The Big Tease (1999)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Kevin Allen

Writers (WGA):

Sacha Gervasi (written by) &
Craig Ferguson (written by)

Release Date:

28 January 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

He saw. He combed. He conquered.

Plot:

Flamboyant Glasgow hairdresser, Crawford Mackinzie, gets a letter from the World Hairdresser International...

Plot Keywords:

Hairdresser | Competition | Reference To Liberace | Scotland | Homosexual

Cast

Craig Ferguson	...	Crawford Mackenzie
Chris Langham	...	BBC Interviewer
David Rasche	...	Stig
Frances Fisher	...	Candy
Mary McCormack	...	Monique
Donal Logue	...	Eamonn
Isabella Aitken	...	Mrs. Beasie Mackenzie
Kevin Allen	...	Gareth Trundle
Angela McCluskey	...	Senga Magoogan
Francine York	...	Elegant Woman
David Hasselhoff	...	Himself
Drew Carey	...	Himself
Cathy Lee Crosby	...	Herself
Bruce Jenner	...	Himself
Nina Siemaszko	...	Betty Fuego

Also Known As:

Je M'Appelle Crawford (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Germany:6 | UK:15 | USA:R (No. 36390) | Italy:T | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The script was snapped up by Warner Brothers after a five day bidding war.

Quotes:

Crawford Mackenzie: Sorry, Candy. I adore you, I really do. It's just that I prefer my women with a penis.

Movie Connections:

References The Omen (1976)

Soundtrack:

Hurry To Me

"Best in Blow" or "Best in Shear"?

Unjustly obscure, this mock-umentary is certainly not revolutionary film making or Oscar material, but it does offer gentle laughs and some amusing performances and visuals. Ferguson stars (and appears in virtually every scene) as a Scottish hairdresser who gets a letter inviting him to an international hair styling competition in Los Angeles. This is cause for Langham to film a BBC documentary on him and much of the film is from that perspective (although Ferguson also narrates in blurbs filmed after the event.) Falling somewhere in between the lame "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and the sublime "Best in Show", the film is full of odd situations and the infectious charm of Ferguson as he sets out to win top honors. Needless to say, if Ferguson weren't entertaining the film would be sunk. Thankfully, he is delightful throughout. Fisher, though less endearing, also provides nice support for him. Several excellent comedic performers pop up along the way, notably the bizarre and side-splitting Miller as a harried hotel manager. Rasche sinks humorously into his role as Ferguson's chief competitor. McCormack, a very attractive young lady, perfectly captures the phony, insincere aspects of the contest organizer. And any film that even briefly utilizes the untapped charms of McGinley can't be all bad. Home video viewers may need to use subtitles to catch all of the remarks as the authentic Scottish accents are sometimes hard to completely understand. Some real life hair professionals appear, but star cameos are minimal. Carey inexplicably shows up as himself, but with a full head of hair. Hasselhoff comes off amusingly as himself. Crosby, an actress who always could have used a good stylist, appears briefly as a demonstration assistant. One quibble: If the film was going to be rated R anyway, why not show more of the lead's physical assets. What's shown is great, but all too brief. On it's own little terms, this is a charming and fun movie.