good movie to watch if you feel like you need to watch a chick flick movie. There are better 1970s love movies than this. Watching this movie made me think, how this moment suck.
Uh...who green-lit this thing?
IrishWriter3425 April 2003
There are certain films that are required viewing for all the wrong reasons. MOMENT BY MOMENT is one of them. Not only is it a textbook example of how not to make a movie, it's also an example of how not to approach a woman.
Case in point: Throughout the first half of the film, John Travolta's character Strip (yeah, you heard me-Strip) is basically stalking Lily Tomlin's Trish, especially at the beginning when he does his little rant about the dent. Then there's his incessant following her around her beach-front property, which she comes right out and says is an intrusion. And his loopy attempts to strike up a conversation with her sound like the rantings of a maniac on the prowl. (I won't even go into his running away from home just because his parents forgot a couple of his birthdays .) In real life, Strip would have found himself either committed to a mental institution or slapped with a restraining order for this rather creepy behavior. Guys, take note this is not how you go around trying to meet women.
Then again, what does Strip even see in her to start with? Lily Tomlin is certainly funny, but attractive she is not. In fact, she's one of the last people on the planet I'd ever want to see nude. (And yet she bares it in this film not a bright idea.) Even worse, her character has absolutely no personality. We're given no reason to care about her (or anyone else in this film) and her failing marriage. Sheesh, the most important thing she and her husband have to discuss is who gets the pool filter? Are we supposed to care about this? It also doesn't help that Tomlin's acting is abysmal, especially when she cries over the pool filter. I've seen more genuine emotion coming out of a rock than I did from her. Oh, and she and Travolta have no chemistry together at all. A logical substitute for the luscious Olivia Newton-John, she ain't. Of course, nothing about this film is logical. We're expected to believe Strip's stalking turns Trish on when it's not even remotely charming. We're expected to buy into their romance, yet it has creepy mother-son overtones (and again, they have no chemistry) and is very poorly written and staged. Details that should be important (Dan Santini killing Strip's friend and worming his way into Trish's social circle, Strip's criminal past, Trish's collapsing marriage) are reduced to inconsequential sidelines. Characters that should be critical to the plot (or more accurately, lack thereof)-Santini, Naomi, Strip's doomed pal Greg, Trish's husband-are either useless stock characters or just carelessly mentioned in passing. Strip's rationale for running away from home is shallow and ludicrous. And what exactly was the significance of "what a world"? (My mother joked when Trish got that message, "Hey, at least the Wicked Witch got it.") The movie is just one big, sloppy, nonsensical mess that ultimately amounts to nothing.
A May-December romance involving a younger man is a perfectly viable idea. (I'm currently writing a novel dealing with just that.) A May-December romance starring John Travolta as the younger man could easily have worked in the right hands with the right co-star. It didn't have to be this bad. But Jane Wagner is painfully inept at writing and directing drama, and Tomlin is just a total mismatch for Travolta. Geez, if they were so keen to work together, why didn't they do a full-tilt comedy instead? At least that might have used their skills properly. You'd think the supporting cast would be able to pick up the slack left by the void that is this pairing, but the supporting roles are so badly written that even the backup players get lost at sea. This situation is not helped by the movie being largely set at Trish's beach house, making the story needlessly claustrophobic. Good grief, this film is so bad it doesn't even have a decent soundtrack; Lee Holdridge's jazz score is utter dross (it sounds like the score's being played on a broken Muzak), Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch" is easily the most depressing romantic ballad I've ever heard in my entire life, and the title tune is just lame with a capital L. The only worthwhile aspect of the film is Philip Lathrop's sun-drenched cinematography, but really, when has good camera work ever been enough to save a movie? Seriously, folks, it's not hard to see why this film and BATTLEFIELD EARTH remain such major black marks on Travolta's career. What possessed him to follow up SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and GREASE with this? If anything, MOMENT BY MOMENT is a perfect example of how NOT to write a May-December romance.
However, I do have to admire American Movie Classics' chutzpah in airing this movie. How in God's name could this thing ever be considered a classic?
Case in point: Throughout the first half of the film, John Travolta's character Strip (yeah, you heard me-Strip) is basically stalking Lily Tomlin's Trish, especially at the beginning when he does his little rant about the dent. Then there's his incessant following her around her beach-front property, which she comes right out and says is an intrusion. And his loopy attempts to strike up a conversation with her sound like the rantings of a maniac on the prowl. (I won't even go into his running away from home just because his parents forgot a couple of his birthdays .) In real life, Strip would have found himself either committed to a mental institution or slapped with a restraining order for this rather creepy behavior. Guys, take note this is not how you go around trying to meet women.
Then again, what does Strip even see in her to start with? Lily Tomlin is certainly funny, but attractive she is not. In fact, she's one of the last people on the planet I'd ever want to see nude. (And yet she bares it in this film not a bright idea.) Even worse, her character has absolutely no personality. We're given no reason to care about her (or anyone else in this film) and her failing marriage. Sheesh, the most important thing she and her husband have to discuss is who gets the pool filter? Are we supposed to care about this? It also doesn't help that Tomlin's acting is abysmal, especially when she cries over the pool filter. I've seen more genuine emotion coming out of a rock than I did from her. Oh, and she and Travolta have no chemistry together at all. A logical substitute for the luscious Olivia Newton-John, she ain't. Of course, nothing about this film is logical. We're expected to believe Strip's stalking turns Trish on when it's not even remotely charming. We're expected to buy into their romance, yet it has creepy mother-son overtones (and again, they have no chemistry) and is very poorly written and staged. Details that should be important (Dan Santini killing Strip's friend and worming his way into Trish's social circle, Strip's criminal past, Trish's collapsing marriage) are reduced to inconsequential sidelines. Characters that should be critical to the plot (or more accurately, lack thereof)-Santini, Naomi, Strip's doomed pal Greg, Trish's husband-are either useless stock characters or just carelessly mentioned in passing. Strip's rationale for running away from home is shallow and ludicrous. And what exactly was the significance of "what a world"? (My mother joked when Trish got that message, "Hey, at least the Wicked Witch got it.") The movie is just one big, sloppy, nonsensical mess that ultimately amounts to nothing.
A May-December romance involving a younger man is a perfectly viable idea. (I'm currently writing a novel dealing with just that.) A May-December romance starring John Travolta as the younger man could easily have worked in the right hands with the right co-star. It didn't have to be this bad. But Jane Wagner is painfully inept at writing and directing drama, and Tomlin is just a total mismatch for Travolta. Geez, if they were so keen to work together, why didn't they do a full-tilt comedy instead? At least that might have used their skills properly. You'd think the supporting cast would be able to pick up the slack left by the void that is this pairing, but the supporting roles are so badly written that even the backup players get lost at sea. This situation is not helped by the movie being largely set at Trish's beach house, making the story needlessly claustrophobic. Good grief, this film is so bad it doesn't even have a decent soundtrack; Lee Holdridge's jazz score is utter dross (it sounds like the score's being played on a broken Muzak), Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch" is easily the most depressing romantic ballad I've ever heard in my entire life, and the title tune is just lame with a capital L. The only worthwhile aspect of the film is Philip Lathrop's sun-drenched cinematography, but really, when has good camera work ever been enough to save a movie? Seriously, folks, it's not hard to see why this film and BATTLEFIELD EARTH remain such major black marks on Travolta's career. What possessed him to follow up SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and GREASE with this? If anything, MOMENT BY MOMENT is a perfect example of how NOT to write a May-December romance.
However, I do have to admire American Movie Classics' chutzpah in airing this movie. How in God's name could this thing ever be considered a classic?
Bad movie, bad BAD movie!!!
Monika-515 July 1999
I saw this one on the Sunday afternoon movie on our local NBC station, and HAD to watch just for the sheer awfulness of it. SO 70s (check out Lily and John's identical shaggy hairdos and bellbottoms)! Without a doubt, John's worst movie (and I've seen the Look Who's Talking films)! For additional laughs, check out its review in the book "Bad Movies We Love". You'll love it!
AWFUL
judson-jones22 November 2002
One of the worst films ever! It went on and on and on, with no plot, terrible writing, and terrible acting. A newspaper critic called it "century by century". I agree. I can't believe I paid money to see this disaster.
Best of the worst.
trgustin22 February 2006
I'm giving this movie 9 stars because it truly stands as one of the most hideous, god-awful, unintentionally HILARIOUS motion picture made in the last 40 years. If it were out on DVD, I'd highly recommend renting it, or even buying it, to add to your worst video collection, along with the classics 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' and 'Myra Breckinridge'.
This movie is bad. Really, really bad. And that's what makes it so good! It is a guilty pleasure to watch John and Lily gamely try to get hot and steamy over each other, all the while knowing they are being directed by Lily's lesbian lover who seems to have checked her talent at the door; she has no eye whatsoever, romantic or otherwise. This is a total wreck of a movie from the first shot, and all a viewer can do is giggle helplessly as it dissolves into a parody of every teen flick ever made, with the lamest dialog and the most ridiculous shots of a hairy male body ever ogled by a middle-aged lesbian. It's a hoot! It could be a John Waters film had it been directed with a touch of irony. But then it wouldn't be nearly as funny.
The most perfect, and perfectly dreadful, double feature of all time would have to be Moment By Moment and Myra Breckinridge. Both deal with sexual identity and confusion, and both rank at the tippy top of my top 10 list as most funny bad movies ever made. But you've got to be in the mood, or you'll wonder how on earth you ever managed to throw away 3 hours of your life.
This movie is bad. Really, really bad. And that's what makes it so good! It is a guilty pleasure to watch John and Lily gamely try to get hot and steamy over each other, all the while knowing they are being directed by Lily's lesbian lover who seems to have checked her talent at the door; she has no eye whatsoever, romantic or otherwise. This is a total wreck of a movie from the first shot, and all a viewer can do is giggle helplessly as it dissolves into a parody of every teen flick ever made, with the lamest dialog and the most ridiculous shots of a hairy male body ever ogled by a middle-aged lesbian. It's a hoot! It could be a John Waters film had it been directed with a touch of irony. But then it wouldn't be nearly as funny.
The most perfect, and perfectly dreadful, double feature of all time would have to be Moment By Moment and Myra Breckinridge. Both deal with sexual identity and confusion, and both rank at the tippy top of my top 10 list as most funny bad movies ever made. But you've got to be in the mood, or you'll wonder how on earth you ever managed to throw away 3 hours of your life.
Lie by Lie - Moment by Moment does have its moments
caspian197821 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Although this is far from a good movie, I will defend against all the critics who have trashed this movie as total junk. The biggest problem in the criticism from the critics is of Lily Tomlin and John Travolta. That's where the critics are wrong. Neither Tomlin of Travolta are portraying themselves. This is the biggest misconception from the Haters. Granted, it is very difficult to stop seeing the Actor when they are portraying the character. None the less, this is the ongoing problem why people have hated this movie for over 40 years. In its defense, Moment by Moment does have its moments. This is far from a disaster than Battlefield Earth. Nor the best movie Travolta has been in, but at least he looks good. The same goes for Tomlin, who, does look very attractive and pulls out a performance to what the story demanded. Both characters are flawed with the dismal script and the overall story. Still, these star crossed lovers that these two portray are similar to the high end dog and the mutt from the street that share their screen. Travolta and Tomlin star in a romantic drama about two flawed characters who are each living a lie. Other than the truth behind the dent in her car, everything else the two characters portray are nothing more than a lie built on another lie. A young drifter who is involved with drugs and an older woman who is on the brink of divorce cross paths by chance. One odd antidote after another eventually has both characters caring for one another as they become romantically involved. The fifteen year age gap between the two in real life adds a taboo quality to their romance that adds flavor to the movie. Other than that, the movie does fall flat. Throughout the movie, Lily Tomlin adds moments of titillation with her wearing multiple love cut blouses and showing off her legs. Travolta adds to this by gracing his body to the audience in countless speedo wearing scenes. Other than a brief moment of seduction and hot tub passion, the movie fails to show any vulnerability in their romantic scenes. The lack of any raw emotion with the absence of nudity as well as sex leaves the audience to rely on the narrative only for stimulation. It is my opinion that this is where the movie really fails to be a romance. The movie is not painful to watch although it is disappointing when you realize how good this movie could have been.
Despite two proven actors, Moment by Moment is killed by lack of chemistry
IonicBreezeMachine8 May 2022
Wealthy Beverly Hills socialite Trish Rawlings (Lily Tomlin) is currently residing in a beach side residence as she engages in a separation from her husband Stu (Bert Kramer) following his extramarital affair. While in town shopping she encounters drifter Strip (John Travolta) who remembers her from a valet parking job where she took responsibility for a dent in the car her husband blamed on him. Strip makes flirtatious advances towards Trish which are initially unwelcome, but as she encounters him on the beach she begins to develop feelings for him.
Moment by Moment was the third film starring John Travolta made by producer Robert Stigwood following the successes of both Saturday Night Fever and Grease. The film was set to co-star Lily Tomlin who'd scored two well regarded features with Nashville earning her an Academy Award Nomination and The Late Show also garnering strong critical praise. The project moved forward with Tomlin's partner and future wife, Jane Wagner, taking writing and direction duties for the film. While both Tomlin and Travolta had a pleasant experience working together, both were blindsided by the end product of the movie. Word had gotten out that the chemistry between leads Tomlin and Travolta rivaled that of "Menachem Begin and Yassar Arafat" and Universal hired Saturday Night Fever DP Ralf D. Bode to co-direct with Wagner but credited him as "technical advisor". Stigwood even tried to have Wagner fired from the movie at one point but backed down after resistance from both Tomlin and Travolta. When the movie was released it was eviscerated by critics and audiences with many citing the lack of chemistry between the leads. Box office was also quite underwhelming with the film making $10 million against its $8 million budget falling well short of the standards of Saturday Night Fever or Grease. Moment by Moment is a blot on the careers of both Tomlin and Travolta, but one they were easily able to move past with Travolta scoring a hit with Urban Cowboy and Tomlin getting success with 9 to 5. Moment by Moment however is still as uncomfortable and awkward as it was when first released.
While the movie is titled "Moment by Moment", a more proper title would be "Just Go Away Already", because most of the first part of this movie is Travolta's character strip making advances towards Tomlin's Trish while she keeps rejecting him but he keeps showing back up because he either has "friends nearby" or conveniently forgets little articles he has to return for. The movie is mostly just scenes of Tomlin and Travolta together with few extras and minimal supporting characters so the movie basically lives or dies solely on the chemistry of our leads. The movie's basically a parade of scenes with our characters taking turns getting annoyed at one another with the pendulum shifting back and forth between who's annoyed by whom. There's minor subplots or background elements in the movie such as Strip's never seen best friend Gregg who's only ever mentioned by Strip and we never actually see any of the things surrounding that character, or things going on with Trish's social circle such as a party scene with a theme of pictures of feet called, no joke, "footography". I don't know if this is satire of something specific, but whatever purpose it had back in the day wasn't all that resonant and it's only gotten more confusing with the passage of time. I'll say the music and cinematography is well done, but the fact this movie costs $2 million more than Grease is absurd because this feels like this should be $4 million at most especially with how most of the time it's just Tomlin and Travolta pratting about.
Moment by Moment is a romance with two leads who exude anti-chemistry. Both are fantastic actors and on paper it seems like a winning combo, but an awkward delivery devoid of sexual energy just kills the movie from being engaging on that level. There's probably been worse love stories that were either more bland, toxic, or preposterous, but more often than not they at least give you additional elements beyond the core romance to make up for those shortcomings. Moment by Moment doesn't have any additional elements to fall back on and is just being stuck with two people who are as annoyed with each other as we are by them.
Moment by Moment was the third film starring John Travolta made by producer Robert Stigwood following the successes of both Saturday Night Fever and Grease. The film was set to co-star Lily Tomlin who'd scored two well regarded features with Nashville earning her an Academy Award Nomination and The Late Show also garnering strong critical praise. The project moved forward with Tomlin's partner and future wife, Jane Wagner, taking writing and direction duties for the film. While both Tomlin and Travolta had a pleasant experience working together, both were blindsided by the end product of the movie. Word had gotten out that the chemistry between leads Tomlin and Travolta rivaled that of "Menachem Begin and Yassar Arafat" and Universal hired Saturday Night Fever DP Ralf D. Bode to co-direct with Wagner but credited him as "technical advisor". Stigwood even tried to have Wagner fired from the movie at one point but backed down after resistance from both Tomlin and Travolta. When the movie was released it was eviscerated by critics and audiences with many citing the lack of chemistry between the leads. Box office was also quite underwhelming with the film making $10 million against its $8 million budget falling well short of the standards of Saturday Night Fever or Grease. Moment by Moment is a blot on the careers of both Tomlin and Travolta, but one they were easily able to move past with Travolta scoring a hit with Urban Cowboy and Tomlin getting success with 9 to 5. Moment by Moment however is still as uncomfortable and awkward as it was when first released.
While the movie is titled "Moment by Moment", a more proper title would be "Just Go Away Already", because most of the first part of this movie is Travolta's character strip making advances towards Tomlin's Trish while she keeps rejecting him but he keeps showing back up because he either has "friends nearby" or conveniently forgets little articles he has to return for. The movie is mostly just scenes of Tomlin and Travolta together with few extras and minimal supporting characters so the movie basically lives or dies solely on the chemistry of our leads. The movie's basically a parade of scenes with our characters taking turns getting annoyed at one another with the pendulum shifting back and forth between who's annoyed by whom. There's minor subplots or background elements in the movie such as Strip's never seen best friend Gregg who's only ever mentioned by Strip and we never actually see any of the things surrounding that character, or things going on with Trish's social circle such as a party scene with a theme of pictures of feet called, no joke, "footography". I don't know if this is satire of something specific, but whatever purpose it had back in the day wasn't all that resonant and it's only gotten more confusing with the passage of time. I'll say the music and cinematography is well done, but the fact this movie costs $2 million more than Grease is absurd because this feels like this should be $4 million at most especially with how most of the time it's just Tomlin and Travolta pratting about.
Moment by Moment is a romance with two leads who exude anti-chemistry. Both are fantastic actors and on paper it seems like a winning combo, but an awkward delivery devoid of sexual energy just kills the movie from being engaging on that level. There's probably been worse love stories that were either more bland, toxic, or preposterous, but more often than not they at least give you additional elements beyond the core romance to make up for those shortcomings. Moment by Moment doesn't have any additional elements to fall back on and is just being stuck with two people who are as annoyed with each other as we are by them.
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