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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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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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81 - 95 (sorted by date)
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The Big Kahuna is best taken as an acting showcase for DeVito (whose low-key, deeply affecting performance is unlike anything he's done before) and Spacey.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Rene Rodriguez
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald

Spacey and DeVito deliver such layered, perceptive and detailed performances that their mere presence raises the picture to a recommendable level.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Kahuna] has three terrific actors working at the top of their form.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
01/01/00
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

Sharp-edged, perfectly timed, funny and thoughtful.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
At the Movies
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If we've all got something to sell, what parts do character and integrity play in our occupational goals? ** Interviews **

Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ross Anthony
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott A. Mantz
Scott A. Mantz
Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw
rec.arts.movies.reviews

It makes exactly the point that is the opposite of the point it thought it was making: Acting isn't enough.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Most films would quickly become stuffy with this limiting approach, but it is a tribute to the sharpness of the acting and the dialog that The Big Kahuna rarely does.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

Kahuna has great acting and sizzling dialogue.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Steven Rosen
Steven Rosen
Denver Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The destination is well worth the sometimes baffling and tedious journey.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Yet as much as we may resist, The Big Kahuna closes the sale.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Big Kahuna succeeds, describing the world many of us inhabit in a provocative fashion and inspiring a new appreciation for the likes of Willy Loman.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
01/01/00
Tobias Peterson
Tobias Peterson
PopMatters

Spacey is a delight to behold in this kind of slyly aggressive role.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
01/01/00
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 
 
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