Initial release date: July 26, 1996
Studios: MGM/Rysher Entertainment
Tagline: A comedy right up your alley.
From the idiots what brung you ‘Dumb and Dumber’
Plot: Roy Munson is a young bowler with a promising career ahead of him until a disreputable colleague, Ernie McCracken, tricks him into participating in a con game that ends with Toy’s bowling hand crippled for life. Years later, Roy ekes out a hardscrabble existence until he discovers Amish bowling phenom Ishmael. With the help of a gangster’s girlfriend, he plots to take Ishmael to the top of the bowling world.
Cast
Woody Harrelson (Midway; Zombieland: Double Tap) - Roy Munson
Randy Quaid - Ishamel
Vanessa Angel - Claudia
Bill Murray (The Dead Don’t Die) - Ernie McCracken
Chris Elliot (Schitt’s Creek) - The Gambler
Lin Shaye (The Grudge) - Landlady
Zen Gesner - Thomas
Rob Moran (Blended) - Standley Osmanski
Writer(s): Barry Franco (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry; Men in Black II)
Mort Nathan (Boat Trip)
Director: Bobby Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber To)
Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber To; Green Book)
Rated PG-13 for crude sex-related humor and a drug scene (114 min)
‘Kingpin’ may not be the most popular movie from the Farrelly Brothers. But, this bowling comedy does feature quite a few good laughs and garnered a cult following over the years.
Woody Harrelson, who plays a washed out bowling champion, can be hilarious in quite a few scenes that he appears in. Co-star Randy Quaid has a few standout moments as the bowling-playing Amish man. Besides playing Cousin Eddie in a few of the ‘Vacation’ movies, this could be the most well-known movie he co-starred in outside the National Lampoon series.
And, of course, the one and only Billy Murray steals the show in all his scenes and is extremely hilarious. I mean, come on, Murray is hilarious in almost everything he does!
Sure, there are some jokes and gags that can be a little crude, like most of the Farrelly Brothers movies. But, the laughs do keep on coming in this comedy. There are quite a few times that you will find yourself laughing out loud and it is a good little watch.
So, make sure to check out this Farrelly Brothers comedy on Hulu!
FYI - ‘Kingpin’ turned 25 this past July!
Here are some interesting tidbits about ‘Kingpin’:
Peter Farrelly called the movie’s box office failure the biggest disappointment of their career, attributing the failure to its release during the 1996 Olympics. Farrelly said it was crushing. However, he said that six to eight months later, when it was released on home video, it became a big hit.
As is the case with most of his movies, Bill Murray ad-libbed virtually every line he spoke, including the commercial. He would read over the script, get the general idea, and then discard it. The Farrelly Brothers, on the DVD commentary, said that they’re very glad he did, because it was funnier.
Will Ferrell provided several of the background “shout outs” during the bowling finals un-credited.
According to Chris Farley’s agent Doug Robinson, Chris was offered the part of Ishmael, but his contractual obligation to appear in ‘Black Sheep’ derailed this plan.
Michael Keaton was originally considered for the role of Roy Munson.
In the final tournament, the announcer says there is a Cinderella story shaping up here, referring to one of Bill Murray’s famous scenes in ‘Caddyshack.’
Bill Murray really bowled three strikes in a row in a scene where his character does the same. The crowd’s reaction is genuine and is actually for Murray. Harrelson, on the other hand, was a terrible bowler and according to the Farrelly’s maybe got one or two strikes throughout the filming.
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