Kingpin is not just the greatest bowling movie ever made – probably not a tough call – it’s also a chance to see one of Bill Murray’s most memorable and quotable performances.
With Dumb & Dumber in 1994 and There’s Something About Mary following four years later, the Farrelly Brothers were the comedy hitmakers of the 1990s.
Yet arguably their finest work exist two years between Jeff Daniels getting his tongue stuck to a pole and Ben Stiller getting his testicles stuck in his zipper – the greatest bowling comedy of all time, Kingpin. OK fine, it’s actually the best bowling movie, no matter the genre (The Big Lebowski is about much so more than bowling – like a carpet that really ties the room together – so it misses out on this glittering honour, in case you were wondering if we had forgotten about it).
When film buffs point to the genius of Bill Murray, they often think of Ghostbusters, Caddyshack or Lost in Translation, but for our money, there’s no greater creation of his than Ernie McCracken, the lovably hateful and inappropriate antagonist of this Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid-starring slapstick comedy.
With a comb over that would make Bobby Charlton swoon and the most amazing bowling ball ever (see above), nearly every line from Murray’s character is a gem, such as telling the film’s eye candy, Vanessa Angel – apparently an old flame of McCracken’s – “It’s a small world when you’ve got unbelievable tits.”
The film itself centres upon sad sack Roy Munson, a former bowling prodigy who is now living without his teenage mane, without his bowling hand and is forced to keep his apartment by committing himself to one of the most vomit-inducing sex scenes imaginable with his decrepit landlady. Honestly, if you’ve never seen the film then just skip past it, lest it becomes seared into your memory.
The suitably-named Vanessa Angel is another reason to catch Kingpin
In fact, Munson’s downfall has been so sharp that he appears completely oblivious that it has spawned a new term for those that have fallen on hard time – being ‘Munsoned’.
It’s a recurring joke throughout the film and best used when he spots old rival McCracken starring in a charity advert for children “that could have been Munsoned” that are being raised by single, extremely attractive mothers with his help. “Sometimes when I wake up in the morning Mr. McCracken’s already there,” an wide-eyed child tells the camera.
Munson spots his shot at a comeback, however, when he eyes a new bowling prodigy in the lanes and sets out to become his manager. Never mind that Randy Quaid’s Ishmael is Amish, defecates in urinals and is pleasingly oblivious to modern day slang or cultural norms. Much like Will Ferrell’s character from Elf, he’s kind-hearted, simple and… well, he’s just very simple, to be honest.
Where Kingpin really takes off, however, is any time Bill Murray takes to the screen. His comic creation of devoid of charm (sample chat-up line at a diner: “Hi. No, not you. Hi…”) and incredibly dastardly that he makes every scene a joy. In contrast to the dim-witted but lovable Ishmael or the increasingly pathetic Roy, he carries the arrogance of a man with a single rose that’s somehow inside his personal bowling ball.
In contrast to the two aforementioned Farrelly Brothers’ classics, Kingpin was both a commercial and critical flop, yet has thankfully gained a cult following over the past two decades.
As of this writing, the film carries a weak 6.6 IMDb fan rating, a 55% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating and was also a bust at the box office, failing to recoup its $27 million budget with a $25 million domestic haul. Do people really hate bowling that much? Are they so oblivious to the charms of Vanessa Angel’s eye-watering attire throughout the film’s breezy running time?
We’ll never understand why Kingpin never quite enjoyed the fanfare it so thoroughly deserved but that’s why it belongs in our cult film section. If you call yourself a Bill Murray fan and have yet to see his Ernie McCracken ad-lib his way throughout an entire film, you only have yourself to blame. So while Kingpin may have been Munsoned by the general public, we reckon it’s still as unmissable as ever.
For more cult films, check out the Jameson Cult Film Club.
