Without a Paddle (2004)

After their friend dies, three men decide to fulfill their childhood dream by going on a camping expedition for the lost D. B. Cooper bounty, with calamitous results.

Director:

Steven Brill

Writers:

Fred Wolf (story), Harris Goldberg (story)

Stars:

Matthew Lillard, Seth Green, Dax Shepard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Price	...	Young Tom
Andrew Hampton	...	Young Jerry
Jarred Rumbold	...	Young Dan
Carl Snell	...	Young Billy
Antony Starr	...	Billy Newwood (as Anthony Starr)
Dax Shepard	...	Tom Marshall
Matthew Lillard	...	Jerry Conlaine
Seth Green	...	Dan Mott
Nadine Bernecker	...	Angie
Danielle Cormack	...	Tony
David Stott	...	Dick Stark
Bonnie Somerville	...	Denise
Scott Adsit	...	Greasy Man
Morgan Reese Fairhead	...	Sandi
Liddy Holloway	...	Bonnie Newwood

Storyline

Three friends, whose lives have been drifting apart, reunite for the funeral of a fourth childhood friend. When looking through their childhood belongings, they discover a trunk which contained details on a quest their friend was attempting. It revealed that he was hot on the trail of the $200,000 that went missing with airplane hijacker D.B. Cooper in 1971. They decide to continue his journey, but do not understand the dangers they will soon encounter.

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Plot Keywords:

tree house | homoeroticism | environmentalist | homophobia | underwear | 

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Taglines:

Three lifelong friends... One lost treasure... What could go wrong?

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content, sexual material, language, crude humor and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount [United States]

Country:

USA New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 August 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jusqu'au cou

Filming Locations:

Huka Falls, Taupo, Waikato, New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,528,946, 22 August 2004, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$58,169,327

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$71,274,967

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures,De Line Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie is the first to qualify for the New Zealand Government's "Large Budget Grants Scheme" where the film-makers will receive up to 12.5% of their production budget back.

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Goofs

When Dan, Jerry, and Tom are driving 'the duke' to go on their expedition, Dan refers to 'the Duke' as having "the 318 V8, they're bulletproof." Wagoneers were never offered with a 318in3, especially not in 1977. The 318 was a Chrysler motor, and in 1977 Jeep was still under the ownership of AMC, and would come with either a 258in3I6, a 360in3V8 or a 401in3V8.

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Quotes

Dan Mott: You guys are spraying me.
Tom Marshall: Give me a break. I'm writing your name.
Dan Mott: Stop it!

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Connections

References Blow (2001)

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Soundtracks

Invisible
by Chris Braide (as Christopher Kenneth Braide), Andreas Carlsson & Desmond Child
Performed by Clay Aiken
Published by Warner/Chappell Music Ltd. (PRS) / Andreas Carlsson Publishing AB (STIM) / Deston Songs (ASCAP),
LLC & Desmobile, Inc. (ASCAP) admin. by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of 19 Recordings / The RCA Records Label
Under license from BMG Film & Television Music

User Reviews

Brown Bag Humor

This PG 13 comedy has been greatly maligned by some big time critics, the New York Times and other's. I think the main irritation is the homosexual eroticism, a joke if you will about Deliverance style banjo boys and close quarter survival in the nude. Some may be offended, sensitive gay's, little old Grandmothers, and redneck tobacco sputters. I assure you; however, this is a funny movie. City Slickers 1 and 2 covered this ground once before, but frankly, I liked Without a Paddle more. It's sentimental for all the right reasons. The boys truly love each other and when they become twenty something's, they retain some of their boyish quirks, each with a flaw, the short, picked-on boy grows up to be the short picked on doctor. You get the idea.

The Cascade Mountains both real and simulated is a beautiful green backdrop to the slapstick antics of angry bears and pot growing dummies. The tree girls are a breakdown and laugh idea. Their defense of a tree is brown bag humor, but gee, that hits a visceral laugh note in even the stuffiest fool.