2 Guys 1 Couch

It’s hard to believe that Pulp Fiction came out 17 years ago. The first time I watched this movie I watched it again as soon as it ended. It’s my all-time favorite movie coming in at a close tie with Stand by Me.

It’s a two and a half hour masterpiece of a film.

Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the film using a technique that starts off at the beginning of the final scene. The rest of the tale is told out of order until we end up back at the final diner scene (which really isn’t the end point of the movie). In reality, Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is the “main character” if you will. He also isn’t the most likable character. He is a stubborn boxer that has an arrangement with the notorious Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rames) to throw his “last” fight.

Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) are two hitmen that work for Mr. Marsellus Wallace. Vincent is tasked with taking Mrs. Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) out on the town. Jules warns him of the dangers that may occur if Vincent follows through with the date, but he’s obligated to the Mr. Wallace’s wishes. This turns into a huge misadventure as Mrs. Wallace ends up overdosing on Vincent’s stash.

Jules (Jackson) is a filthy-mouthed, sharp-tongued, bible verse reciting hit man that after a series of events gets the urge to walk the earth “like grasshopper.” Where as Vincent Vega (Travolta) is an “Elvis man” that is feeling like he’s right in the prime of his life.

There are so many good performances and so much great dialogue that I could be here all day. If you were around when this movie came out you will know that a lot of the actors were gone or forgotten at the time. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson were the biggest to benefit from their roles in this film. Both actors went on to have much success afterwards.

Same goes for Bruce Willis and Uma Thurman who is great as Mia Wallace. There are many smaller roles that add more layers to the film including: Harvey Keitel, Eric Stoltz, Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth to name a few. The most notable is Christopher Walken as Captain Koons, a friend of Butch’s dead father. In a flashback of when Butch was a young boy, Captain Koons retells the story of what it took to get his father’s watch back to Butch.

Then, there is the question of what’s in the briefcase that Vincent Vega and Jules are carrying around? I’ve recently had this conversation with none other than Matt and my answer is pretty simple. It could be anything. Why does it have to be something? I’m serious. You can put whatever you like in that briefcase, but in reality you will never know.

Overall, this is a great movie that has a timeless element to it. Even when some of the more graphic elements come about Tarantino almost pokes fun at those moments. The plot, the characters, the dialogue all keep the movie continually moving in a way that never dwells on the previous mishaps. If you have yet to see this film, please check it out.

Shane