Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Ron Burgundy is San Diego's top-rated newsman in the male-dominated broadcasting of the 1970s, but that's all about to change for Ron and his cronies when an ambitious woman is hired as a new anchor.

Director:

Adam McKay

Writers:

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay

Stars:

Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell

1 win & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell	...	Ron Burgundy
Christina Applegate	...	Veronica Corningstone
Paul Rudd	...	Brian Fantana
Steve Carell	...	Brick Tamland
David Koechner	...	Champ Kind
Fred Willard	...	Ed Harken
Chris Parnell	...	Garth Holliday
Kathryn Hahn	...	Helen
Fred Armisen	...	Tino
Seth Rogen	...	Eager Cameraman
Paul F. Tompkins	...	MC
Danny Trejo	...	Bartender
Scot Robinson	...	Waiter at Tino's
Ian Roberts	...	Stage Manager
Darcy Donavan	...	Hot Blonde

Storyline

In 1970s San Diego, journalism was a well respected profession and people actually cared about what they saw on TV. And the top rated anchor man in the city is Ron Burgundy. He enjoys his run at the top, and has for the last five years. And his news team is equally as good as he is. Professional jock and former professional baseball player Champ Kind handles the sports, the curiously dim witted Brick Tamland - who's a few channels short of a cable subscription - handles the weather, and ladies' man Brian Fantana - whose collection of fine scents would be in the Guinness Book Of Records - handles the on-field reporting. But now all that is about to change forever. The TV station Burgundy works for, Channel 4, has embraced diversity and has hired a beautiful new female anchor named Veronica Corningstone. While Ron Burgundy and the rest of the Channel 4 news team enjoys fighting with competitors, drinking, and flirting with the ladies, Veronica quietly climbs her way to the top. And ...

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Plot Keywords:

tv station | erection visible through clothing | anchorman | news anchor | 1970s | 

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Taglines:

If Ron Burgundy says it... it's the truth!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual humor, language and comic violence

Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Spanish

Release Date:

9 July 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Action Newsman

Filming Locations:

Dresden Room Restaurant - 1760 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,416,365, 11 July 2004

Gross USA:

$85,288,303

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$90,517,748

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, Apatow Productions, Herzog-Cowen Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 97 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The events of this movie occur in the 1970s. When he first meets Veronica Corningstone, Ron claims to be friends with Edward R. Murrow, however, Edward R. Murrow actually died on April 27, 1965.

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Goofs

Although the story takes place in the 70s, many of the aerial shots in the film showcase San Diego's new skyline including the Hyatt towers and the new Petco ballpark.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bill Lawson: [narration] There was a time, a time before cable. When the local anchorman reigned supreme. When people believed everything they heard on TV. This was an age when only men were allowed to read the news. And in San Diego, one anchorman was more man than the rest. His name was Ron Burgundy. He was like a god walking amongst mere mortals. He had a voice that could make a wolverine purr and suits so fine they made Sinatra look like a hobo. In other words, Ron Burgundy was the balls.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits feature outtakes from the film, as well as one outtake from the film Smokey and the Bandit II (1980)

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Alternate Versions

Differences between the theatrical release and the director's cut:

• After Brian Fantana comments on being hung over from the previous night's party, Champ states "I woke up on the floor of some Japanesse family's living room, and they would NOT stop screaming!", to which Brick replies, "I ate a big red candle". In the director's cut, Champ says "I woke up this morning and I shit a squirrel. The hell of it is, the damn thing's still alive. So I've got this shit covered squirrel down there in the office, and I don't know what to name it." Brick replies, "I'm sorry, I think I ate your chocolate squirrel".
• The scene of Ron Burgundy walking around the office with an erection is extended by about fifteen seconds.
• Ron daydreams of being married to Veronica, and has two children. After coming home from work, she appears from the kitchen in negligee, tells him that she's just prepared dinner in the nude, and they somewhat violently make out in the hallway.
• The scene of Ron being carried away by the crowd after reading the phrase "Go fuck yourself, San Diego" on the air is extended, with Ron screaming, "I would never say fuck! I would never fucking ever fucking say that!"
• After the above, Ron goes to Tino's where he is forced to eat cat poop in regard to the above incident.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Duplicity/Knowing/I Love You, Man (2009)

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Soundtracks

Use Me
Written & Performed by Bill Withers
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

This absurd comedy had to convince me...and somehow it did

When Anchorman came into theaters, I avoided it like a dead sewer rat. When it came onto HBO, I pretended it didn't exist. In fact, I would not have even LOOKED at it had my remote control not stuck on the stupid channel. So I watched a few minutes. I didn't laugh. I wasn't surprised.

Then one day, surfing the premium movie channels, I was thoroughly unimpressed by the offerings. So I turned on Anchorman, about 5 minutes in. For the next hour and a half, I proceeded to laugh hysterically. Scene after scene, line after line, I found new reasons to laugh. By the end, I could hardly breathe.

Unconvinced that I had stumbled upon a a re-watchable movie, I tested and retested it over and over. And over. Result confirmed.

Anchorman tells a simple story: acclaimed (and consequently arrogant) news anchor Ron Burgundy is forced to adapt when an attractive new female member of the Channel 4 news team (Applegate) begins changing the way he and his quirky news team work. That's it. This story is predictable, prescription-esquire, boring. But Anchorman does not draw it's strength from story. It draws from the hilarious situations. It draws from randomness. It draws from brief--but memorable--cameos. It draws from those 100 or so unforgettable one-liners.

That is, if you're looking for cinema, for a fine work of craftsmanship, a eloquent script, and an Oscar nomination, go watch a FILM. If you find randomness hilarious, then watch this MOVIE.