Down and Derby (2005)

Down and Derby is a family comedy about a small town Pinewood Derby competition that transforms an average group of dads into an awkward bunch of competitors. On the outside, Phil Davis is ... See full summary »

Director:

Eric Hendershot

Writer:

Eric Hendershot

Stars:

Greg Germann, Lauren Holly, Adam Hicks

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greg Germann	...	Phil Davis
Lauren Holly	...	Kim Davis
Adam Hicks	...	Brady Davis
Perry Anzilotti	...	Big Jimmy
Deborah Ashton	...	Angel Scaldoni
Danny Shepherd	...	Danny Scaldoni
Ross Brockley	...	Blaine Moosman
Tammy Lier	...	Charlotte Moosman
Nicholas Nengas	...	Todd Moosman
Marc Raymond	...	Ace Montana
Hunter Tylo	...	Teri Montana
Eric Jacobs	...	A.J. Montana
Pat Morita	...	Ono Yakimoto
Joey Miyashima	...	Kyosho Yakimoto
K.J. Adachi	...	Kyosho's Son

Storyline

Down and Derby is a family comedy about a small town Pinewood Derby competition that transforms an average group of dads into an awkward bunch of competitors. On the outside, Phil Davis is the typical dad and friendly neighbor. On the inside, he is unresolved and at a breaking point with his childhood rival, Ace Montana. Desperate for the elusive first place, Phil sees his son's Pinewood Derby race as a breakthrough opportunity to beat Ace, who also has a Cub Scout son. Surrounded by more overzealous dads in the same cul-de-sac, they all disregard the event's ideals and completely take over the design, planning and construction of the cars. In the crazed world of derby fever, the kids are lucky if they get to pick the paint color or attach a decal. Hilarity builds as the dads teeter on the edge of insanity and resort to backstabbing, cover-ups and sabotage. Wives, families and jobs are ignored with extreme consequences. The farce reaches comical and outrageous levels when in the end, ...

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Plot Keywords:

pinewood derby | competition | cub scout | neighborhood | father son relationship | 

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Taglines:

Because the Pinewood Derby is more than just a race

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some crude humor and brief mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Racing Ace

Filming Locations:

St. George, Utah, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$43,930 (USA) (15 April 2005)

Gross:

$204,481 (USA) (14 October 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stonehaven Media, Pure Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Don Murphy, the founder of the Pinewood Derby, makes a guest appearance in the movie.

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Goofs

The Webelos Den Leader has a different pack number on her uniform (585) than the kids in her den (123).

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Connections

Spoofed in South Park: Pinewood Derby (2009)

User Reviews

Hilarious, well acted comedy.

If you have any experience with the pinewood derby you will love this cleverly written film about the extremes some father's go to to win. Having participated in several pinewood derby's as a young Boy Scout, I loved the idea of this film. It spoofs the all too common tendency of a father to take the building and racing of their "son's" derby cars way too seriously. The competition becomes more between the fathers than the sons. The gags are clever. The spoofs, while exaggerated as they need to be for comedy, are all too real. Take the time to watch this film when you'd like to enjoy a good laugh, not to mention, a good message about putting your family first.