1999 film directed by Mike Mitchell
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo is a 1999 American sex comedy film directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Harris Goldberg and Rob Schneider. The film stars Schneider (in the title role), William Forsythe, Eddie Griffin, and Arija Bareikis, with supporting roles by Oded Fehr, Gail O'Grady, Richard Riehle, Jacqueline Obradors, Big Boy, Amy Poehler, and Dina Platias. The film tells the story of a hapless fishtank cleaner who goes into business as a male prostitute in an attempt to earn enough money to repair damage he caused while house-sitting. It was the first film produced by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison Productions.
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo was released in the United States on December 10, 1999, by Buena Vista Pictures. While the film received generally negative reviews from critics, it was a box office success, grossing over $92 million worldwide against a $17 million budget.[2]
A sequel, titled Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, was released in August 2005 by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Plot
Deuce Bigalow is a lonely and insecure aquarist living in Los Angeles. He meets a gigolo, Antoine, who asks Deuce to care for his sick lionfish and luxury beachfront apartment while he is away on business in Europe. Deuce accidentally sets Antoine's kitchen on fire and breaks his custom aquarium.
Fearing Antoine will kill him, Deuce is forced to find a way to pay $6,000 for the damage. After attempting gigolo work, Deuce is approached by a pimp, T.J., who offers to help him.
T.J. sets Deuce up on various dates: Fluisa, a mannish morbidly obese woman; narcoleptic Carol; Ruth, who has Tourette syndrome with coprolalia; and Tina, who is extremely tall. Each of Deuce's clients are satisfied by his personal attention and support, and he does not have sex with any of them. However, Deuce becomes enamored with Kate, who has a prosthetic leg. Deuce introduces Kate to his dad Bob who is a bathroom attendant. Initially embarrassed, Kate reassures Deuce and the pair fall in love. However, when she learns that Deuce is a gigolo, she breaks up with him.
Meanwhile, Deuce is stalked by police detective Chuck Fowler, who demands Antoine's black book of clients and threatens to arrest Deuce if he does not comply. Deuce learns Fowler's wife was one of Antoine's clients; he helps Fowler excite his wife when they perform an erotic dance for her. However, Deuce is still arrested for prostitution when he refuses to betray T.J.
In court, Deuce's clients testify and reveal that he never had sex with any of them, but rather he made them feel good about themselves. Deuce only had sex with Kate, and because he returned the money he was given to sleep with her, is cleared of all charges. Deuce and Kate reconcile.
Learning that Antoine is returning home, Deuce and his friends work quickly to restore the damaged apartment; he is warned that the custom aquarium glass may not be installed properly. Kate's blind roommate Bergita accidentally kills the lionfish, so Deuce buys a replacement and returns to Antoine's just as he arrives. Antoine taps on the glass and it shatters. Deuce reveals his gigolo venture to the furious Antoine, who tries to kill Deuce using a medieval crossbow. Fluisa saves Deuce when the bolt hits a roast chicken she had hidden in her bra. Antoine is arrested by Fowler.
The postscript reveals that Bob became a gigolo, Ruth opened up an all-girls school for those with Tourette's, Carol fulfilled her dream trip to the Eiffel Tower; "she will be missed", Fluisa underwent liposuction and became a Victoria's Secret model, Antoine and Tina had really tall and hairy children, T.J. starred in a hit sitcom called "Hanging with Mr. Man-Pimp", and Deuce and Kate married and formed an anti-sushi movement, living happily ever after.
Production
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo was the first film released by the Happy Madison Productions film production company. Adam Sandler served as the film's executive producer. Sandler also starred behind the scenes and can be heard yelling the infamous "Freak!' line and other various lines in the background.
Release
Box office
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo opened theatrically on December 10, 1999 in 2,154 venues and earned $12,224,016 in its opening weekend, ranking third in the North American box office behind Toy Story 2's fourth weekend and fellow newcomer The Green Mile.[4] The film ended its run, having grossed $65,538,755 in the United States and Canada, and $27,400,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $92,938,755. Based on a $17 million budget, the film was a box office success.[2]
Critical reception
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo received negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 22% based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 4.01/10. The site's consensus states: "According to critics, Deuce Bigalow is just too dumb and filled with old, tired gags."[5] On Metacritic it has a score of 30 out of 100 based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[6] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B.[7]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film one-and-a-half out of four stars, stating "It's the kind of picture those View n' Brew theaters were made for, as long as you don't View."[8] Kendall Morgan from The Dallas Morning News writes in her review, "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo makes There's Something About Mary look like Masterpiece Theatre."[9]
