The Big Kahuna
I watched the movie "The Big Kahuna" some time back. Kevin Spacy plays the character Larry, Danny Devido plays Phil, and Peter Facinelli plays Bob. They are at a conference in Wichita as representatives for a company that sells industrial lubricant to hopefully meet and acquire the account of a big industrial person, Mr. Fuller, and sell them their lubricant. They have their own room to reveice business people. Larry and Phil are the marketing reprentatives and Bob is newly employed for 6 months. Larry and Phil’s want to meet Mr. Fuller and discuss lubricants however they don’t get a chance. Bob gets a chance to talk to Mr. Fuller but never gets around to talking about lubricants with Mr. Fuller. There are several parts in the movie that I found interesting so I thought I would transcribe them.
In the movie, around half way through to the end Phil is relaxed. I found it interesting because he looks really relaxed. So, that’s just a note. At this point in the film they’ve sent Bob to go meet Mr. Fuller at a private party and it’s late and they are sitting around in the empty room where they had their meeting.
Phil: What makes you think I’m taking medication?
Larry: Because I’ve never seen you this relaxed before. I mean I almost get the impression that you just frankly don’t give a sh*t.
Phil: I don’t.
Larry: No, I know that, we all don’t give a sh*t to a certain extent. What I’m saying is its like you don’t care.
Phil: I’m tired Larry.
Larry: Well I recongnise that its been a very long day.
Phil: That’s not what I mean.
[pause]
Larry: I get what you are driving at and I sympathise, I do, we all know you’ve been going throught a lot lately-and Phil for a long time now I’ve been meaning to state outright if you need anything at all, you don’t hesitate to call, day or night. I would have said something sooner but I -I thought it maybe it was understood.
Phil: I assumed as much.
Larry: Well, you were right to. And I hope you know I mean it.
(Phil: I’ve been thinking about making a few changes.)
With the above dialogue, what I liked/found interesting was how Phil’s tiredness is described. It’s not an ordinary tiredness that comes through but a deeper tiredness, like life events have made one tired to an undefinable point.
I liked Phil’s description of his dream about God in this next dialogue.
Phil: I’ve been thinking about a lot of other things lately too.
Larry: Well Phil if something’s bothering you get it out, I mean it doesn’t do any good to let things fester…what exactly have you been thinking so much about?
Phil: Life.
Larry: Life?
Phil: And death.
Larry: Jesus!, not you too! what is it with everyone suddenly thinking about life and death? Is there something going on that nobody is telling me about that I should be told about like sunspots or something? Is there a plague coming to wipe us from the globe?
Phil: Strange things happen.
Larry: No they don’t, not unless they are printed first in the USA Today. Jesus comes again he’s got to give them two days notice, time to work up one of them little graphs.
Phil: I’ve been thinking about God lately too. Wondering.
Larry: About God?
Phil: Yeah.
Larry: What about him?
Phil: I don’t know I, haven’t you just wondered about God…ever?
Larry: Well yeah every wonders about God every now and then its just some of us don’t dwell on it, you know? I give it a place. I believe what I believe.
Phil: Which is what?
Larry: How the h*ll should I know?
Phil: When I was a kid I had a dream about God. I dreamt I found him hiding in a closet, in the middle of a burnt out city. This city was destroyed by fire…or some kind of explosion.And there in the middle of it…was a coatcloset…standing there all by itself. And I walk up to the closet and opened the door…and inside was God. Hiding. I remember he had a big lionhead. But I knew it wasn’t a lion. It was God. And he was afraid. And I reached out my hand, to lead him out of the closet… and I said, "Don’t be afraid God. I’m on your side." And we stood there…the two of us…holding hands…looking out over the destruction. It was just after sunset… I don’t know why but I’ve always had this haunting feeling that I had some kind of mission here on earth.
Larry: A mission?
Phil: Yeah.
Larry: What kind of mission?
Phil: I have no idea.
Larry: Well, I’ll tell you what your mission is. Your mission is the same as mine. To be a liason between parties.
Phil: Things like that don’t bother you, uh?
Larry: What do you mean, dreams?
Phil: Questions about God.
Larry: Well I figure, you know I’m going to find out sooner or later. My wondering about it isn’t going to change anything. And you know in the mean time why lose sleep? I get precious little as it is.
Phil: But you still wonder don’t you?
Larry: I’m human, Phil.
Phil: I know.
The next dialogue is between Larry and Bob after he gets back from the private party and doesn’t talk to Mr. Fuller about lubricants. Bob likes to talk about Jesus.
Larry: You mentioned Jesus first?
Bob: Yes.
Larry: Why?
Bob: Because its very important to me. That people hear about Jesus.
Larry: You mean that he died for their sins?
Bob: Yes.
Larry: Ok Bob, let me restate the question. Understanting that it was very important to our being here that we meet with and speak with Mr. Fuller concerning the lubricant situation, why did you instead choose to talk to him about Jesus?
Bob: Because I think its more important.
Larry: Even though we are at a convention where its more costumary to talk business?
Bob: Yes, I understand Larry, I I just don’t see the crime in speaking to another human being as another human being. I didn’t mention work or lubricants to anything like that because I didn’t want him to think I was using the subject of religion to cousy up to him. To get him to sign some contract. I didn’t want him to think I was insincere.
Larry: But you were insincere in a much greater sense.
Bob: If we are nothing but functions here. Then why don’t they just send robots?
Larry: They don’t send robots Bob, for the simple reason that they haven’t invented one yet. The day comes when they can build a robot to do what we do and make it work, then that is exactly what they will do, precisely. But until that day, they send us, they say, " Hey Bob, Larry, Phil, why don’t you go on down to Wichita for a couple of days. Don’t worry about your room and board, we’ll take care of that. And for a couple of days, Bob, we lose our identities here in Wichita and we become the hands of the company, shaking all the other hands before us. What you did, the reason you were insincere is that you cut of that bond, it would be like the hand just sort of breaking from the arm and saying, "Oh, you know what I have this other thing out here to do that has nothing to do with you."
Bob: Apostle Paul said…
Larry: Please don’t do that. Please don’t do that. I’m trying to have a conversation here with you don’t bring the Apostle Paul in. I’m trying to do something else.
Bob: I don’t see how we can have a conversation like this if I’m not allowed to bring up the subject of God?!
Larry: I’m not talking about God. I’m talking about something bigger then God.
Bob: Bigger then God?!
Larry: At issue Bob is not your belief in God and your desire to spread that belief. At issue is what we are here to do.
Bob: Which is what Larry? Which is what?
Larry: We are here to sell lubricants Bob, industrial lubricants! We’re not here to save souls!
Towards the end of the movie, Phil and Bob have a conversation after Larry leaves. Its about character. There is a youtube clip about it here . Starting around 1:15 onward is good.. I liked the dialogue about character, some parts about it.
