The Big Kahuna

Written by: Roger Rueff (from his play) Starring: Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Peter Facinelli A pointless talkfest which, despite its pretensions, doesn’t say much about the human condition but does illuminate the problems that can arise when a play is moved wholesale to the big screen. I will grant that Rueff occasionally displays a knack for dialogue, but he is no more David Mamet than “The Big Kahuna” is “Glengarry Glen Ross.” It is hard to see why this picture was even made. Whatever the virtues of the work in its stage incarnation, very little here would seem to lend itself to movie treatment. Shot almost entirely in one room, this movie’s idea of “opening up” the play is to have a ten second shot of one of the characters on a street corner. I am not saying that every play made into a movie has to have machine guns and aliens, but I waited in vain for something remotely cinematic to happen. I must conclude that one of the big stars had a hankering to do this material on screen, and so got it made. Three sales reps--Larry (Spacey), Phil (DeVito), and Bob (Facinelli)--of a firm that makes industrial lubricants are in a hotel suite (indeed, the original name of the play was “Hospitality Suite”) during a convention.

Larry is the cynical, fiery one, Phil the tired, burnt-out one who has undergone some sort of trauma that is alluded to repeatedly but never really explained (if that sounds annoying, it it), and Bob is the wet-behind-the-ears novice who also happens to be extremely religious. It’s not giving too much away to say that Larry and Bob clash. The crux (if there is one) of the story is whether the three will have a chance to meet--and pitch to--a potentially huge client (the “Big Kahuna” of the title, though I must say that the title change does no service to the picture). Unfortunately, that is about it. There are long stretches of dialogue, the bulk of which is more tedious than gripping. While Rueff scores an occasional zinger (mostly out of Larry), there is not enough good stuff to go around. Mostly the three bicker and squabble, tell half truths and flat out lies, and try to distract each other (and us) while waiting for something to happen (think of it as “Waiting for Kahuna”).

Meanwhile, an air of gloominess hangs over the proceedings, which I suppose is intentional, and perhaps even appropriate for the story, but which renders the picture tiresome in the extreme. If Rueff and Swanbeck were after some larger truths about salesmen, or men in general, or humans, or even the conflict between faith and commerce, they pretty much fall flat. Worse yet, they never even allow the picture to establish a point of view about the argument between Larry and Bob, and that is a copout. The movie ends rather abruptly, having resolved nothing. A strong picture takes a position, recognizing that the viewer might disagree. A weak picture like this one, perhaps striving for some kind of “honest ambivalence,” refuses to do so; however, such a ploy cripples, rather than strengthens, the picture. The only thing that makes “The Big Kahuna” even remotely watchable is the quality of the cast. Spacey is at the top of his game; he reads every line perfectly and almost makes them matter. DeVito is equally convincing in the less flashy role, and Facinelli is believable as the devout newcomer. But in the end it is more of an acting clinic than a drama. There is neither humor nor insight enough to make this movie worthwhile for anyone other than a huge fan of these actors. It’s not even “Death of a Salesman” Lite; it’s more like death of a salesman’s audience. (5/29/2000)