Release Date:
Friday, April 28, 2000
The Big Kahuna takes place in one day, in one room, in Wichita, Kansasbut dont run away just yet. The story revolves around Larry (Kevin Spacey), Phil (Danny DeVito), and Bob (Peter Facinelli), three industrial lubricant salesman at a convention in the above-mentioned dull-as-paint city. Rather than turning into Deaths of Some Salesmen, Kahuna addresses issues of loyalty, faith, religion, and love using funny dialogue and some damn fine acting.
The show (as is fast becoming a given in every movie he appears in) belongs to Spacey. Hes a dynamic force on screen, and his Larry is built of equal parts charm, integrity, and cojones. DeVito is superb as a sad sack who seems to sink lower with every meaningless business trip, and Facinelli is surprising as a fresh-faced newcomer with devout religious beliefs. Thrown together, these three come across as the same person at three different points in his lifeidealism turned to cynicism turned to surrender. As their conversations begin to peel back layers of their personalities, there are several genuine insights that manage to steer clear of cliché.
The claustrophobic setting works in Kahunas favor, with a few scenes taking place outside the room to give the audience a quick breath of fresh air. Obviously, there is no action in this intimate setting, but the story somehow jogs along at a decent clip. While not as testosterone-fueled a talky guy movie as Glengarry Glen Ross or Goodfellas, The Big Kahuna offers something more subdued and is definitely worth a look.
The show (as is fast becoming a given in every movie he appears in) belongs to Spacey. Hes a dynamic force on screen, and his Larry is built of equal parts charm, integrity, and cojones. DeVito is superb as a sad sack who seems to sink lower with every meaningless business trip, and Facinelli is surprising as a fresh-faced newcomer with devout religious beliefs. Thrown together, these three come across as the same person at three different points in his lifeidealism turned to cynicism turned to surrender. As their conversations begin to peel back layers of their personalities, there are several genuine insights that manage to steer clear of cliché.
The claustrophobic setting works in Kahunas favor, with a few scenes taking place outside the room to give the audience a quick breath of fresh air. Obviously, there is no action in this intimate setting, but the story somehow jogs along at a decent clip. While not as testosterone-fueled a talky guy movie as Glengarry Glen Ross or Goodfellas, The Big Kahuna offers something more subdued and is definitely worth a look.