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How did Moment by Moment happen?

I'd have thought Lily would have been smarter than to agree to a film like that.

by Anonymousreply 59February 4, 2021 2:04 AM

Her lover wrote and directed it.

by Anonymousreply 1July 9, 2016 1:08 AM

wiki

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by Anonymousreply 2July 9, 2016 1:14 AM

You'd think Jane Wagner would have been smarter too.

by Anonymousreply 3July 9, 2016 1:37 AM

Let's watch it together, shall we?

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by Anonymousreply 4July 9, 2016 2:30 AM

They probably thought it would launch Lily as an A-list leading lady and Jane as a feature film director. After Grease and Saturday Night Fever, they wrongly assumed the public would love anything with Travolta in it. And while I adore Lily Tomlin, I don't think anyone wanted to see her exploring her sexuality - straight or gay.

by Anonymousreply 5July 9, 2016 2:37 AM

First, no one from BH would do as much walking as she does in that intro piece. Second, JT was a fine piece of man meat. You'd have to be Stevie Wonder not to see all the nelly deliciousness.

by Anonymousreply 6July 9, 2016 2:43 AM

You never see it shown on tv.

by Anonymousreply 7July 9, 2016 2:45 AM

It happens. Sometimes worthy actors take on ridiculous roles.

by Anonymousreply 8July 9, 2016 2:51 AM

I think Lily was always trying to do things that would get Jane Wagner some credit. (Lily always got it all even thought they were collaborators)

She probably let Jane do what she wanted in hopes of it working out for her. I've heard Lily say she always felt Jane got none of the credit and alll of the blame for their projects, good or bad.

by Anonymousreply 9July 9, 2016 2:54 AM

Ooooh, a scary horror movie!

by Anonymousreply 10July 9, 2016 3:22 AM

I'm watching it now. (it is incredibly dull I keep drifting back to DL)

It really is bizarre. What the hell were they thinking.

(But Travolta wriggling out of his pants to swim really is a thing of beauty)

by Anonymousreply 11July 23, 2016 5:48 AM

It was not as good as our movie!

by Anonymousreply 12July 23, 2016 5:52 AM

R12 I actually kind of like Sommersby.

by Anonymousreply 13July 23, 2016 6:03 AM

It committed the biggest cinematic crime of all - it was BORING. Let's face it, it was never ideally cast, but the script probably wouldn't have worked with anyone in those roles. The concept isn't bad, but it wasn't any fun.

by Anonymousreply 14July 23, 2016 6:10 AM

It is incredibly boring.

by Anonymousreply 15July 23, 2016 6:46 AM

Travolta sure has been in some stinkers during his career: Moment by Moment, Staying Alive, Perfect, Two of a Kind, Battlefield Earth...

by Anonymousreply 16July 23, 2016 6:52 AM

Don't forget Lily was Oscar-nominated for Nashville in which she and Keith Carradine had real chemistry; she played a married woman pursued by a randy musician who ignites real sexual passion within her. So the premise of Moment By Moment might not have seemed that far fetched in that context.

Of course, Wagoner is no Altman and Nashville was a multi-threaded narrative not exclusively about Tomlin's character so it's easy to see how misjudged MBM was. I always thought Tomlin and Travolta looked like siblings in it as well (Travolta's sister Ellen is a dead ringer for Tomlin.) It was a total bomb, it really laid an egg in cinemas that Christmas. I think it was the last in Travolta's three picture deal with Stigwood, after SNF and Grease.

by Anonymousreply 17July 23, 2016 6:59 AM

Oh R16, there's a whole straight to video period in the late '80s as well. Tarantino really resurrected his career from nothing.

by Anonymousreply 18July 23, 2016 7:01 AM

The dogs look like Benji and Tiffany from the first Benji movie. Are they?

(The brown dog in Moment is the most charismatic performer on screen. He at least seems happy to be there)

by Anonymousreply 19July 23, 2016 7:02 AM

One of the worst scripts that year (1978, a year of very, very good scripts).

by Anonymousreply 20July 23, 2016 7:09 AM

OMG I did it!! I finished it!!! I feel like I should get some sort of medal.

by Anonymousreply 21July 24, 2016 12:31 AM

It is unbelievable that JT in his prime would look twice at someone as homely as Lily Tomlin.

by Anonymousreply 22July 24, 2016 12:54 AM

or look at the script of Moment r22. What was he thinking? He must have had tons of offers at that point.

by Anonymousreply 23July 24, 2016 12:59 AM

Didn't you watch Kotter, R23? I don't think Vinny could read.

by Anonymousreply 24July 24, 2016 1:07 AM

I remember when the MbM trailer came on tv, my mom was aghast because she mistook Lily for John's sister Ellen Travolta. They did have a passing resemblance to each other, which did not escape other observers. Ick.

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by Anonymousreply 25July 24, 2016 1:08 AM

Sorry, R17, I missed your post before I posted the above.

by Anonymousreply 26July 24, 2016 1:09 AM

It is easy to forget just how appealing Travolta was, even in this piece of shit. When he smiles at her up front, he is indeed hot. The problem is Lily gets her laughs from being dry and a bit dull (think Judith Beasely) and that's how she is playing the drama here. Everytime she says, "Strip..." in that earnest voice, I want to giggle. Fun to see it again though. LOVE the almost subliminal flashes of "Gucci"and "Rodeo Drive" up front; such artistry! Later they do the same thing with a map of San Bernadino as she drives around looking for, sigh, "Strip".

Impossible not to cackle at this one. But it does make me sad that we will never live in this time again, with crappy Stigwood movies with bad Yvonne Elliman theme songs. I was a boy then.

by Anonymousreply 27July 24, 2016 1:52 AM

It's movie starring a gay actor/lesbian actress, who play a straight couple. The lesbian actress's female lover directed it. Think of the irony!

by Anonymousreply 28July 24, 2016 2:15 AM

and you see Tomlin's butt but not the young Travolta's---annoying

by Anonymousreply 29July 24, 2016 2:17 AM

"Moment by Moment" was produced.

It was released.

But it never "happened".

by Anonymousreply 30July 24, 2016 2:40 AM

I like the Lily Tomlin look alike shaking her salt shaker in Donna Summer's "She Works Hard For the Money" Video.

by Anonymousreply 31July 24, 2016 3:25 AM

I find that shot of Donna on the fire escape with the working women dancing behind her to be iconic. I. Love. It. Almost as much as the shot of Donna in her waitress uniform on the album's cover.

by Anonymousreply 32July 24, 2016 3:28 AM

I loved Lily in "The Late Show" with Art Carney but this thing with Travolta was Leonard Pinth Garnell bad.

by Anonymousreply 33August 30, 2016 8:53 AM

R25 stole my thunder. Their resemblance merely makes the whole endeavor that much creepier.

by Anonymousreply 34August 30, 2016 8:58 AM

Lily eats pussy. Yuck!

by Anonymousreply 35August 30, 2016 9:04 AM

[quote]And while I adore Lily Tomlin, I don't think anyone wanted to see her exploring her sexuality - straight or gay.

NOW you tell me!

by Anonymousreply 36August 30, 2016 2:33 PM

I liked a Cutwater a lot better.

by Anonymousreply 37January 14, 2019 5:12 AM

I like the comments:

[quote]They should make this mandatory viewing at the prison for those serving their sentence.

[quote]The best thing in this movie is the Mercedes Lily is driving.

[quote] they have no sexual chemistry, in fact it is as if he is having an affair with his mother

[quote]How can this be anyone's favorite movie? I've never seen such lack of chemistry on film before or since.

[quote]I saw this in the theater, and when Tomlin uttered the line "Strip! Oh please Strip!" the entire audience burst out laughing. Seriously---the absolute WORST film I've seen in 40 years of watching movies.

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by Anonymousreply 38January 14, 2019 5:33 AM

I never miss a Lily Tomlin heterosexual love story

by Anonymousreply 39January 14, 2019 5:41 AM

Why hasn't this been adapted into a Bway musical? Lily could still pull it off!

by Anonymousreply 40January 14, 2019 5:47 AM

What some women will do for the woman they love.

Lily and Jane are the most liberated couple to let him in like that.

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by Anonymousreply 41January 14, 2019 6:02 PM

Don’t forget it was produced by Gold Star gay Allan Carr. No studio would say No to him after the success of Grease.

Carr knew Travolta was gay. He knew Tomlin was lez. I always thought this movie was Carr’’s inside joke .

by Anonymousreply 42January 14, 2019 6:36 PM

You rang?

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by Anonymousreply 43January 14, 2019 7:48 PM

Strip? What the hell kind of name is that? It should have been a comedy.

by Anonymousreply 44January 14, 2019 9:17 PM

Moment by Moment is the greatest achievement of movie making in Hollywood history!

by Anonymousreply 45January 14, 2019 9:46 PM

I want to see the so bad just for the Cringe and Camp Factor.

by Anonymousreply 46January 15, 2019 1:20 PM

Even the 10 minute condensed version linked above is unbelievably tedious. Tomlin whispers every line; Travolta seems as if he wants to be somewhere, anywhere else.

by Anonymousreply 47January 15, 2019 1:51 PM

It's so bad it's bad!!!

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by Anonymousreply 48June 13, 2019 11:28 PM

Even the Wagner's thought it was a bad film.

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by Anonymousreply 49June 14, 2019 12:18 AM

Funny.

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by Anonymousreply 50June 14, 2019 2:19 AM

I wish they would put it on DVD with all the bells and whistles.

by Anonymousreply 51June 25, 2019 5:59 PM

I think I'll do a double bill of bad 1978 movies: "Moment By Moment" with "Rabbit Test". Of course, a case of wine will help too.

by Anonymousreply 52June 25, 2019 6:13 PM

That would be a doozy!

by Anonymousreply 53June 25, 2019 7:01 PM

Fun!

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by Anonymousreply 54June 25, 2019 7:03 PM

I think it's time for this masterpiece to be reassessed. Even The New Yorker agrees.

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by Anonymousreply 55February 4, 2021 12:33 AM

Travolta looks good in his swimsuit.

by Anonymousreply 56February 4, 2021 1:04 AM

Her Nashville scenes with Carradine are pretty good.

It is pretty amazing how Travolta hit it so big with his first two movies as lead, did this, had one more hit with Urban Cowboy and then nothing but bombs until 1989 and that was Look Who's Talking.

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by Anonymousreply 57February 4, 2021 1:31 AM

The casting didn't help, but most of the fault is due to the script. It's boring. Not trashy or campy enough to at least be so bad it's good. It is odd how it was never even released to VHS back in the day.

by Anonymousreply 58February 4, 2021 1:57 AM

I am watching it on the Internet Archive.

Its is incredibly well shot and looks beautiful.

It is very EARNEST, and there are some shots where Lily looks quite attractive, actually.

The first 30 minutes was not that bad.

And was the interior of Shwab's Pharmacy really that fancy? Pretty for a drug store!

by Anonymousreply 59February 4, 2021 2:04 AM
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