Christopher Nolan Adores This Woody Harrelson Flopped Comedy Movie: “I Was So Struck”
The Farrelly brothers’ 1996 sports comedy can’t really boast much except for Christopher Nolan's words of admiration for only one part of the whole movie.
On par with movie giants like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan is a director to have faith in when it comes to film recommendations.
Even though Nolan himself isn’t a stranger to epic stories that get a large cinematic scope once they’re brought to the screen, he’s also a huge fan of some movies that struggled to find audiences back in the day.
Particularly, the director has only one film in mind when reminded of Woody Harrelson’s best performances on-screen. And, unlike many other viewers, Nolan went to the cinema several times to just enjoy the movie that failed dramatically.
Christopher Nolan Praises ‘Kingpin’ for Woody Harrelson’s Performance
Despite going all serious with his own sci-fi and historical storylines, Christopher Nolan doesn’t mind spending an evening with a good comedy film.
In fact, Nolan found something truly special in Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s 1996 sports comedy Kingpin starring Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray, eventually giving it a rewatch over and over again.
“If you look at Woody Harrelson’s performance in Kingpin, it’s one of the great performances. I went back to see it two or three times in the cinema. I was so struck by his performance”, the director once revealed, adding that he could see Harrelson’s commitment to the job and his sincerity on screen.
Apart from that, Nolan appreciated little and sometimes silly giggles that the movie gives its viewers, which the director’s fans probably couldn’t imagine in their wildest dreams.
“Other than the fact that I found it funny, and it was silly. The bit where he’s like, ‘I haven’t been back to my hometown, gosh, since…’ and then he turns to her, and his hair is all over, and he’s like, ‘How do I look?'” Nolan said.
Critics and Viewers Are Divided Over ‘Kingpin’
- On Rotten Tomatoes, Kingpin has scores of 50% and 69% from critics and viewers
- On IMDb, the movie is rated 6.9/10
It’s fair to say Woody Harrelson’s performance worked quite well with a mastermind like Christopher Nolan, but couldn’t cast a spell on critics.
The movie grossed $32 million against its budget of $25 million, continuing a pretty disheartening strike after being dubbed a tasteless comedy that joined the Farrelly brothers’ previous similar films.
“This bad-taste comedy about bowling champs, from the dudes who brought you Dumb and Dumber, decides to go scummy and scummier by blatantly ripping off several scenes…” Chicago Reader’s Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote about Kingpin upon the movie’s release.
The audiences, however, might be more of Christopher Nolan’s side.
“A wholesome classic, full of hilarious moments. There’s lore, there’s Bill Murray, Amish and a hook for a hand, what’s not to like? This is an absolutely awesome comedy, they don’t make them like this anymore!” user Tom W wrote on Rotten Tomatoes’ website.
