The Big Kahuna (1999)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

John Swanbeck

Writers:

Roger Rueff (play)
Roger Rueff (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Every sale begins with a smile.

Plot:

Two veteran salesman dissect a sales pitch to a particular client, through their young protege.

Plot Keywords:

Lubricant | Salesman | Hotel | Convention | Religion

Awards:

1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 15

2:30 AM

MAX

Cast

Kevin Spacey	...	Larry Mann
Danny DeVito	...	Phil Cooper (as Danny Devito)
Peter Facinelli	...	Bob Walker
Paul Dawson	...	Bellboy

Also Known As:

Hospitality Suite (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #36883) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Peru:PT | Spain:7 | UK:15 | Norway:15 | Denmark:15 | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | Canada:18A

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Franchise Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: When Larry attacks Bob he pushes him on a table with food and juice glasses. But when Bob gets up a moment later there are no stains on the back of his white shirt.

Quotes:

Larry Mann: Did you mention perhaps what line of industrial lubricants Jesus would have endorsed?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2000-05-13)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Young at Heart

The big conversation

'The Big Kahuna' is actually just a big conversation, a three-way encounter between a trio of industry representatives hoping to entice an important client. And the combination of a lively script and a heavyweight cast delivers the goods, Danny de Vito is strong and (in the most interesting role) Kevin Spacey is excellent; Peter Facinelli is OK, but his part offers less scope to the actor. But for all the quality, it's a bit hard to see the focal point of the drama is supposed to be about. Spacey plays a pushy, egotistical salesman whose frustration with the self-righteous Facinelli suddenly boils over; the extension from the everyday to the existential is well-handled but never opens the heart of the character to us, de Vito vouches for him but it's not quite enough. The use of Baz Luhrman's feel-good but platitudinous 'Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen' over the closing credits feels like a glib opt out of forcing the drama to stand on its own feet. An interesting film nonetheless.