A writer returns to his hometown where he faces the childhood nemesis whose life he ultimately ruined, only the bully wants to relive their painful past by torturing him once again.
“In this world, there are two kinds of animals, the hunters and the hunted, and I was always in season,” David Leary in a cringe-worthy voiceover narrates this extremely early ’90s comedy. Ever since childhood, David has been constantly targeted by Roscoe Bigger (Tom Arnold), also known as Fang due to his intimidating snaggletooth. The younger David has a group of what the ’90s considered “diverse friends” in the form of a big kid, a black kid, and a red-headed boy. There’s a lot of scenes showing the pranks and attacks David is forced to endure that isn’t funny or necessary for the storyline. After getting another school picture ruined by Fang’s fists, David catches his bully stealing a rock that’s allegedly from the moon and tells the school principal. Not too long after, David’s parents announce they’re moving to California since his father has been promoted and says goodbye to his tiny Minnesota town.
Cut to years later, David (now a grown-up Rick Moranis) is sitting inside a book shop promoting his new book called ‘The Last Straw.’ Unfortunately, the customers are more interested in the new Stephen King novel and he ends up directing almost everyone to the correct aisle. Until a very Hollywood 1990s stoner slacker walks in and is intrigued by David’s over-embellished synopsis of his book, finally he makes a sale. His agent enters wearing some ugly fez hat and mentions he’s got a new job in Minnesota as an elementary school teacher and his son Ben needs to be picked up from school. I found it odd that an agent would be passing this along, does she receive a percentage of his teacher’s salary?
His son Ben is very period-appropriate wearing two different plaid shirts, baggy jeans, and carrying a skateboard. Ben is displeased they have to move and David makes a funny comment about Prince living in Minnesota.
Prince joke aside, the writing is sloppy and lazy. As soon as he enters his old hometown, everyone recognizes him and he recognizes them as well. It’s quite impossible to me that thirty-something years later, every former classmate and townsperson would know him. In the teachers’ lounge, everyone is puffing away on cigarettes when a woman (who’d be considered attractive at the time) says “David, it’s me, Victoria.” When they were younger they had some attraction for as much as possible for underage kids. Now that these parted lovers are teaching together, there’s lots of awkward and inappropriate flirting since they’re surrounded by literal children. As it turns out, Fang (Tom Arnold) is the shop teacher at the same school and his nerdy son Kirby is being targeted by Ben of all people, oh the irony. Fang is living an unhappy life with multiple children that don’t listen to him and his wife played by the brilliant Carol Kane chastises him while chain-smoking Virginia Slims. In an odd narrative choice, once Fang recognizes David, he begins hurling insults and gross childish behavior just like when they were kids. The reemergence of this victim for the weathered bully gives him a rejuvenated sense of purpose and Fang rushes home. Once at home, he orders his misbehaving kids to complete errands and stop being rambunctious. Then he grabs his wife and shows her he’s still passionate and in charge. There’s always been a correlation between sex and violence but I didn’t expect to see those themes here in “Big Bully.”
It’s rated PG for mean-spirited pranks, crude humor, and some language. I forgot how Parental Guidance ratings meant you could say things like “Evil Knievel is a pussy” and “bullshit” gets thrown around a lot which made me laugh. In a brilliant casting choice, Jefferey Tambor plays David’s nosy neighbor and I wish there were more scenes with him. One scene, in particular, was my favorite, where his character explains the origin of “Sam Hill or Hell.” It’s really funny that only he could deliver it as hysterically as he does. His goofy face and large presence are always a treat. There’s some unintentionally great commentary on the mindset of plenty of Americans and media at the time. Jokes about crime and the stories and sitcoms featured on different characters’ TVs are a looking glass into the anxieties of the time. Colorful outdated commentary aside, this doesn’t age well and it’s a waste of at least a few talented people. Even worse, they tried to set up a sequel at the end.
Now available on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment
