Enjoyable dark-comedy that has aged well, a failed writer (larry) who had his book stolen by his ex-wife, ends up giving one of his mentally challenged students (Owen) the mistaken idea that if he kills his wife, he will kill his evil domineering mother, what follows is a hilarious rollercoaster where everything goes wrong. The strenght of the film are the main actors, Danny Devito is wonderful as the weird, obsessive and socially isolated Owen, his mother played by Anne Ramsey gives a wonderful performance as a mean-spirited, domineering old hag of a woman, you really want to see her death yourself. Overal its a funny comedy that deals with hatred for those close to you that have hurt you, at the end of the story both men turn their experiences into books, Owen writes a picture book and Larry finally finishes his novel.