Kingpin (1996)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Directors:

Bobby Farrelly
Peter Farrelly

Writers (WGA):

Barry Fanaro (written by) &
Mort Nathan (written by)

Release Date:

26 July 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

A comedy right up your alley.

Plot:

A star bowler whose career was prematurely "cut off" hopes to ride a new prodigy to success and riches.

Plot Keywords:

Lancaster County | Comb Over | Hook For Hand | Kingpin | Sexual Favor

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Oct. 13	3:15 AM	TBS
Thur. Oct. 23	3:45 AM	TNT

Cast

Woody Harrelson	...	Roy Munson
Randy Quaid	...	Ishmael Boorg
Vanessa Angel	...	Claudia
Bill Murray	...	Ernie McCracken
Chris Elliott	...	The Gambler
William Jordan	...	Mr. Boorg
Richard Tyson	...	Owner of Stiffy's
Lin Shaye	...	Roy's Landlady
Zen Gesner	...	Thomas Boorg
Prudence Wright Holmes	...	Mrs. Boorg
Rob Moran	...	Stanley Osmanski
Daniel Greene	...	Calvert Munson (as Danny Greene)
Will Rothhaar	...	Young Roy
Mark Charpentier	...	1979 Bowling Buddy
Brad Faxon	...	1979 Bowling Buddy

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude sex-related humor and a drug scene.

Runtime:

113 min | USA:117 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Finland:K-10 | Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34604) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Canada:14A | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | USA:R (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Interstate 80, Reno, Nevada, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Roy's car is a 1972 Cutlass Convertible.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Ishmael throws his first strike for Roy, Roy puts his left hand in his coat pocket. In the next shot, Roy's hand is out of his pocket.

Quotes:

Mr. Boorg: How many children do you have?
Roy: None that I know of. I mean, I'm unable to have children. Nasty cheese grating accident as a boy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Welcome to Hollywood (2000)

Soundtrack:

She Came On

I Haven't laughed THIS hard at the movies too often

Young Roy Munson has been raised to be a bowler.It's what he does best. In 1979,at the age of eighteen,Roy(Woody Harrelson from here on out)is at the top of his game and a bona-fide star in his Ohio hometown. After he beats Ace pro Ernie"The Big Ern"McCracken(Bill Murray,smarmy and snarkly as ever)in a match,he is raked into Ernie's con game and pays a dear price for it.

Seventen years later,Roy is anything but the local hero he once was. He lives in a seedy apartment in small town Pennsylvania,does odd sales jobs and has to "satisfy" his decrepit landlady to avoid the rent. It's at one of the bowling alleys that Roy does routes to that he witnesses one Ishmael Boorg(Randy Quaid,backing his scene stealing performance in ID4 with this bravura turn),a sweet,gentle Amish man-child who has a natural knack for bowling. Needing money and smelling a chance at scoring big time,Roy decides to take Ishmael under his wing.

On the way to a Million dollar tournament in Las Vegas,Roy and Ishmael pick up a comely stowaway and ally in a gangster's moll(VAnessa Angel) and bond from mishap to mishap.

There's nothing particularly brilliant or especially sharp about this offering,the second from the brothers Farrelly,but its uniqueness and lack of restraint on the gross-out humor make this movie a very easy watch(for those who love that kind of stuff,of course). Harrelson,Quaid,Murray and Angel move effortlessly through this flick,which may explain why it's so good. Since this film,the Farrellys have steadily moved away from the almost merciless gross-out gags of their films and has made seeing their films a little less riotous and fun,so this movie is a healthy reminder of what a little imagination(I mean,honestly...a movie about Bowling AND the Amish?)and mischief can make. A great cheap rent or cable TV movie.