The Whole Nine Yards (film)
Encyclopedia
The Whole Nine Yards is a 2000 American adventure
crime
comedy film
directed by Jonathan Lynn
, starring Bruce Willis
, Matthew Perry
, Amanda Peet
, Michael Clarke Duncan
and Natasha Henstridge
. The title derives from a popular expression
possibly dating from World War II
naval aviation which means "completely, the whole, everything". The Whole Nine Yards was followed by the 2004 film The Whole Ten Yards
.
) is a depressed, slightly neurotic dentist
working and living in Montreal
. His wife Sophie (Rosanna Arquette
) and mother-in-law (Carmen Ferlan) hate him, and his deceased father-in-law has saddled him with a lot of debt. At work, Oz has made friends with his receptionist, Jill (Amanda Peet
), who urges him to get away from his wife who she believes is "not a good person". Oz admits that due to his life insurance, he's worth more dead than alive to her, but that he currently cannot afford to divorce her.
Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis
), a hitman, moves in next door under the assumed name of "Jimmy Jones". Having testified against the Gogolak gang, a very dangerous crime family in Chicago
, Jimmy is hiding out in Canada
. He immediately befriends Oz, who realizes who he is and becomes very nervous around him, but subsequently bonds with him after Jimmy invites him to show him around Montreal. Sophie presses Oz to travel to Chicago, where he is to meet up with Janni Gogolak (Kevin Pollak
), let him know where Jimmy is, and collect a finder's fee. Oz travels to Chicago against his better judgment, but does not go to see Janni. Oz goes to his hotel room and finds another notorious hitman, Franklin Figueroa, a.k.a. "Frankie Figgs" (Michael Clarke Duncan
), in his room. Frankie beats up Oz and takes him to meet Janni. It is at this meeting that he first encounters Jimmy's wife, Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge
), for whom Oz immediately harbors an attraction.
At the meeting, Janni explains that he intends to find out where Jimmy is, which Oz is coerced into admitting that he knows. Then Janni releases Oz, with the understanding that Frankie will go with him to assassinate Jimmy. Oz returns to his room, and immediately calls Jimmy and confesses everything, apologizing to Jimmy about revealing his whereabouts and imploring him to save himself. Jimmy, sounding unruffled, tells Oz to calm down and says that not only does he already know what happened, but that he also reassures Oz that it's all according to plan. Oz hangs up, and Cynthia arrives at the room. She reveals that some time ago, she, Jimmy, and Janni set up a joint account containing $10 million. There is, however, a special stipulation - the money can only be withdrawn in person by all three principals - or two principals and the death certificate of the third, or one principal with two death certificates. Oz realizes this is Jimmy's plan - to kill Janni and Cynthia to get all the money. Oz and Cynthia then have sex before Oz returns home with Frankie the next day.
Back home, Oz meets with Jimmy, and it is revealed that he and Frankie are friends who are working to betray Janni, whom Frankie has told to come up to Canada himself, simultaneously intending to kill Cynthia. An increasingly paranoid Oz reveals what is happening to Jill, who becomes excited and insists that Oz introduce her to Jimmy. To Oz's shock, Jill reveals she is an aspiring "hit woman" who idolizes Jimmy. She was hired by Oz's wife to kill him, but after going to work for him (to get a feel for his movements and work out the best time to kill him), she ended up liking him too much to go through with it. Jimmy takes a quick liking to Jill and incorporates her into his plan. Jimmy plans to set a trap for Janni and kill him and Cynthia, which Oz objects to. On the night of the plan, Jimmy's trap succeeds and he, a naked Jill, and Frankie kill Janni and his men. Oz flees the scene with Cynthia. A short time later, a second hit man, hired by Sophie to kill Oz, is on the front lawn of the house, and Jimmy shoots him dead, causing Sophie to flee the neighborhood in terror. A badge found in the dead hit man's pocket reveals him to be an undercover police officer.
When Jimmy discovers that Oz slept with Cynthia, he becomes enraged, but Oz tells Jimmy he loves Cynthia, and has an alternate plan that will mean she doesn't have to die. Using the dead cop's body, Oz alters his dental work to resemble Jimmy's, and then Frankie places the body in a car with Janni's, before setting the car on fire. A few days later, the burned bodies can only be identified by dental records, which match Janni's and Jimmy's. While investigating Jimmy's house, the police also find the dead cop's car, and a tape recorder inside reveals Sophie's plan to have Oz murdered. Both Sophie and her mother are arrested, the cops concluding that she killed the cop when he tried to back out of the plan.
The next day, Jill meets with Cynthia, who will collect the money with the death certificates for Janni and Jimmy, to collect the money, which will be wired straight to Jimmy in exchange for her life. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Frankie take Oz out on a boat. Jimmy tells Oz that, ironically, he's about to find out if Cynthia loves him back; if she doesn't, she'll just take the money and run, even knowing that Jimmy will kill Oz if she does. Meanwhile, Frankie takes Jimmy aside and says they have to kill Oz, who witnessed all of their crimes. At the bank, Jill tempts Cynthia with the idea of taking the money and running. Cynthia realizes that she really does love Oz, and declines. Jill, delighted, completes the transfer of the money, but arranges for $1 million to be set aside for Cynthia and Oz.
Out at sea, Jimmy has a change of heart and shoots Frankie rather than Oz. He reasons that, if he hadn't killed Oz, Frankie would have, and then come after Jimmy, thinking he'd gone soft. When the boat docks, Jill lovingly runs into Jimmy's arms. They give Oz an affectionate sendoff. Meeting Cynthia near the airport, Oz asks her to marry him. She is initially distrustful, thinking that Oz knows about the money. However, he doesn't know - he just loves her. She then accepts his proposal. When he mentions his debt, she smiles and says that "something tells me we'll get by."
The film ends with Oz and Cynthia dancing at their wedding, on a balcony overlooking Niagara Falls
.
' only financial success.
reported that 46% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 90 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 47 out of 100, based on 33 reviews.
Roger Ebert
's was one of the more positive reviews, noting in particular that the highlight was Amanda Peet
's performance as Jill, which Ebert called "perfect".
titled The Whole Ten Yards
with most of the original cast was released on April 9, 2004.
Awara Paagal Deewana
, a Bollywood
remake was released on 21 June 2002.
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
crime
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Jonathan Lynn
Jonathan Lynn
Jonathan Lynn is an English actor, comedy writer and director. He is best known for being the co-writer of Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Personal life:...
, starring Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry (actor)
Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
, Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
, Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
and Natasha Henstridge
Natasha Henstridge
Natasha T. Henstridge is a Canadian fashion model turned actress. Her most notable on-screen roles include Species, The Whole Nine Yards, It Had To Be You, Ghosts of Mars, She Spies, the TV series Eli Stone, and the Canadian TV mini-series Would Be Kings, for which she won the Gemini Award for...
. The title derives from a popular expression
The Whole Nine Yards
The phrase the whole nine yards means completely, the whole thing, everything, e.g. I was mugged. They took my wallet, my keys, my shoes, – the whole nine yards! The origin of the phrase has been described as, "the most prominent etymological riddle of our time." The earliest known examples of...
possibly dating from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
naval aviation which means "completely, the whole, everything". The Whole Nine Yards was followed by the 2004 film The Whole Ten Yards
The Whole Ten Yards
The Whole Ten Yards is a 2004 American Comedy film directed by Howard Deutch and sequel to the 2000 film The Whole Nine Yards. The film stars Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Natasha Henstridge, and Kevin Pollak.- Plot :...
.
Plot
Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky (Matthew PerryMatthew Perry (actor)
Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
) is a depressed, slightly neurotic dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
working and living in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. His wife Sophie (Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
) and mother-in-law (Carmen Ferlan) hate him, and his deceased father-in-law has saddled him with a lot of debt. At work, Oz has made friends with his receptionist, Jill (Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
), who urges him to get away from his wife who she believes is "not a good person". Oz admits that due to his life insurance, he's worth more dead than alive to her, but that he currently cannot afford to divorce her.
Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
), a hitman, moves in next door under the assumed name of "Jimmy Jones". Having testified against the Gogolak gang, a very dangerous crime family in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Jimmy is hiding out in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He immediately befriends Oz, who realizes who he is and becomes very nervous around him, but subsequently bonds with him after Jimmy invites him to show him around Montreal. Sophie presses Oz to travel to Chicago, where he is to meet up with Janni Gogolak (Kevin Pollak
Kevin Pollak
Kevin Elliot Pollak is an American actor, impressionist, game show host, and comedian. He started performing stand-up comedy at the age of 10 and touring professionally at the age of 20...
), let him know where Jimmy is, and collect a finder's fee. Oz travels to Chicago against his better judgment, but does not go to see Janni. Oz goes to his hotel room and finds another notorious hitman, Franklin Figueroa, a.k.a. "Frankie Figgs" (Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
), in his room. Frankie beats up Oz and takes him to meet Janni. It is at this meeting that he first encounters Jimmy's wife, Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge
Natasha Henstridge
Natasha T. Henstridge is a Canadian fashion model turned actress. Her most notable on-screen roles include Species, The Whole Nine Yards, It Had To Be You, Ghosts of Mars, She Spies, the TV series Eli Stone, and the Canadian TV mini-series Would Be Kings, for which she won the Gemini Award for...
), for whom Oz immediately harbors an attraction.
At the meeting, Janni explains that he intends to find out where Jimmy is, which Oz is coerced into admitting that he knows. Then Janni releases Oz, with the understanding that Frankie will go with him to assassinate Jimmy. Oz returns to his room, and immediately calls Jimmy and confesses everything, apologizing to Jimmy about revealing his whereabouts and imploring him to save himself. Jimmy, sounding unruffled, tells Oz to calm down and says that not only does he already know what happened, but that he also reassures Oz that it's all according to plan. Oz hangs up, and Cynthia arrives at the room. She reveals that some time ago, she, Jimmy, and Janni set up a joint account containing $10 million. There is, however, a special stipulation - the money can only be withdrawn in person by all three principals - or two principals and the death certificate of the third, or one principal with two death certificates. Oz realizes this is Jimmy's plan - to kill Janni and Cynthia to get all the money. Oz and Cynthia then have sex before Oz returns home with Frankie the next day.
Back home, Oz meets with Jimmy, and it is revealed that he and Frankie are friends who are working to betray Janni, whom Frankie has told to come up to Canada himself, simultaneously intending to kill Cynthia. An increasingly paranoid Oz reveals what is happening to Jill, who becomes excited and insists that Oz introduce her to Jimmy. To Oz's shock, Jill reveals she is an aspiring "hit woman" who idolizes Jimmy. She was hired by Oz's wife to kill him, but after going to work for him (to get a feel for his movements and work out the best time to kill him), she ended up liking him too much to go through with it. Jimmy takes a quick liking to Jill and incorporates her into his plan. Jimmy plans to set a trap for Janni and kill him and Cynthia, which Oz objects to. On the night of the plan, Jimmy's trap succeeds and he, a naked Jill, and Frankie kill Janni and his men. Oz flees the scene with Cynthia. A short time later, a second hit man, hired by Sophie to kill Oz, is on the front lawn of the house, and Jimmy shoots him dead, causing Sophie to flee the neighborhood in terror. A badge found in the dead hit man's pocket reveals him to be an undercover police officer.
When Jimmy discovers that Oz slept with Cynthia, he becomes enraged, but Oz tells Jimmy he loves Cynthia, and has an alternate plan that will mean she doesn't have to die. Using the dead cop's body, Oz alters his dental work to resemble Jimmy's, and then Frankie places the body in a car with Janni's, before setting the car on fire. A few days later, the burned bodies can only be identified by dental records, which match Janni's and Jimmy's. While investigating Jimmy's house, the police also find the dead cop's car, and a tape recorder inside reveals Sophie's plan to have Oz murdered. Both Sophie and her mother are arrested, the cops concluding that she killed the cop when he tried to back out of the plan.
The next day, Jill meets with Cynthia, who will collect the money with the death certificates for Janni and Jimmy, to collect the money, which will be wired straight to Jimmy in exchange for her life. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Frankie take Oz out on a boat. Jimmy tells Oz that, ironically, he's about to find out if Cynthia loves him back; if she doesn't, she'll just take the money and run, even knowing that Jimmy will kill Oz if she does. Meanwhile, Frankie takes Jimmy aside and says they have to kill Oz, who witnessed all of their crimes. At the bank, Jill tempts Cynthia with the idea of taking the money and running. Cynthia realizes that she really does love Oz, and declines. Jill, delighted, completes the transfer of the money, but arranges for $1 million to be set aside for Cynthia and Oz.
Out at sea, Jimmy has a change of heart and shoots Frankie rather than Oz. He reasons that, if he hadn't killed Oz, Frankie would have, and then come after Jimmy, thinking he'd gone soft. When the boat docks, Jill lovingly runs into Jimmy's arms. They give Oz an affectionate sendoff. Meeting Cynthia near the airport, Oz asks her to marry him. She is initially distrustful, thinking that Oz knows about the money. However, he doesn't know - he just loves her. She then accepts his proposal. When he mentions his debt, she smiles and says that "something tells me we'll get by."
The film ends with Oz and Cynthia dancing at their wedding, on a balcony overlooking Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
.
Cast
- Bruce WillisBruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
as Jimmy Tudeski/"The Tulip" - Matthew PerryMatthew PerryMatthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
as Nicholas Oseransky/"Oz" - Rosanna ArquetteRosanna ArquetteRosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
as Sophie Oseransky - Michael Clarke DuncanMichael Clarke DuncanMichael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
as Franklin Figueroa/"Frankie Figs - Natasha HenstridgeNatasha HenstridgeNatasha T. Henstridge is a Canadian fashion model turned actress. Her most notable on-screen roles include Species, The Whole Nine Yards, It Had To Be You, Ghosts of Mars, She Spies, the TV series Eli Stone, and the Canadian TV mini-series Would Be Kings, for which she won the Gemini Award for...
as Cynthia Tudeski - Amanda PeetAmanda PeetAmanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
as Jill St. Claire - Kevin PollakKevin PollakKevin Elliot Pollak is an American actor, impressionist, game show host, and comedian. He started performing stand-up comedy at the age of 10 and touring professionally at the age of 20...
as Janni Pytor Gogolak - Harland WilliamsHarland WilliamsHarland Williams is a Canadian actor, comedian, author, artist, musician and radio personality.-Personal life:Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Ontario, to Lorraine , a social worker, and John Reesor Williams, who worked as a member of the Ontario Provincial...
as Special Agent Steve Hanson
Box office
The film grossed $57,262,492 during its U.S. theatrical run, with an additional $49,109,159 internationally. Its worldwide total is $106,371,651. The film served as Franchise PicturesFranchise Pictures
Franchise Pictures LLC was an independent motion picture production and distribution company founded by Elie Samaha and Andrew Stevens. They were known for their production in the action film genre...
' only financial success.
Critical reaction
The Whole Nine Yards received mixed reviews from Western critics; review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 46% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 90 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 47 out of 100, based on 33 reviews.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
's was one of the more positive reviews, noting in particular that the highlight was Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
's performance as Jill, which Ebert called "perfect".
Legacy
A sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
titled The Whole Ten Yards
The Whole Ten Yards
The Whole Ten Yards is a 2004 American Comedy film directed by Howard Deutch and sequel to the 2000 film The Whole Nine Yards. The film stars Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Natasha Henstridge, and Kevin Pollak.- Plot :...
with most of the original cast was released on April 9, 2004.
Awara Paagal Deewana
Awara Paagal Deewana
Awara Paagal Deewana is a 2002 Bollywood action comedy directed by Vikram Bhatt. The film's music was composed by Anu Malik, and the lyrics by Sameer. It was a moderate success at the box office.-Plot:...
, a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
remake was released on 21 June 2002.