Big Bully (1996)

0% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
23% of users liked it
(9,453 ratings)

In this comedy, a writer's triumphant return to his hometown turns out to have a very long string attached. As a child, small and timid David Leary grew up in Hastings, MN, where he lived in mortal fear of the school bully, Roscoe Bigger, aka "Fang." Fang loved nothing more than making David's every… More In this comedy, a writer's triumphant return to his hometown turns out to have a very long string attached. As a child, small and timid David Leary grew up in Hastings, MN, where he lived in mortal fear of the school bully, Roscoe Bigger, aka "Fang." Fang loved nothing more than making David's every waking moment a physical and emotional torment. Fortunately for David, his parents moved the family to California not long after David turned the tables on Fang; Fang stole a moon rock from a school display and David finked on him, putting Fang on the fast track to reform school. Years later, David (played as an adult by Rick Moranis) is a successful author, and he has been invited to teach English at the school he attended as a child. David is intrigued to discover that Victoria (Julianne Phillips), the girl he used to have a crush on, is also on the faculty (as the sex-ed instructor, no less) and interested in seeing him. But David's happiness is short-lived when he meets the school's shop teacher -- none other than Roscoe (Tom Arnold). Fang's stay in a juvenile home shattered his spirit, and he's been a spineless loser ever since; these days, David is the only person still afraid of him. Having someone to intimidate again does Roscoe a world of good; it restores his confidence, lifts his spirits, and even saves his marriage. But it doesn't do much for David, who can't exactly complain to the principal that Fang's picking on him again. Don Knotts appears in a supporting role as Principal Kokelar. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Steve Miner
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 26, 1996 Wide
On DVD: May 23, 2000
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today
A moronic buddy comedy with a fuzzy-wuzzy coating.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Um...NO!!!!
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Rick Moranis deserves better. Tom Arnold ... not so much.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jeff "

Though far from a perfect comedy, Big Bully is an enjoyable, fun comedy that in my opinion is underrated. This film though far from perfect, is definitely not as bad as everyone says it was, and is quite enjoyable. Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold have good chemistry here, and though… More
Though far from a perfect comedy, Big Bully is an enjoyable, fun comedy that in my opinion is underrated. This film though far from perfect, is definitely not as bad as everyone says it was, and is quite enjoyable. Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold have good chemistry here, and though it's not perfect, Big Bully is mindless entertainment. Big Bully is not that bad of a film. The critics as usual have dismissed this one, and though not perfect, this film is fun. There are some good comedy bits here and there, and I thought that the film didn't deserve all the negativity it received. The film has its flaws, but for the most part, it's a fun, entertaining film. For what it is, Big Bully is a harmless comedy that like I said, doesn't deserve the flack it received. The film won't win any prizes, but it's nonetheless a good little film. I enjoyed it, and if you're looking for an amusing, mindless comedy then Big Bully is the film for you. The film has its faults, but for the most part it succeeds at being a decent comedy with quite a few laughs. This is yet another comedy that is underrated, and really shouldn't have been dismissed so easily. There are worst films out there and Big Bully is definitely not as bad as everyone says it is. Not perfect, but fun. This film is much better than most comedies that are being released nowadays that rehash the same old ideas over and over again, and they only rely on sex jokes to create its brand of humor. Big Bully is mindless, entertaining fun that anyone can enjoy.
AJ V

This is a good movie, I don't know why it's rated so low on here. The cast is good, they do a great job, I especially love Moranis and Kane. The story is both funny and realistic. What's not to like about it?
Michael E

Rented it from Starz on demand for free and watched it twice and thought it was pretty good
Andrew F

Not a good movie. Tom Arnold is really annoying.
Leo L

Funny!
Haley A

More like dumb bully.