Grilled 2006

Maurice [Ray Romano] and Dave [Kevin James] run a faltering mail-order steak operation, and every failed pitch wears on them as their boss warns that this is their last chance. When Dave clings to a single lead from a list of high-spending buyers, Loridonna [Sofía Vergara] emerges as a glimmer of hope, a caller who might just turn the whole venture around.

Loridonna is on the line with her friend Suzanne [Juliette Lewis], who has swallowed a fish and needs help. Dave, who is a doctor, is handed the phone, and as he talks to Suzanne, Loridonna’s voice turns sly and seductive, hinting at wanting Maurice’s [Ray Romano] “meat.” The moment is awkward, charged, and oddly compelling, pulling Maurice into a risky plan to seal a deal. They drive Loridonna to Suzanne’s house, only to discover a darker truth: Suzanne is an alcoholic whose supposed suicide was a false alarm.

As the two men navigate this strange web, Loridonna and Maurice begin to kiss, leaving Suzanne’s husband Tony [Kim Coates] to arrive and catch them. He makes a casual, almost comic comment about Suzanne’s past, suggesting she was once a man, and the revelation leaves Maurice feeling both disappointed and disgusted. Tony tries to protect his wife in a tense moment, even as he seems to tolerate the intruding sale pitch, but the situation takes a brutal turn when Tony is ambushed and killed by two hitmen right after he grills some steaks.

The danger escalates quickly. Dave and Maurice fight back, grabbing Tony’s weapons and diving into a chaotic escape. The hitmen shove them into the trunk of a car and drive off to pursue a quiet party, but Maurice manages to break free and resurface. He spots Goldbluth, a name on the master list their boss handed over, and the two improvise a scheme to survive. After freeing Dave, they work to turn the party into an unexpected showcase for their product, describing the “tenderness” of their steaks to curious guests as the hitmen search for them.

The chaos culminates back at the party when the hitmen return, and Dave becomes momentarily immobilized as Goldbluth, rambling about business, looms nearby. In a surge of grit, Dave and Maurice warn Goldbluth that two hitmen are there to kill him, and Dave ends up handing Goldbluth Tony’s gun to level the playing field. They slip away, driving into the night with a new plan in hand.

In the end, the pair returns to their boss not just with stories, but with real progress: seven fresh orders and $21,000 upfront from Goldbluth, enough to keep the dream alive—even as the memories of the day linger in their minds. The film closes on a note of rugged persistence, blending sharp humor with dark-edged risk, and leaving Maurice [Ray Romano] and Dave [Kevin James] ready to press on, their bond strengthened by the wild, unpredictable ride.