Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

A group of misfits enter a Las Vegas dodgeball tournament in order to save their cherished local gym from the onslaught of a corporate health fitness chain.

Director:

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Writer:

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Stars:

Vince Vaughn, Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vince Vaughn	...	Peter La Fleur
Christine Taylor	...	Kate Veatch
Ben Stiller	...	White Goodman
Rip Torn	...	Patches O'Houlihan
Justin Long	...	Justin
Stephen Root	...	Gordon
Joel David Moore	...	Owen
Chris Williams	...	Dwight
Alan Tudyk	...	Steve the Pirate
Missi Pyle	...	Fran
Jamal Duff	...	Me'Shell Jones (as Jamal E. Duff)
Gary Cole	...	Cotton McKnight
Jason Bateman	...	Pepper Brooks
Hank Azaria	...	Young Patches O'Houlihan
Al Kaplon	...	Tournament Referee

Storyline

White Goodman is the owner and founder of Globo Gym, and would love nothing more than owning Average Joe's Gymnasium. Peter LaFleur doesn't want to lose his gym to Goodman, but can't find a way to get $50,000 in time. Peter and his gang of gym buddies think of ways to raise money, finally settling on winning a dodgeball tournament. White Goodman retaliates by creating his own dodgeball team to finish off Peter. Peter's team doesn't do too well, until legendary ADAA champ Patches O'Houlihan turns up ready to train them.

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Plot Keywords:

gym | dodgeball | tournament | ups | pirate | 

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Taglines:

A true underdog story.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for rude and sexual humor, and language

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English German

Release Date:

18 June 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dodgeball

Filming Locations:

1201 Santa Fe Avenue, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$96,947 (Hong Kong) (5 November 2004)

Gross:

$182,574 (Hong Kong) (19 November 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Mediastream Vierte Film GmbH & Co. Vermarktungs KG, Red Hour Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Justin Long's eyebrow was actually cut open by the first wrench thrown at him. All the wrenches thrown were made of rubber, but the first was harder than all the others.

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Goofs

In the opening scene we see a picture of White with the caption "White Goodman 1987", and he says "That's me, six years and 600 pounds ago," as if it's now 1993. But that can't be: the first line of the commentary from the dodgeball tournament says that ESPN8 ("The Ocho") has been bringing viewers obscure sports "since 1999," and Mona Lisa Smile and Lance Armstrong's Tour de France wins are mentioned in other scenes.

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Quotes

[before the championship game]
Peter La Fleur: Okay guys, let's play smart. Wait for your two-on-ones, cover closely for your pickups. What's our team motto?
Owen: Aim low?
Peter La Fleur: That's right. All I'm asking is that you give it your best for Patches. I say we go out there, we let it all hang loose, try to have some fun. I mean, it's only dodgeball, right?
[Everyone laughs]
Peter La Fleur: Put 'em in.
[Hands in]
Peter La Fleur: One, two, three...
Peter La Fleur, Owen, Justin, Kate Veatch, Dwight, Gordon: JOE'S!

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Crazy Credits

At the beginning of the credits, there's a commercial for Average Joe's, followed by a quick glimpse of White Goodman's fate.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Episode #1.10 (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Face Off"
Written and Performed by Tom Morello
Courtesy of Sony Music

User Reviews

If you can dodge a wrench.....

This film is one of the funniest slapstick comedy ever. Ben Stiller was funny as always and Vince Vaughn was surprisingly funny. Stiller plays White Goodman and he is the snobbish owner of his up-to-the-style Globo Gym whereas Vaughn plays Peter La Fleur and he is the owner of Average Joe's. The gyms find out that there would be a dodgeball tournament held in a few weeks with a grand prize of fifty thousand dollars. Average Joe's need that money or else the gym goes to Globo Gym. The gyms ended up going and making it to the finals. But who wins? The movie will tell you that. All of the supporting actors were funny especially Rip Torn as Patches O'Houlihan. If you like Ben Stiller, you will like this movie. I rate this film a 10/10.