Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- sardonic
- intimate
- dialogue night
- theater adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the stage adaptation sharp, funny, thoughtful, and well timed, though aggregate scores ranged from positive to mixed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story unfolds through extended conversations among three salesmen in a hotel hospitality suite.
Bob's strong religious beliefs sharply challenge Larry and Phil's worldly, transactional outlook.
The salesmen's evening revolves around winning the lubricant business of the influential client known as the Big Kahuna.
The convention hotel's hospitality suite functions as the principal arena for the characters' negotiations and confrontations.
Films like The Big Kahuna, and why
Glengarry Glen Ross
confined workplace setting, incisive dialogue, and ethical conflict between cynical professionals and a younger idealist
The Sunset Limited
stage-derived ensemble drama built around verbal sparring, professional ambition, and shifting moral authority
The Man from Earth
hotel-bound conversational drama examining belief, cynicism, and masculine friendship through extended dialogue
Movie Details
- Director
- John Swanbeck
- Release Date
- 1999-11-17
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (379)
Cast
- Kevin Spacey
- Danny DeVito
- Peter Facinelli
- Paul Dawson
- Christopher Donahue
- Ron Komora
- Frank L. Messina
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- History Vault
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Big Kahuna about?
- Three lubricant salesmen pursue a career-making client in a hotel suite, where faith turns a routine pitch into a piercing test of cynicism and conscience.
- What is The Big Kahuna like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Big Kahuna as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Big Kahuna violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Big Kahuna.
- What did critics think of The Big Kahuna?
- Critics generally found the stage adaptation sharp, funny, thoughtful, and well timed, though aggregate scores ranged from positive to mixed.
- Which films are like The Big Kahuna?
- Films with a similar feel include Glengarry Glen Ross, The Sunset Limited, and The Man from Earth.
- How long is The Big Kahuna?
- The Big Kahuna runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Big Kahuna?
- In United States, The Big Kahuna streams on History Vault.
