A Fish Called Wanda

Last weekend we watched "A Fish Called Wanda" again, after 20+ years.
We first saw it right after it came out, in the late 1980s, in a cheap theater in Osaka, Japan. I distinctly remember Mike and I both laughing out loud throughout the film, to the amazement of all the Japanese around us. They didn't seem to get the humor at all. I always enjoy watching movies that make Mike laugh out loud.

I remember some controversy associated with (1) Michael Palin's stuttering character, Ken (what the critics did not realize was that Palin's own father had a stuttering problem...and he went on to found a charity to help others who suffer from this condition), and (2) the treatment of animals (various dogs and fish die in the film, much to pet lover Ken's chagrin). Some people didn't find either of these to be funny.

"A Fish Called Wanda" stars the wonderful actors Kevin Kline (one of my all-time favorites!), Jamie Lee Curtis, and John Cleese (who cowrote it), in addition to Michael Palin. I especially loved the British man-American woman love angle, of course. Here is some fun trivia about the film. It's a madcap adventure full of great one-liners and a silly plot...and not much in the way of morals. Great fun!

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