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 Ah, Kevin Kline. His voice can wash over you like a bubble bath. Or he can create an accent that grates like a rusty hinge. His incredible acting skill was recognized with a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award-nomination for A Fish Called Wanda (1988), one of the few awarded for comedic acting and also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin.
A Fish Called Wanda is peopled with a cast of greedy, selfish, stupid characters. There’s Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis), the American con artist. Ken (Michael Palin) is the stuttering, animal loving hit man, and George (Tom Georgeson) leads this inept gang of thieves. Wanda brings her boyfriend Otto (Kline) into the group. Masquerading as Wanda’s brother, Otto is a narcissistic buffoon, and he evokes laughter with just his facial expressions.
Jamie Lee Curtis & Kevin Kline
After the group of criminals steals a fortune in jewels, double and triple crosses lead to mayhem. George is arrested, and in order to find out where he’s hidden the loot, Wanda seduces George’s straight-laced lawyer, Archie (John Cleese). What happens next is what keeps the audience laughing throughout the ever escalating ridiculous situations and escapades the characters engage in. The “yew” factor is high, but so are the laughs.
Anyone looking for a couple of hours of escape into silliness – like when Otto is flattened by a steamroller – will find A Fish Called Wanda worth another look. The film has become a cult classic to generations in the know!
Director: Charles Crichton
Screenplay: John Cleese; story by John Cleese & Charles Crichton
Cast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin
Rating: MPAA – R for Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Sexual Situations
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Run Time: 108 minutes
Studio: MGM Pictures
Format: Color/Widescreen
Languages: English, French, Subtitled in French and Spanish, and captioned
Photo credits: MGM Pictures
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