The Whole Nine Yards (R, 2000)

THE WHOLE NINE YARDS stars Matthew Perry as Oz, a miserable dentist from Chicago, now living in Canada with a wife (Rosanna Arquette) who despises him. He is trying to pay off the debts of her father, who had been his partner, and who embezzled money and then committed suicide. When the notorious Jimmy "The Tulip" Tedeski (Bruce Willis) moves next door, Oz becomes involved in a series of double- and triple-crosses, involving Jimmy's former colleagues in the mob, an assortment of hired killers, and Jimmy's beautiful and lonely wife, Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge).

Surprisingly enough, there is a nice little comedy genre about mob hit men living in suburbia. This one doesn't quite live up to Steve Martin's neglected gem My Blue Heaven, but it has some very funny moments.

The Whole Nine Yards is a fast and funny comedy that checks morality and political correctness at the door. Perry spends most of his time falling down, when he isn't getting beat up. Amanda Peet is simply terrific as Oz's sympathetic receptionist, with an unexpected expertise in hired killers. And the resolution, following a tough choice between love or money, is very satisfying.

Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Cast: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Michael Clarke Duncan
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release: February 18, 2000
DVD release: July 18, 2000
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: some sexuality/nudity and violence