I've dug out something I wrote in a journal sometime ago. It's from a 1999 film that some folks may have seen: The Big Kahuna with Danny DeVito Kevin Spacy and Peter Facinelli. It was adapted from the play by Roger Reuff called Hospitality Suite. It's a commentary on society, religion, corporatism and consumerism tied up with a snappy script and marvellous performances as you'd expect from these actors.
The very basic story takes place over a day and concerns three marketing/salesman for industrial lubricants (two old hands and one rookie) who attend a conference in order to make the big pitch to the one with the most cash and investment possibilities: The Big Kahuna. As the day continues we begin to understand their motives and their past, their strengths and weaknesses. As the hour arrives when they might pitch their wares - disaster strikes. They end up losing BK in the confusion and the rookie must go to a private party and persuade the BK to see them the following morning. However, the rookie is young and very religious. As the two other salesman wait nervously back at the hotel the rookie returns only to tell them that rather than talk about industrial lubricants he wanted to talk about Christ. And that's what he did. Arguments an conflict ensue. Kevin spacey's character (Larry) leaves in disgust after coming to blows with the rookie (Bob) who is left with Danny DeVito's character (Phil) in the now empty hotel suite. The atmosphere is tense, sad and with the silence that comes after shock:
Phil: There's something I want to say to you. (Pause - lights cigarette) And I want you to listen very closely, because it is very important. The man we just chased away from here -
Bob: We didn't chase anybody.
Phil: The man who just left the room a moment ago is a very good friend of mine. Is it because I've known him a long time? Well, there are a lot of people whom I've known for quite a while and some of them I wouldn't let them wipe my dog's ass and some of them I can take or leave, they don't matter to me. But Larry matters very much. The reason being, I can trust him. I know I can trust him. He's honest.
Bob: Is he honest? Or is he just blunt?
Phil: He's honest Bob. He's blunt as well. That's sometimes part of being honest. Because they're a lot of people who are blunt but not honest. Larry, is not one of those. Larry is an honest man. (Takes a drag of his cigarette and pauses.) You too are an honest man Bob. I believe that somewhere deep down inside of you is something that tries to be honest. The question that you have to ask yourself is, has it touched the whole of my life?
Bob: What does that mean?
Phil: That means that you preaching Jesus is no different than Larry or anybody else preaching lubricants. It doesn't matter whether you are selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or how to make money in real estate with no money down - that doesn't make you a human being, that makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to someone honestly as a human being, ask them about his kids, find out what his dreams are - just find out for no other reason, because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it's not a conversation anymore, it's a pitch and you're not a human being, you're a marketing rep.
Bob: (Sniffs. Looks down.) Forgive me if I respectfully disagree.
Phil: We were talking before about "character." You were asking me about character and we were speaking about faces. But the question goes much deeper than that.The question is do you have any character at all? And if you want my honest opinion Bob, you do not, for the simple reason that you don't regret anything yet.
Bob: You're saying I won't have any character unless I do something I regret?
Phil: No Bob. (grins) I'm saying you're already done plenty of things to regret, but you just don't know what they are. It's when you discover them....when you see the folly in something you've done and you wish you had the chance to do over, but you know you can't...because it's too late. So, you pick that thing up and you carry it with you to remind you of it. Life goes on; the world will spin without you, you really don't matter in the end....then you will attain character....Because honesty will reach out from inside and tattoo itself all across your face. Until that day however, you cannot expect to go beyond a certain point.
(silence)
Bob: (Sighs) Can I go now?
Phil: Go ahead. (Takes a drag)
Bob: Thank you.
Phil: Hmm.
(Bob pauses at the door as if to say something though he doesn't turn around. He then leaves.)
Phil: (whispers) Good-night.
The very basic story takes place over a day and concerns three marketing/salesman for industrial lubricants (two old hands and one rookie) who attend a conference in order to make the big pitch to the one with the most cash and investment possibilities: The Big Kahuna. As the day continues we begin to understand their motives and their past, their strengths and weaknesses. As the hour arrives when they might pitch their wares - disaster strikes. They end up losing BK in the confusion and the rookie must go to a private party and persuade the BK to see them the following morning. However, the rookie is young and very religious. As the two other salesman wait nervously back at the hotel the rookie returns only to tell them that rather than talk about industrial lubricants he wanted to talk about Christ. And that's what he did. Arguments an conflict ensue. Kevin spacey's character (Larry) leaves in disgust after coming to blows with the rookie (Bob) who is left with Danny DeVito's character (Phil) in the now empty hotel suite. The atmosphere is tense, sad and with the silence that comes after shock:
Phil: There's something I want to say to you. (Pause - lights cigarette) And I want you to listen very closely, because it is very important. The man we just chased away from here -
Bob: We didn't chase anybody.
Phil: The man who just left the room a moment ago is a very good friend of mine. Is it because I've known him a long time? Well, there are a lot of people whom I've known for quite a while and some of them I wouldn't let them wipe my dog's ass and some of them I can take or leave, they don't matter to me. But Larry matters very much. The reason being, I can trust him. I know I can trust him. He's honest.
Bob: Is he honest? Or is he just blunt?
Phil: He's honest Bob. He's blunt as well. That's sometimes part of being honest. Because they're a lot of people who are blunt but not honest. Larry, is not one of those. Larry is an honest man. (Takes a drag of his cigarette and pauses.) You too are an honest man Bob. I believe that somewhere deep down inside of you is something that tries to be honest. The question that you have to ask yourself is, has it touched the whole of my life?
Bob: What does that mean?
Phil: That means that you preaching Jesus is no different than Larry or anybody else preaching lubricants. It doesn't matter whether you are selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or how to make money in real estate with no money down - that doesn't make you a human being, that makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to someone honestly as a human being, ask them about his kids, find out what his dreams are - just find out for no other reason, because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it's not a conversation anymore, it's a pitch and you're not a human being, you're a marketing rep.
Bob: (Sniffs. Looks down.) Forgive me if I respectfully disagree.
Phil: We were talking before about "character." You were asking me about character and we were speaking about faces. But the question goes much deeper than that.The question is do you have any character at all? And if you want my honest opinion Bob, you do not, for the simple reason that you don't regret anything yet.
Bob: You're saying I won't have any character unless I do something I regret?
Phil: No Bob. (grins) I'm saying you're already done plenty of things to regret, but you just don't know what they are. It's when you discover them....when you see the folly in something you've done and you wish you had the chance to do over, but you know you can't...because it's too late. So, you pick that thing up and you carry it with you to remind you of it. Life goes on; the world will spin without you, you really don't matter in the end....then you will attain character....Because honesty will reach out from inside and tattoo itself all across your face. Until that day however, you cannot expect to go beyond a certain point.
(silence)
Bob: (Sighs) Can I go now?
Phil: Go ahead. (Takes a drag)
Bob: Thank you.
Phil: Hmm.
(Bob pauses at the door as if to say something though he doesn't turn around. He then leaves.)
Phil: (whispers) Good-night.
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