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:

Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Vince Vaughn

2 wins & 9 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 (Ben Stiller) is the owner and founder of Globo Gym, and would love nothing more than owning Average Joe's Gymnasium. Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) 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 dodge ball tournament. White Goodman retaliates by creating his own dodge ball team to finish off Peter. Peter's team doesn't do too well, until legendary ADAA champ Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn) turns up ready to train them.

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Plot Keywords:

gym | dodgeball | pirate | tournament | coach | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie refers to the fictional ESPN 8 "The Ocho", as a means to lampoon the channel's multiple outlets. "The Ocho" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a nickname formerly used by ESPN2, "The Deuce".

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Goofs

After the German team loses in the first round, David Hasselhoff goes to their bench and throws down his picture. You can see that there is no glass in the frame when he is holding it but you hear glass break when the frame hits the floor.

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Quotes

Mr. Ralph: Unfortunately for Troop 417, during the ADAA-required random drug screening, one of your player's urine tested positive for 3 separate types of anabolic steroids & a low-grade... beaver tranquilizer. I'm afraid, by rule, your team must be disqualified.
Angry Troop #417 Girl: [throws her cap into Bernice's chest and storms off] Goddamn you Bernice! Ooohh!
[Bernice, a very hairy & large girl with a very deep voice & slight mustache cries into her hands]
Mr. Ralph: By the power vested in me, I declared the winner of this year'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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Alternate Versions

The Cinemax/Pay per View cut also includes an extended car wash scene which includes raunchy jokes involving one character's unsightly "bikini" area around his speedo.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Hank Azaria/Adam Richman/Ben Harper and the Relentless Seven (2009)

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Soundtracks

Red Rubber Ball
Written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley
Performed by Eggchair
Courtesy of Eggchair Music

User Reviews

Go Team Slapstick!

Once every few years, you're presented to a slapstick comedy so hilarious you instantly forget how LOW this form of entertainment actually is. I can't give a scientific explanation to state how come it's funny to see someone (preferably wearing glasses) getting hit in the face by a ball…it just is. Dodgeball is vulgar, crude and without substance…but your stomach will hurt from laughing and don't we all need that from time to time? In case you really want to defend this film, you can always say it features tons of unsubtle criticism towards modern American image of exaggerated health-obsession. Ben Stiller's character is the personification of the obnoxious fitness guru: 'We're better than you, and we know it'. Opposed to him, there's Vince Vaughn as the chilled-minded, lovable guy who owns a fitness center for the underdeveloped wimps. Due to his financial situation, he risks losing his gym to Stiller except if he and his teams of misfits manage to win the world-famous dodgeball tournament. The film is a series of cheap chuckles, eccentric characters and outrageous one-liners. It's pretty funny to hear Stiller yell out lines like: 'You're a skid mark on the underpants of society'. Or the always-amusing Rip Torn encouraging his team with the words: 'you're as useful as a cock-flavored lollipop'. The acting is great as it can be with Ben Stiller and Rip Torn who go delightfully over the top and lots of enthusiast cameos (Chuck Norris, David Hasselhof, William Shatner and even Lance Armstrong). It sure isn't Schindler's List but Dodgball is great entertainment and stress releasing.

Details

Official Sites:

Filming Locations of Dodgeball

Country:

USA

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 USA:

$30,070,196, 20 June 2004

Gross USA:

$114,326,736

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$168,423,227

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color Black and White (educational movie footage)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1