Taglines: Executed with style.
The Big Hit movie storyline. Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg) is a hitman leading a secret life and maintaining two relationships, one with the demanding and demeaning Chantel (Lela Rochon), who does not accept his work, and another with Pam (Christina Applegate), who knows nothing of his job.
Melvin is somewhat of a pushover, trying to appease all of Chantel’s demands, even her most expensive wishes, as well as rolling over whenever one of his co-workers takes credit for his achievements. Perhaps as a result of his helplessness in asserting himself, throughout the early scenes Melvin is often seen drinking Maalox to relieve a developing ulcer.
Feeling underpaid for their work for mob boss Paris (Avery Brooks), the assassin team of Smiley, Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.) and Gump (Robin Dunne) take an independent job, kidnapping Keiko Nishi (China Chow), the teenage daughter of local electronics magnate Jiro Nishi (Sab Shimono), for a hefty ransom.
Unfortunately, the team does not realize that Nishi has recently gone bankrupt over his failed foray into films and furthermore, their boss Paris is the girl’s godfather. Enlisted by the group to hold Keiko, Melvin has to hide the bound and gagged schoolgirl on his property, attempting to keep her presence hidden from Pam and her parents, who are coming for dinner.
Melvin feels sorry for the girl and relieves her from her bondage. In the ensuing hours they build up a rapport preparing dinner together, an act which leads into a love scene reminiscent of the pottery scene from Ghost, but which is cut short when Keiko attempts to escape. Ordered by Paris to discover the kidnappers of his goddaughter, a panicked Cisco kills Gump, but not before coaxing him into also implicating Melvin for the kidnapping.
A team of assassins crash Melvin’s dinner with Pam’s family, leading to a shootout during which Melvin realizes Pam was going to break up with him under pressure from her stereotypically Jewish mother (Lainie Kazan). Melvin and Keiko’s feelings for each other lead them to form an awkward romance, and she and Melvin attempt to escape from the fiasco, pursued by Cisco. In the chaos, Melvin happens to run into Chantel and finally takes the opportunity to stand up to her and end their relationship.
The Big Hit is a 1998 American action comedy film directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Che-Kirk Wong, and stars Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christina Applegate, Avery Brooks, Bokeem Woodbine, Antonio Sabato Jr., Lainie Kazan, Elliott Gould, Sab Shimono and Lela Rochon. The film was shot in Hamilton and Pickering, Ontario, Canada.
The Big Hit was shot for the relatively low budget of $13 million and was produced by film partners John Woo, Terence Chang, and Wesley Snipes. Filmed in Richmond Hill, Markham and Toronto in 1996, but it failed to get a North American theatrical release until 1998.
The Big Hit (1998)
Directed by: Che-Kirk Wong
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christina Applegate, Avery Brooks, Bokeem Woodbine, Antonio Sabato Jr., Lainie Kazan, Elliott Gould, Sab Shimono, Lela Rochon
Screenplay by: Ben Ramsey
Production Design by: Taavo Soodor
Cinematography by: Danny Nowak
Film Editing by: Robin Russell, Pietro Scalia
Costume Design by: Margaret Mohr
Set Decoration by: Enrico Campana
Art Direction by: Craig Lathrop, Andrew M. Stearn
Music by: Graeme Revell
MPAA Rating: R for violence, pervasive language and some sexuality.
Distributed by: TriStar Pictures
Release Date: April 24, 1998
Hits: 354
