Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

#1 NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Director:

Adam McKay

Writers:

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay

Stars:

Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen

6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell	...	Ricky Bobby
John C. Reilly	...	Cal Naughton Jr.
Sacha Baron Cohen	...	Jean Girard
Gary Cole	...	Reese Bobby
Michael Clarke Duncan	...	Lucius Washington
Leslie Bibb	...	Carley Bobby
Jane Lynch	...	Lucy Bobby
Amy Adams	...	Susan
Andy Richter	...	Gregory
Molly Shannon	...	Mrs. Dennit
Greg Germann	...	Larry Dennit Jr.
David Koechner	...	Hershell
Jack McBrayer	...	Glenn
Ian Roberts	...	Kyle
Pat Hingle	...	Mr. Dennit Sr.

Storyline

NASCAR stock car racing sensation Ricky Bobby is a national hero because of his "win at all costs" approach. He and his loyal racing partner, childhood friend Cal Naughton Jr., are a fearless duo -- "Shake" and "Bake" by their fans for their ability to finish so many races in the #1 and #2 positions, with Cal always in second place. When flamboyant French Formula One driver Jean Girard challenges "Shake" and "Bake" for the supremacy of NASCAR, Ricky Bobby must face his own demons and fight Girard for the right to be known as racing's top driver.

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Plot Keywords:

nascar | racing | friend | french | car racing | 

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Taglines:

No One Can Handle The Curves, The Speed, The Heat, Like Ricky Bobby

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

High, Wide, and Handsome

Filming Locations:

Charlotte Motor Speedway, Speedway Parkway, Concord, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$73,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$121,847 (Mexico) (29 September 2006)

Gross:

$4,179,008 (Australia) (13 October 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Apatow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 122 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels) DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The young woman who plays the artist during the brunch scene at the French driver's house is actually the artist of that painting. She was commissioned to do the painting and was then asked if she would play the artist in the film.

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Goofs

During the restart when both Jean Girard and Ricky Bobby are the only 2 remaining cars with 6 laps left, they start side-by-side. In NASCAR, all lead-lap cars restart single-file, and with 10 or fewer laps left, all carts restart single-file, regardless of being on the same lap or not.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Reese Bobby: [Reese is speeding] Guess how fast we're going now!
Lucy Bobby: [screams] I don't care! I'm having a baby!
Reese Bobby: Hundred and five miles an hour! Can you believe that!

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Crazy Credits

Outtakes play through the closing credits.

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Connections

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Goodbye Cowboy"
(2006)
Written by Lee Ferrell
Published by Apple Weasel Music
Performed by Lee Ferrell and Hal Ratliff
Courtesy of Lee Ferrell Productions

User Reviews

Pure Funny!

I was lucky enough to be at a premiere in Chicago for this movie and it was pure fun entertainment. I am not a nascar fan and I love this movie. First off let me say that most of the scenes that they show in the previews are not in the movie, or are at least altered from the trailer version. The characters are extremely funny. John C. Reily and Will Farrell make a perfect red-neck match in this comedy. They play off each other and you can tell that they must have had a blast making this movie. The scene where they are saying grace around the table will, in my opinion, go down as one of the funniest scenes ever. I rank this movie right up there with other will Farrell greats like Old School, Wedding Crashers and Anchorman. So, whether you are a will Farrell fan or not, if you just enjoy fun movies that will have you laughing out loud from start to finish, than you should definitely go check this movie out when it comes out. I will be the guy in the front of the line waiting to get my ticket to see this movie again. A+