Kenny (2006)

100% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
83% of users liked it
(8,702 ratings)

Filmmaker Clayton Jacobson profiles one of the key cogs in society's massive machine with this mockumentary about a fearless Aussie plumber who has never encountered a drain he wasn't able to conquer. A combination of philosopher and comedian, Kenny (Shane Jacobson) has a heart the size of a septic… More Filmmaker Clayton Jacobson profiles one of the key cogs in society's massive machine with this mockumentary about a fearless Aussie plumber who has never encountered a drain he wasn't able to conquer. A combination of philosopher and comedian, Kenny (Shane Jacobson) has a heart the size of a septic tank. Though Kenny may hold one of the most thankless jobs in modern society, he never lets the dirty work get him down. Now, as Kenny juggles family tensions, leaking porta-johns, and the constant demands of fatherhood while preparing for the upcoming Pump and Cleaner Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, he and his loyal "Splashdown" crew are profiled by a documentary crew that isn't about to let some dirty overalls get in the way of a good story. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Clayton Jacobson
Written By: Clayton Jacobson, Shane Jacobson
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 21, 2008 Limited
On DVD: Sep 30, 2008
Studio: Xenon Pictures

Critic Reviews

Richard Kuipers, Variety
Funny enough to give scatology a good name.
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
The Australian charmer Kenny, about a hard-working, jovial employee for a portable toilet company, is a low-key study of underdog pride rather than a Larry the Cable Guy bodily function jokefest.
Maureen M. Hart, Chicago Tribune
A hit and prize winner in Australia, Kenny has the power to charm, no matter which way the water swirls.
Philip Marchand, Toronto Star
The result is a minor masterpiece of tone in Kenny's portrayal of a character that is absurd, guileless and shrewd at the same time.
Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail
Waste is a terrible thing to mind -- unless you are port-a-potty installer Kenny Smyth, the unlikely hero of a hilarious and fresh (figuratively speaking, of course) comedy from Down Under.
Xan Brooks, Guardian [UK]
Old-fashioned toilet humour gets a postmodern makeover in this laconic Australian mockumentary about a mobile toilet installer.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Kenny is the genuine article.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Charming comedy with a strong script and a delightful central performance from Shane Jacobson.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
The result is a mockumentary that never mocks, but instead introduces us to a character we never stop rooting for and won't soon forget.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
Kenny is always there in an instant with a philosophical quip and a stoic resolution.
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
The film's real accomplishment, in this era of masked superheroes, is making a paladin of a regular guy whose ethics we can all emulate.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The film's strongest asset is Shane Clayton, whose Kenny is the funniest thing to come out of Australia since Crocodile Dundee.
Sara Maria Vizcarrondo, Boxoffice Magazine
Funny, accessible and ultimately a good time.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Despite all the wild and icky antics, this is in no way your typical gross-out. Because the spotlight is less on crude easy laughs, than a genuine feel for the Chaplinesque proletarian plight of a worker just trying to find dignity in an unfeeling world.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
It's like an Aussie equivalent of The Foot Fist Way, shot quick and dirty, but coasting efficiently on the affable personalities of the performers and their characters. Sweet and amusing.
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
Don't worry, though; Kenny isn't so realistic that you can smell it.
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
Crude (in every sense) but surprisingly charming.
Matthew Sorrento, Film Threat
I sense that the Jacobson brothers set out to make a simple little comedy. But how grand it must be for them to see the humanity of their fresh, inventive film rising to the level of its humor.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

I was expecting a laugh out loud comedy and I have to admit during the first half of this film I was preparing myself for massive disappointment. Thankfully, the film turned into a really sweet character study of a really nice guy who never lets life's shit (or actual shit for… More
I was expecting a laugh out loud comedy and I have to admit during the first half of this film I was preparing myself for massive disappointment. Thankfully, the film turned into a really sweet character study of a really nice guy who never lets life's shit (or actual shit for that matter) get him down. A light comedy with a big heart, well worth a watch!
Emily A

This is another movie that manages to be sweet despite its subject matter. I think it's all about tone. This is about a loo plumber and how he's treated by the world. It's strange to see how the guy's job colours (and doesn't) the rest of his personality. I… More
This is another movie that manages to be sweet despite its subject matter. I think it's all about tone. This is about a loo plumber and how he's treated by the world. It's strange to see how the guy's job colours (and doesn't) the rest of his personality. I guess the moral of this story is that every job that exists needs to be done, and no one is defined by what they do for a living.
Gordon A

The Australian's capture the spirit of 'The Office' in the unlikely guise of a loo attendant/plumber mockumentary with real heart. Kenny is disarming and full of wonderful aphorisms on life but it is his faltering relationship with his father and potential partner which… More
The Australian's capture the spirit of 'The Office' in the unlikely guise of a loo attendant/plumber mockumentary with real heart. Kenny is disarming and full of wonderful aphorisms on life but it is his faltering relationship with his father and potential partner which had me rooting for him.
Kalel J

The king of one-liners for 2006 has arrived. You can keep 'Borat', 'Little Miss Sunshine', and the other comedies of yesteryear, for Kenny is a film that strikes with a swift punch with simple and generic, yet brilliant and downright hilarious humour that is easily… More
The king of one-liners for 2006 has arrived. You can keep 'Borat', 'Little Miss Sunshine', and the other comedies of yesteryear, for Kenny is a film that strikes with a swift punch with simple and generic, yet brilliant and downright hilarious humour that is easily grasped. Ok, so the film isn't as good as those previously mentioned here, but for the ability to convey humour in a suburban setting with such vivid realism hasn't been conveyed as well as this since way back with 'The Castle'. Kenny, simply put, is a film that glorifies and polishes the most unsanitary of things...and that is Australian humour to a tee. This is a finely crafted film with superb casting and rythm in a tight script on a low budget. While Kenny may be the title character (in a brilliant portrayal by Shane Jacobsen), it his Father-Ronald-who tends to steal the scenes with his quick wit humour and metaphorical references. However, the film does tend to drag itself at points as we are thrown back to the same cycle of gags. But, luckily, the film's rythm and sheer enjoyability make up for it's down points. In the end though, this a film that should only be viewed by people who, to be frank, have a sense of humour.
Andrew P

While you watch Kenny, it's quite easy to forget it's a mockumentary. This is mainly down to Shane Jacobson performing so well as the main role. It's a lovely film which perhaps has a bit of a soggy middle, but a lovely and redeeming end.
Marcus W

I liked this film. Kenny was a great character with some analogies to die for. But I didn't know it was a mockumentary until the credits told me that the events and characters are entirely ficticious. Yet it wasn't obvious, there weren't a lot of laughs, I did find it… More
I liked this film. Kenny was a great character with some analogies to die for. But I didn't know it was a mockumentary until the credits told me that the events and characters are entirely ficticious. Yet it wasn't obvious, there weren't a lot of laughs, I did find it suspect that he happened to lead such an eventful life while the cameras were there, and he was just too likeable and decent to be amusing. Plus most of the film is peoples attitudes towards him and his work and how they look down on him. It's not till the very end that he gets his own back on someone (in style) but by then it's so out of character that it just left me confused. It would have been a much better documentary.
Wu C

I thought it was a real doc. Very funny and well done.
Robert F

I had no desire to see this movie, but my parents forced me. It was better than I thought it was going to be.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast

Shane Jacobson
as Kenny
Eve von Bibra
as Jackie
Ronald Jacobson
as Father

Jesse Jacobson
as Son
Chris Davis
as Pat
Ian Dryden
as Sammy

See full cast

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