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Movies / On DVD / The Big Kahuna
The Big Kahuna

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The Big Kahuna (1999)

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74 %
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Reviews Counted:76

Fresh:56

Rotten:20

Average Rating:6.4/10

Consensus: Wonderful adaptation of the stage play.

Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: First-time feature director John Swanbeck teams up with producer-actor Kevin Spacey for this big screen adaptation of Roger Rueff's play HOSPITALITY SUITE. The story concerns three lubricant... First-time feature director John Swanbeck teams up with producer-actor Kevin Spacey for this big screen adaptation of Roger Rueff's play HOSPITALITY SUITE. The story concerns three lubricant salesmen who have gathered in a Witchita, Kansas hotel room in order to throw a cocktail party for prospective buyers. They are Larry (Spacey), a harsh, cocky veteran; his partner Phil (Danny DeVito), a passive recovering alcoholic; and Bob (Peter Facinelli), a naïve new colleague whose ethics drive Larry into fits of disbelief. The trio waits for the night's arrivals--most specifically, "The Big Kahuna," a man so wealthy that he has the ability to single-handedly revive Larry and Phil's struggling careers. After the party, Larry and Phil are dumbfounded when they discover that Bob actually spoke to him, only their conversation consisted solely of religious dialogue. Larry sends Bob in search of "The Big Kahuna" with the order that he discuss business if he wants to remain employed. The subsequent hours provide each individual with the chance to exorcise his inner demons once and for all. Limited in its usage of locations, Rueff's big-screen adaptation of his play contains inspired performances from Spacey, DeVito, and Facinelli. [More]

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito, Peter Facinelli

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito, Peter Facinelli

Director: John Swanbeck

Director: John Swanbeck
Screenwriter: Roger Rueff
Producer: Elie Samaha, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Stevens
Composer: Christopher Young

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 29, 2000

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Big Kahuna

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
3/5

Jim Lane

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2008 03:16 AM

Sacramento News & Review

N/R

Emanuel Levy

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 17 2008 03:15 AM

Variety

splat
2/4

Joe Lozito

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 14 2007 05:21 AM

Big Picture Big Sound

N/R

Stephen Whitty

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 19 2006 04:08 AM

San Francisco Examiner

N/R

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 24 2006 04:06 AM

Time Out

N/R

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 26 2006 03:17 AM

Combustible Celluloid

splat
2/5

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 01 2006 04:08 AM

Empire Magazine

splat
2/5

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2005 08:01 PM

Film Threat

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 21 2005 03:55 AM

Houston Chronicle

tomato
B+

Philip Martin

Giving actors a chance to act seems to be the point...

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 02 2005 03:40 PM

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

tomato
B+

Jeffrey Overstreet

At our best, we admit our faults. And we admit that others, no matter how different, have something to teach us. What a surprising thing to learn from a film.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2004 05:12 PM

Looking Closer

tomato
3/5

Neil Smith

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 17 2004 08:18 AM

BBC

tomato
2.5/4

David Nusair

...worth watching just for the performances...

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 01 2003 08:07 AM

Reel Film Reviews

splat
C

Brent Simon

You get the feeling that The Big Kahuna would be great in-the-round theater, its ambiguous machinations benefiting from feeding off of a live audience. As filmed, however, it's just three characters waiting for a story.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 18 2003 11:33 AM

Entertainment Today

N/R

Beth Jones

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 28 2003 05:08 PM

Roanoke Times (Virginia)

N/R

Eugene Novikov

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 22 2003 05:08 PM

Film Blather

splat
2.5/4

Jeanne Aufmuth

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 14 2003 05:09 PM

Palo Alto Weekly

splat
2.5/4

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 25 2003 08:08 AM

Globe and Mail

splat
2/5

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 08 2002 08:19 AM

Film Threat

N/R

Jean Lowerison

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Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 21 2002 08:14 AM

San Diego Metropolitan

 
 
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