The Big Tease (1999)

The Big Tease is big fun, a fish-out-of-water tale teeming with charm and a hilariously satiric view of life in L. A.

Director:

Kevin Allen

Writers:

Sacha Gervasi, Craig Ferguson

Stars:

Craig Ferguson, Chris Langham, David Rasche

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Craig Ferguson	...	Crawford Mackenzie
Chris Langham	...	BBC Interviewer
David Rasche	...	Stig
Frances Fisher	...	Candy
Mary McCormack	...	Monique
Donal Logue	...	Eamonn
Isabella Aitken	...	Mrs. Beasie Mackenzie
Kevin Allen	...	Gareth Trundle
Angela McCluskey	...	Senga Magoogan
Francine York	...	Elegant Woman
David Hasselhoff	...	David Hasselhoff
Drew Carey	...	Drew Carey
Cathy Lee Crosby	...	Cathy Lee Crosby
Caitlyn Jenner	...	Bruce Jenner (as Bruce Jenner)
Nina Siemaszko	...	Betty Fuego

Storyline

Flamboyant Glasgow hairdresser, Crawford Mackinzie, gets a letter from the World Hairdresser International Federation inviting him to its prestigious annual contest in L.A. Filmmaker Martin Samuels is making a fly-on-the-wall documentary about Crawford; he and the crew go too. After maxing out his credit card at the Century Plaza Hotel, Crawford discovers he's been invited to participate in the audience, not the contest; he tries every angle imaginable to get in the competition: he phones fellow Scot Sean Connery, he gets a union card, he asks the reigning champion for help, and he connects with Connery's publicist, who's having a bad hair day. Will he succeed, for the little people?

---

Plot Keywords:

hairdresser | competition | reference to liberace | los angeles california | homosexual | 

---

Taglines:

He saw. He combed. He conquered.

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The hairpieces used in the final Platinum Scissors competition are made from real human hair. Acrylic (which is normally used in wigs) doesn't photograph well and ends up looking like plastic. Each hairpiece weighed about 4 pounds.

---

Goofs

Crawford rents a car that was apparently stolen from a Korean cook named Chokko. When Crawford visits Chokko's house, the camera pans and reveals a sign above the doorway on the ground floor displaying what seems to be 'Asian' characters. However, it's neither Korean nor any other Asian language. The characters are entirely fictitious.

---

Quotes

Crawford Mackenzie: Sorry, Candy. I adore you, I really do. It's just that I prefer my women with a penis.

---

Connections

References Goldfinger (1964)

---

Soundtracks

California Dreamin' (Remix)
Written by Michelle Phillips (as Michelle Gilliam) and John Phillips
Performed by High Jinx
Remixed by Dom T.
Courtesy of Rumour Records Limited

User Reviews

"Best in Blow" or "Best in Shear"?

Unjustly obscure, this mock-umentary is certainly not revolutionary film making or Oscar material, but it does offer gentle laughs and some amusing performances and visuals. Ferguson stars (and appears in virtually every scene) as a Scottish hairdresser who gets a letter inviting him to an international hair styling competition in Los Angeles. This is cause for Langham to film a BBC documentary on him and much of the film is from that perspective (although Ferguson also narrates in blurbs filmed after the event.) Falling somewhere in between the lame "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and the sublime "Best in Show", the film is full of odd situations and the infectious charm of Ferguson as he sets out to win top honors. Needless to say, if Ferguson weren't entertaining the film would be sunk. Thankfully, he is delightful throughout. Fisher, though less endearing, also provides nice support for him. Several excellent comedic performers pop up along the way, notably the bizarre and side-splitting Miller as a harried hotel manager. Rasche sinks humorously into his role as Ferguson's chief competitor. McCormack, a very attractive young lady, perfectly captures the phony, insincere aspects of the contest organizer. And any film that even briefly utilizes the untapped charms of McGinley can't be all bad. Home video viewers may need to use subtitles to catch all of the remarks as the authentic Scottish accents are sometimes hard to completely understand. Some real life hair professionals appear, but star cameos are minimal. Carey inexplicably shows up as himself, but with a full head of hair. Hasselhoff comes off amusingly as himself. Crosby, an actress who always could have used a good stylist, appears briefly as a demonstration assistant. One quibble: If the film was going to be rated R anyway, why not show more of the lead's physical assets. What's shown is great, but all too brief. On it's own little terms, this is a charming and fun movie.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 January 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Je M'Appelle Crawford

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$29,010, 30 January 2000

Gross USA:

$187,152

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$187,152

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Crawford P., I Should Coco Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1