6.9/10
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Kingpin (1996)

PG-13 | | Comedy, Sport | 26 July 1996 (USA)
A star bowler whose career was prematurely "cut off" hopes to ride a new prodigy to success and riches.
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
The Gambler
William Jordan ...
...
Owner Of Stiffy's
...
...
Thomas
Prudence Wright Holmes ...
Mrs. Boorg
...
Stanley Osmanski
...
Calvert Munson (as Danny Green)
...
Mark Charpentier ...
1979 Bowling Buddy
Brad Faxon ...
1979 Bowling Buddy
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Storyline

Roy Munson was raised to be the best bowler in the world (trained early on by his father). But a fellow bowler, Ernie McCracken and a misunderstanding with some rough punks, leaves poor Roy with the loss of his bowling hand! Not to let this get him down, he gets a prosthetic hand and becomes a travelling sales man. But it's really all down hill for him from that night on until ... One day he meets Ishmael who is Amish and sneaks away from the farm to bowl (his fellow Amish would disown him if they knew)! Roy convinces Ishmael to let him be his trainer and he'll make him the best bowler the world has ever seen. Reluctantly Ishmael agrees to go on the road and shortly afterwards actually finds that life outside the farm is quite fun. Soon their paths cross that of Ernie McCracken who is still a top ranking bowler. While Roy's career and life have landed in the toilet bowl, Ernie is still drawing huge crowds and all the babes! They both square off for the ultimate bowling championship ..... Written by Jane Byron Dean <McGinty@aol.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

You wouldn't want to meet these pinheads in an alley. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Sport

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude sex-related humor and a drug scene | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

26 July 1996 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Strike  »

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Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,582,000, 28 July 1996, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$24,944,213, 13 October 1996

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,200,000
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens has a small cameo in the film. In the restaurant scene where Roy punches out Ishmael, Roger Clemens plays the part of Skid Mark. Clemens currently ranks eighth on the All Time wins list for Major League Baseball pitchers. See more »

Goofs

When Roy's rubber hand has been removed and the hook is visible, his right arm/sleeve is suddenly longer than his left (in fact, it's just longer enough to accommodate the hook that Harrelson is holding in his hand at the time). This is most obvious at the beginning of the tournament scene, when Roy's hand falls off with the ball. His right arm is suddenly a several inches longer than his left, not counting the hook, but when he puts the hand back on his arms are the same length again. See more »

Quotes

Ishmael: [after losing a game] Mr. Munson, you all right?
Roy: [calmly] Ish, uh, what happened in there?
Ishmael: Well, I don't know. Um, I thought I played pretty good. Uh, he's just a little better than me, that's all.
Roy: Pretty good, huh? 186.
[loses his cool]
Roy: You lost to a club player! What - that's not supposed to happen! You're carrying a 270 average!
Ishmael: Wh-wh-wh-what do you expect? I mean, you guys with your 10 frames.
Roy: [angrily] What do you mean, "you guys with your 10 frames"?
Ishmael: Well, my grandpa always taught me to bowl ...
[...]
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Crazy Credits

Closing dedication: This movie is dedicated to the memory of Jack S. Krevoy (as Jack Krevoy) See more »

Connections

Referenced in The 50 Greatest Comedy Films (2006) See more »

Soundtracks

Theme from Love Story (Where Do I Begin)
Written by Carl Sigman and Francis Lai
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Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
Bill Murray at his best!
10 July 1999 | by See all my reviews

Bill Murray pretty much steals the show every time he's on the screen. He's sleazy, he's smarmy and he's very funny. With that comb-over going nuts at the big game, and his victory dance at the end makes Kingpin that much better. That's not saying that the rest of the film isn't good, it is. Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Vanessa Angel make a very odd partnership. An Amish bowling whiz, a one handed ex-bowler, and a very sexy hustler scheme and dream to make it to Reno, but of course they have to beat Big Ern.


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