You wouldn’t want to meet these pinheads in an alley.|Jul. 04, 1996|USA|114 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Description: The 1996 film *Kingpin* follows the story of Roy Munson, a talented young bowler who wins the 1979 Iowa state bowling championship and sets out to pursue a professional career. In his debut tournament, Roy defeats seasoned pro Ernie McCracken, who becomes bitter and seeks revenge. McCracken tricks Roy into helping him scam local amateur bowlers. When the scheme is exposed, Roy is violently attacked and loses his hand in a ball return machine, ending his bowling career.
Seventeen years later, Roy is living in Scranton, Pennsylvania, struggling as a traveling salesman of bowling supplies and battling alcoholism. Constantly harassed by his landlady, Mrs. Dumars, he is forced to make humiliating compromises to avoid eviction. During a sales trip to a bowling alley, Roy meets Ishmael Boorg, an Amish man with a hidden talent for bowling. Roy persuades Ishmael to join him on a journey to a $1 million winner-takes-all bowling tournament in Reno, Nevada, pretending it is a mission trip to save Ishmael’s family farm.
Roy soon discovers that Ishmael lacks basic bowling knowledge and skills. However, after coaching, Ishmael improves, and the duo begins earning money through local tournaments and hustling. After defeating wealthy bowling enthusiast Stanley Osmanski, Roy and Ishmael flee when Osmanski discovers Roy’s fake bet. They are joined by Claudia, Osmanski’s girlfriend, who has also suffered from his abuse. Together, they continue their journey to the tournament.
*Kingpin* is a comedic tale of redemption, friendship, and the pursuit of second chances.
Cast director: Bobby Farrelly
Cast actor: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel, Bill Murray, Chris Elliott, William Jordan, Nancy Frey-Jarecki, Richard Tyson, Lin Shaye, Zen Gesner
Original name: Kingpin