How did Moment by Moment happen?

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

Her lover wrote and directed it.

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

Let's watch it together, shall we?

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.

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.

You never see it shown on tv.

It happens. Sometimes worthy actors take on ridiculous roles.

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.

Ooooh, a scary horror movie!

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)

It was not as good as our movie!

R12 I actually kind of like Sommersby.

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.

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

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.

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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

"Moment by Moment" was produced.

It was released.

But it never "happened".

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

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.

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

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

[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!

I liked a Cutwater a lot better.

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.

I never miss a Lily Tomlin heterosexual love story

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

What some women will do for the woman they love.

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

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 .

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Travolta looks good in his swimsuit.

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.

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.

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!

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