History Film / BigBully

* KarmaHoudini: Ben received no punishment for his earlier jerkass behavior. Even despite pulling a HellFaceTurn later in the movie.

This film stands as Rick Moranis's last theatrical film appearance to date. Unfortunately, it was a flop, and it is also notable for holding a [[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/big_bully/ 0% rating]] on ''Website/RottenTomatoes''.

* DisproportionateRetribution: In a sense. After David turns Fang in for stealing the moon rock, he got sent to a very harsh reform school that was eventually shut down after a story on 60 Minutes. His time there was not pleasant. He mentions a cellmate who set his mother on fire for vacuuming during LostInSpace.

Years later, David (played as an adult by Creator/RickMoranis) is a successful author, and he has been invited to teach English at the school he attended as a child. David is intrigued to discover that Victoria (Julianne Phillips), the girl he used to have a crush on, is also on the faculty (as the sex ed instructor, no less) and interested in seeing him. But David's happiness is short-lived when he meets the school's shop teacher — none other than Roscoe (Creator/TomArnold). Fang's stay in a juvenile home shattered his spirit, and he's been a spineless loser ever since; these days, David is the only person still afraid of him. Having someone to intimidate again does Roscoe a world of good; it restores his confidence, lifts his spirits, and even saves his marriage. But it doesn't do much for David, who can't exactly complain to the principal that Fang's picking on him again.

->''A comedy for the kid in all of us.''

A writer's triumphant return to his home town turns out to have a very long string attached. As a child, small and timid David Leary grew up in Hastings, Minnesota, where he lived in mortal fear of the school bully, Roscoe Bigger, aka "Fang." Fang loved nothing more than making David's every waking moment a physical and emotional torment. Fortunately for David, his parents moved the family to California not long after David turned the tables on Fang; Fang stole a moon rock from a museum during a field trip and David finked on him, putting Fang on the fast track to reform school.

* SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp: Roscoe.
* SpiritualAntithesis: To ''LittleGiants''.

NeedsWikiMagicLove.

This film stands as Rick Moranis's last theatrical film appearance to date.

* DisproportionateRetribution: In a sense. After DAvid turns Fang in for stealing the moon rock, he got sent to a very harsh reform school that was eventually shut down after legal investigations. His time there was not pleasant. He mentions a cellmate who set his mother on fire for vacuuming during LostInSpace.
--> ''Fang: And when those junior psychos asked me what I was in there for, I had to tell them I was there because I STOLE A FREAKIN' ROCK!''

* ParentalAbandonment: After Fang gets sent to juvenile hall, his parents skip town without a trace, leaving him to grow up in the foster care system.

* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: A dynamic like this exists between the two main fathers and their respective sons. David is a nerdy guy who was bullied when he was a kid. David's son is the typical 90's cool kid but a bully. Roscoe is a big guy who was once David's bully who decides to continue his antics when David returns back home as a full grown man. Roscoe's son is somewhat of a nerd and is also ironically the victim of David's son's bullying.

Years later, David (played as an adult by RickMoranis) is a successful author, and he has been invited to teach English at the school he attended as a child. David is intrigued to discover that Victoria (Julianne Phillips), the girl he used to have a crush on, is also on the faculty (as the sex ed instructor, no less) and interested in seeing him. But David's happiness is short-lived when he meets the school's shop teacher — none other than Roscoe (Creator/TomArnold). Fang's stay in a juvenile home shattered his spirit, and he's been a spineless loser ever since; these days, David is the only person still afraid of him. Having someone to intimidate again does Roscoe a world of good; it restores his confidence, lifts his spirits, and even saves his marriage. But it doesn't do much for David, who can't exactly complain to the principal that Fang's picking on him again.

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: [[spoiler:Roscoe uses that trope to explain why he messes with David, but David tells him that it doesn't work that way.]]

* SpiritualAntithesis: This movie is an inversion of this trope to ''LittleGiants''.

* SpiritualAntithesis: To ''LittleGiants''.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''LittleGiants''.
** What they have in common:
*** Both movies are rated PG and are from Warner Bros.
*** RickMoranis in the lead role
*** Begins with AMinorKidroduction
*** Said character to have wife leave him for unknown reasons and has a crush on a female childhood friend
** Differences:
*** [[CaptainObvious It's not a sports movie]]
*** This movie was also distributed by Morgan Creek
*** David Leary has a son while Danny O'Shea had a daughter, and the former is an only child and isn't exactly as optimistic as the latter.
*** David's wife didn't just leave him, but divorced him

* WhatAnIdiot: Roscoe went 13 years without knowing that David finked on him, even though David was known to be the town hero.

*** Begins with a flashback to his character as a kid

Years later, David (played as an adult by RickMoranis) is a successful author, and he has been invited to teach English at the school he attended as a child. David is intrigued to discover that Victoria (Julianne Phillips), the girl he used to have a crush on, is also on the faculty (as the sex ed instructor, no less) and interested in seeing him. But David's happiness is short-lived when he meets the school's shop teacher — none other than Roscoe (TomArnold). Fang's stay in a juvenile home shattered his spirit, and he's been a spineless loser ever since; these days, David is the only person still afraid of him. Having someone to intimidate again does Roscoe a world of good; it restores his confidence, lifts his spirits, and even saves his marriage. But it doesn't do much for David, who can't exactly complain to the principal that Fang's picking on him again.

----
<<|FilmsOfThe1990s|>>

* SadistShow

* AgeAppropriateAngst: David's son Ben is angry and bitter at his dad for his parents divorcing. You might feel sorry for him... [[spoiler:that is, if [[JerkAss he weren't the bully at the school]].]]

* GroinAttack: David gets hit in the crotch with the see-saw by Roscoe after [[spoiler: the former admits to tattling on the latter over the moon rock as children.]]
* [[spoiler:IJustWantToHaveFriends: Roscoe uses that trope to explain why he messes with David, but David tells him that it doesn't work that way.]]

* MoodWhiplash: The climax. First, it's funny, then it becomes '''dark'''.

* [[SadistShow Sadist Film]]