Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)

Our intrepid adolescent heroes wake up to find their beloved television stolen, and embark on an epic journey across America to recover it, and, who knows, maybe even score.

Directors:

Mike Judge, Mike de Seve (as Mike DeSeve)

Writers:

Mike Judge, Joe Stillman

Stars:

Mike Judge, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mike Judge	...	Beavis / Butt-Head / Tom Anderson / Mr. Van Driessen / Principal McVicker (voice)
Bruce Willis	...	Muddy Grimes (voice)
Demi Moore	...	Dallas Grimes (voice)
Cloris Leachman	...	Old Woman on Plane and Bus (voice)
Robert Stack	...	ATF Agent Flemming (voice)
Jacqueline Barba	...	FBI Agent Hurly (voice)
Pamela Blair	...	Flight Attendant / White House Tour Guide (voice)
Eric Bogosian	...	Ranger at Old Faithful / White House Press Secretary / Lieutenant at Strategic Air Command (voice)
Kristofor Brown	...	Man on Plane / Man in Confession Booth #2 / Old Guy / Jim (voice)
Tony Darling	...	Motley Crue Roadie #2 / Tourist Man (voice)
John Doman	...	Airplane Captain / White House Representative (voice)
Francis Dumaurier	...	French Dignitary (voice) (as Francis DuMaurier)
Jim Flaherty	...	Petrified Forest Recording (voice)
Tim Guinee	...	Hoover Dam Guide / ATF Agent (voice)
David Letterman	...	Motley Crue Roadie #1 (voice) (as Earl Hofert)

Storyline

Our intrepid adolescent heroes wake up to find their beloved television stolen, and embark on an epic journey across America to recover it, and, who knows, maybe even score. On the way they encounter a murderous smuggler of a deadly virus and his treacherous wife, an FBI agent with a predilection for cavity searches, a couple of rather familiar looking ex-Motley Crue roadies, Mr. Van Dreesen singing "Lesbian Seagull", a little old lady and of course Mr. Anderson and his trailer. Can the Great Cornholio save the day? Uh-huh. Huh-huh.

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Plot Keywords:

beavis and butt head | country name in title | adult animation | airplane | bus | 

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Taglines:

This Holiday Season, You Can Run You Can Hide but Evantullay will have to face the fact

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for continuous crude sex-related humor and language, and for a drug-related scene

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the DVD commentary, Mike Judge confesses that the guitar riff from Beavis and Butt-Head theme music is the riff from AC/DC's Gone Shootin' played backwards.

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Goofs

When Beavis is delivering his "We're never gonna score" speech on the bus, the old woman's skin is much darker than in other scenes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Butt-head: This is cool.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits sequence is done in a style that spoofs 70s cops shows, and features an Isaac Hayes song, which could be considered a style parody of the theme to Shaft.

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Alternate Versions

In the version aired on TNN May 26, 2002, in the scene where the FBI agents are talking after Beavis and Butt-Head leave the Hoover Dam, the word "terrorists" was replaced with "masterminds".

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Connections

Featured in Everything Wrong with...: Everything Wrong with the Transformers: The Movie (1986) (2017)

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Soundtracks

Love Rollercoaster
Written by James 'Diamond' Williams (as J. Williams), Clarence Satchell (as C. Satchell), Leroy 'Sugarfoot' Bonner (as L. Bonner), Marshall E. Jones (as M. Jones), Ralph Middlebrooks (as R. Middlebrooks), Marvin Pierce (as M. Pierce) and Willie Beck (as W. Beck)
Performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Produced by Sylvia Massy and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

User Reviews

"Huh-huh-huh, you said anus!"

I enjoyed this film a lot more than I expected to. I was never very taken with Beavis and Butthead's short sketches on MTV, and in truth they've never really taken off in England the same way they did in the States. The somewhat obvious satire lacks the gentle wit of Mike Judge's other creation, "King of the Hill", and spending 80 minutes in their company was a dubious prospect.

However, ...Do America sensibly opens out the scope, taking in less broad targets. For a start, we have Beavis and Butthead's hippie teacher, who gently strums his spiritual song, "Lesbian Seagull". It's a testament to the profile of the cartoon that Englebert Humperdinck gives his own rendition of this for the end titles. But best of all is their neighbour, redneck Tom Anderson (Catchphrase: "I'd love to get my hands on those two b******s for whacking off in my camper van"), who, while not the same character, has the exact same voice, personality and appearance of Hank from "Hill". Judge obviously knew when he was on to a good thing and built a series around this great character.

The plot is brilliantly silly, with the two boys getting involved, unwittingly, in a plot that sees a killer virus, attempted murder and the emergence of World War III. President Clinton even makes an appearance towards the end. Movie culture is openly lambasted, starting with King Kong, and taking in an opening title sequence (theme song by Isaac Hayes, a year before South Park) that parodies both Shaft and Charlie's Angels. Look out too for the climatic "slow motion" sequence.

Jokes are puerile, such as the two obnoxious leads laughing uncontrollably at the word "wood", or another scene where a man asks the pair "have you got a match?" "Yeah," replies Butthead, the slightly smarter of the two, "my butt and ... uh ... your butt". It's childish, but it made me laugh. Not the most subtle exercise in wit, the film is still a worthwhile, and, by it's own small ambitions, successful picture.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Hindi

Release Date:

20 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,114,233, 22 December 1996

Gross USA:

$63,118,386

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$63,118,386

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, MTV Productions, Geffen Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (1999 Re-Release) Dolby DTS (1999 Re-Release) (Digital DTS Sound) Dolby Digital (1999 Re-Release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1