How a Montreal dentist and a hitman became an unlikely 2000s box office hit
In short: The Whole Nine Yards, a 2000 crime comedy, follows a mild-mannered dentist who gets entangled with his new neighbor, a notorious contract killer. Despite mixed critical reception, the film became a financial success, grossing over $100 million worldwide and spawning a sequel four years later.
Directed by Jonathan Lynn and released on February 18, 2000, The Whole Nine Yards centers on Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky, a Montreal dentist whose life is upended when he discovers his neighbor is Jimmy "the Tulip" Tudeski, a Chicago hitman. The plot thickens as Oz's wife, Sophie, attempts to hire Jimmy to kill him, while Oz finds himself caught between mob boss Janni Gogolak and a complex web of double-crosses involving a $10 million trust.
The production was marked by a high-energy atmosphere. Matthew Perry, who filmed his scenes during a hiatus from the television show Friends, noted that the set was open to improvisation. Behind the scenes, Bruce Willis famously hosted all-night parties at the Intercontinental Hotel, a lifestyle that reportedly led Perry to use Xanax to manage his rest during the shoot. The cast also included Amanda Peet, whose performance as Jill, a hitman-in-training, was highlighted by critic Roger Ebert as a standout element of the film.
Financially, the film was a success, earning $106.4 million globally. It opened at the top of the box office with $13.7 million in its first weekend. Critical reception, however, was mixed; Rotten Tomatoes reported a 43% approval rating, with many reviewers comparing its narrative to a sitcom. Despite these lukewarm reviews, the film's popularity led to a 2004 sequel, The Whole Ten Yards, which reunited much of the original cast but failed to replicate the success of the first installment.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Whole Nine Yards (film)
- Also: Wikidata — The Whole Nine Yards · CC0
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