71 - "Kingpin" (1996)

     The Farrelly brothers, who directed Kingpin, are probably best known for their movies Dumb And Dumber and There's Something About Mary. I enjoyed both of those movies as well but Kingpin to me is the forgotten classic among the Farrelly brothers work. Woody Harrelson is Roy Munson, one of the best young talents in the world of bowling who is at the top of his game and living the good life. He meets another professional bowler, Ernie McCracken, who is a sleazeball in every sense of the word and ends up scamming Roy, ultimately leading to a bunch of guys attacking Roy and amputating his hand in a unique way. McCracken is played by the great Bill Murray who has only a supporting role but steals the movie every time he is on screen. After his accident, Roy spends the next years of his life as a rundown slob who has fallen to the bottom and lives as an alcoholic. He is at the end of his rope and just when all is lost he meets an Amish gentleman named Ishmael (Randy Quaid) who is a bowler also. Roy sees an opportunity to train Ishmael in the hopes of entering a million dollar tournament that could turn his life around. The two end up on a road trip to Vegas, with Ishmael slowly adjusting to life outside the Amish community. Vanessa Angel as Claudia ends up joining the duo midway through the trip and accompanies them on their trip. Kingpin is absolutely hilarious at times but towards the end we see that it has a heart to it that is unexpected. One of the true comedy gems out there and if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.