SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE BIG KAHUNA

"THE BIG KAHUNA"
(2000) (Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Mild	None	Heavy	None	None

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	None	None	Extreme

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Moderate	Minor	Mild	Minor

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: Three representatives from an industrial lubricant company - two of which are sales veterans and old friends - clash as they hope to land a big account during a marketing promotion in a hotel's hospitality suite.

PLOT:

In the small hospitality suite of a Wichita hotel, veteran salesmen and longtime friends Larry Mann (KEVIN SPACEY) and Phil Cooper (DANNY DEVITO) have arrived along with Bob Walker (PETER FACINELLI), a young and relatively new employee at Lodestar Laboratories, to pitch their industrial lubricant products to prospective buyers.

As the men prepare the suite for the upcoming reception, their differences immediately become apparent. While Bob appears naīve but eager, Phil seems worn out with the business and the life of being a salesmen. Larry, on the other hand, is eager to make his pitch to their biggest potential client, dubbed "The Big Kahuna," but is otherwise a sardonic man with no qualms about speaking his mind or belittling others with his acerbic wit and comments.

As a result, the conflicting personalities and behavior of the three men soon comes to a head as the evening wears on and Larry realizes that Bob has strong religious convictions and isn't above discussing them with others. When their efforts of landing the Big Kahuna seemingly fail, the tensions rise and the differences between the men soon leads to some unpredictable revelations and behavior.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Unless they're fans of one or more of the three principal actors, it's not very likely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: KEVIN SPACEY plays a bitter and sarcastic salesman who doesn't hesitate to speak his mind or belittle others. He also uses strong profanity and drinks some.
DANNY DEVITO plays his long-time cohort and friend who's worn out by the business and looking for a way out/a new lifestyle. He also uses strong profanity and smokes.
PETER FACINELLI plays a young man who's new with the company, doesn't particularly agree with his coworkers' lifestyle or beliefs, and isn't above pushing his religion on others.; DANNY DEVITO plays his long-time cohort and friend who's worn out by the business and looking for a way out/a new lifestyle. He also uses strong profanity and smokes.
PETER FACINELLI plays a young man who's new with the company, doesn't particularly agree with his coworkers' lifestyle or beliefs, and isn't above pushing his religion on others.; PETER FACINELLI plays a young man who's new with the company, doesn't particularly agree with his coworkers' lifestyle or beliefs, and isn't above pushing his religion on others.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:: Here's a quick look at the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity is what earns the film its rating and includes at least 10 uses of the "f" word, while other profanities and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some sexually related comments are made (some as metaphors) with one of them being graphic, but brief, in nature. One character reads through a pornographic magazine, but beyond the title being given, we don't see or hear any pornographic material.
Several characters drink while one smokes at least ten times, and the three men get into heated arguments/debates over various topics that may possibly offend some viewers. As such, varying degrees of bad attitudes are present. Beyond that and a moment where two of the characters get into a brief scuffle, the rest of the film's categories have little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content. That said, should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness, a closer examination of the specific examples listed under our fifteen categories should address your concerns.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: At various times we see the bar in the hospitality suite that contains many bottles of liquor.
Larry pours himself a drink.
As Larry has another drink, he guesses that Bob doesn't drink (but Bob says he has a beer now and then) and learns that Phil has given up liquor.
A bartender offers Phil a free drink, but he turns it down (while others at the bar drink).
Larry pours himself another drink.
After being assigned to be the bartender (although he knows nothing about doing so), we see what's presumably Bob daydreaming about being the hot and flashy bartender. Then we come back to reality and see him awkwardly mixing and serving drinks to those attending their get-together.
Two more daydreams/fantasies show Larry having drinks with others and then Phil having a drink.
We see miscellaneous characters drinking at a party.

BLOOD/GORE: None.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Larry is sarcastic toward everyone he encounters and isn't above speaking his mind or challenging others' behavior and convictions. During the course of the evening, he asks Bob if he's gay (because he doesn't lust after women).
Some viewers may also not like Larry talking about women as objects to look at/lust over (he asks Bob what turns him on about women). He and Bob then get into an argument where Bob comments that Jesus stated that lusting after women is just as bad as having an affair. Larry then replies that Jesus never saw a woman in a business suit, and that if he did, we'd have a different kind of religion where lusting would be a sacrament.
The same holds true where Larry questions whether Bob is Catholic and could be canonized. When Bob states that he's a Baptist, Larry says that he needs to pick a different religion where one can "move up." Later, Larry states that the three men, when combined (him not smoking, Phil not drinking and Bob not lusting after women), are practically Jesus.
Upon hearing that Bob and a big potential client chatted and that the client asked about Bob's wife, Larry asks Bob if he offered the client his wife in exchange for throwing some business their way.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: None.

GUNS/WEAPONS: None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "F*ck you," "Get the f*ck out," "F*cked up the ass" (nonsexual), "C*cks*cking liar," "Sh*t can," "Full of sh*t," "Horsesh*t," "Don't give a sh*t," "Sh*tty," "Bitching," "Jeez," "Idiot," "Moron," "Dildos" and "Piss this guy off."
Larry puts his gum into some dip on a tray of hors d'oeuvres.
Although it's only a daydream/fantasy, we see Phil leap from the balcony of the hospitality suite (on an upper floor). We only see the leap and not the imagined fall or impact.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 10 "f" words (1 used sexually), 7 "s" words, 2 slang terms using male genitals ("c*cks*cking" and "d*ck"), 9 asses (3 used with "hole"), 8 hells, 7 damns, 3 S.O.B.s, 5 uses of "G-damn," 4 of "Jesus Christ," 2 of "Jesus" and 1 use each of "For Christ's Sakes," "God," "Oh Jesus Christ," "Oh Jesus," "Oh Christ" and "Swear to God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: Phil read through a Penthouse magazine, but we don't see any pictures associated with it.
Larry talks about women as objects to look at/lust over and asks Bob what turns him on about women. He and Bob then get into an argument where Bob comments that Jesus stated that lusting after women is just as bad as having an affair. Larry then replies that Jesus never saw a woman in a business suit, and that if he did, we'd have a different kind of religion where lusting would be a sacrament.
Larry jokes about telling a prospective client that they could take him as their concubine, or Phil in the same role if they found him more attractive.
While discussing what he thinks of Bob, Larry tells him that he doubts Bob has ever gone into a strip joint, gone up on stage, thrown a stripper down to the floor and "f*cked her brains out."
Although he's saying it as a metaphor, Larry says that just "one tiny ejaculation" from the big Kahuna they're trying to get a business deal with would make their company "big with child." He then later uses the term "circle jerk" in the same manner (not in the usual sexual connotation).
Upon hearing that Bob and a big potential client chatted and that the client asked about Bob's wife, Larry asks Bob if he offered the client his wife in exchange for throwing some business their way.
Larry tells Phil that he needs to buy a gross of condoms and then go at it "like hamsters in heat" with some women to help break him out of his rut.

SMOKING: Phil smokes nearly 10 times, Larry smokes once in a fantasy and some miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Phil admits that he's divorced.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: The disparate ways in which the men look at life and deal with problems, and each other.
The life of those involved in sales.

VIOLENCE: After a heated argument, Larry grabs Bob and pushes him into a table. The two then fall to the floor where Bob then has his hands at Larry's neck, but Phil separates them before anything else happens.

Reviewed April 19, 2000 / Posted May 12, 2000

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