The Big Bounce (2004)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

George Armitage

Writers (WGA):

Elmore Leonard (novel)
Sebastian Gutierrez (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 January 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Comedy

Tagline:

It's all in who you trust

Plot:

A small-time con artist and a Hawaiian real estate developer's mischevious, enterprising mistress team up for a potential $200,000 score.

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Cockney Accent | Hitchhiking | Beach | Husband Wife Relationship

Cast

Owen Wilson	...	Jack Ryan
Butch Helemano	...	Hawaiian Priest
Charlie Sheen	...	Bob Rogers, Jr.
Vinnie Jones	...	Lou Harris
Gregory Sporleder	...	Frank Pizzarro
Terry Ahue	...	Jimmy Opono (as Terry L. Ahue)
Pete Johnson	...	Con Nuuiwa
Mike Renfro	...	Worker #1
Tony Dorsett	...	Worker #2
Brian L. Keaulana	...	Barry Salu (as Brian Keaulana)
Morgan Freeman	...	Walter Crewes
Willie Nelson	...	Joe Lurie
Andrew Wilson	...	Ned Coleman
Sara Foster	...	Nancy Hayes
Gary Sinise	...	Ray Ritchie

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and nudity, violence and language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:14 | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) | USA:R (original rating) | Malaysia:U | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40396)

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

Shangri-La Entertainment

Trivia:

The finished PG-13 rated film appears to have a great deal of censoring from what was probably originally cut as an R film. As such several "f" words are overdubbed with much less strong words (with their mouths visibly saying something else). Also, it appears the romance between Jack and Nancy had been toned down slightly by removing scenes and moments that appear in the film's theatrical trailer.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Sara and Owen are talking about which exercise video to use, Sara's mouth doesn't match the audio when she's drinking.

Quotes:

Jack Ryan: Are you serious? You really wanna box?
Nancy Hayes: If I win, you show me how to steal a car. If you win, I do whatever you want. Put em up!
Jack Ryan: You grow up on a marine base?
Nancy Hayes: Don't use the, "I've never hit a girl" excuse.
Jack Ryan: I've never hit a girl.
[Nancy hits him in the head]
Jack Ryan: Don't be hitting me in my head when I'm not looking. You just awakened a sleeping giant.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: 'The Big Bounce': A Con in the Making (#11.2)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Marching To The Killing Rhythm

Elvis lives, number nine

Greetings again from the darkness. What a total waste of a cool cast. Having never read Elmore Leonard's novel, I can't say whether the movie butchered the book or not. I can say that this is an extremely unfunny, poorly made movie with a ridiculous story that had me flashing back to those Elvis in Hawaii movies ... only without the charm and music! Director George Armitage ("Miami Blues", "Grosse Point Blank") either hated the story or called in sick everyday. Supermodel Sara Foster lacks the acting chops for her vital role in this triple-crossing fiasco. Talented screen veterans Morgan Freeman and Gary Sinise are totally wasted in this and comics Owen Wilson, Bebe Neuwirth and Charlie Sheen require some funny material to work their magic. Have I mentioned that the script was awful? Everytime I got my hopes up, I was left feeling empty. The domino game with Freeman, Wilson, Willie Nelson and Harry Dean Stanton could have been a classic scene, but instead fell flat. Even an early scene with football heroes Tony Dorsett, Mike Renfro and Pete Johnson goes nowhere because they are just treated as window dressing. When a movie wastes Vinnie Jones ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels") we know it has nothing going for it. The scenes of Hawaii and the beautiful shoreline and water are the only good things to be taken from this.