Down and Derby (2005)

A small town Pinewood Derby competition transforms an average group of dads into an awkward bunch of competitors.

Director:

Eric Hendershot

Writer:

Eric Hendershot

Stars:

Greg Germann, Lauren Holly, Pat Morita

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greg Germann	...	Phil Davis
Lauren Holly	...	Kim Davis
Adam Hicks	...	Brady Davis
Perry Anzilotti	...	Big Jimmy
Deborah Ashton	...	Angel Scaldoni
Danny Shepherd	...	Danny Scaldoni
Ross Brockley	...	Blaine Moosman
Tammy Lier	...	Charlotte Moosman
Nicholas Nengas	...	Todd Moosman
Marc Raymond	...	Ace Montana
Hunter Tylo	...	Teri Montana
Eric Jacobs	...	A.J. Montana
Pat Morita	...	Ono Yakimoto
Joey Miyashima	...	Kyosho Yakimoto
K.J. Adachi	...	Kyosho's Son

Storyline

Down and Derby is a family comedy about a small town Pinewood Derby competition that transforms an average group of dads into an awkward bunch of competitors. On the outside, Phil Davis is the typical dad and friendly neighbor. On the inside, he is unresolved and at a breaking point with his childhood rival, Ace Montana. Desperate for the elusive first place, Phil sees his son's Pinewood Derby race as a breakthrough opportunity to beat Ace, who also has a Cub Scout son. Surrounded by more overzealous dads in the same cul-de-sac, they all disregard the event's ideals and completely take over the design, planning and construction of the cars. In the crazed world of derby fever, the kids are lucky if they get to pick the paint color or attach a decal. Hilarity builds as the dads teeter on the edge of insanity and resort to backstabbing, cover-ups and sabotage. Wives, families and jobs are ignored with extreme consequences. The farce reaches comical and outrageous levels when in the end, ...

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Plot Keywords:

pinewood derby | competition | cub scout | boy scouts | neighborhood | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes Parental Guidance is NOT suggested

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some crude humor and brief mild language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Don Murphy, the founder of the Pinewood Derby, makes a guest appearance in the movie.

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Goofs

The Webelos Den Leader has a different pack number on her uniform (585) than the kids in her den (123).

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Quotes

Kim Davis: When did you have time to make these?
[Phil has just rolled out a set of blueprints for a car design]
Phil Davis: Oh, I had them drawn up, uh, the minute I found out we were having a boy. Yeah, I've been saving 'em for Brady's first derby.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: House of D/Down and Derby/Palindromes/Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room/The Interpreter (2005)

User Reviews

Ignore the naysayers. This is a great comedy!

I'm beginning to get it now. If a movie is family-friendly, critics and armchair critics walk in with a prejudice. I'm glad I didn't hear any negative reviews before seeing this because I thought it was a very well-constructed comedy, and quite frankly, I was laughing my head-off. But this wasn't simply a series of gags. While it has it's many knock-you-in-the-face comedic moments, it also employs subtlety. This is the genre of comedy that Steve Martin used in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Cheaper by the Dozen II" where good and upstanding characters gradually descend into immaturity and loss of self-control in their pursuit of a (usually stupid) goal, all the while showing the audience how these ridiculous choices can seem reasonable to the unfortunate but lovable characters. Greg Germann was truly excellent in his lead role as Phil Davis. I usually don't want to see a movie a second time, but this one is different. Had "Down and Derby" added expletives, off-color jokes, and a little nudity to earn it a PG-13 or R rating, I suspect the reviews would be much more favorable. But, alas, it is good clean humor for the whole family. If you don't require expletives and sexual innuendo to laugh, then see this movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Apa csata

Filming Locations:

St. George, Utah, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$43,930, 17 April 2005

Gross USA:

$231,609

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$231,609

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stonehaven Media, Pure Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color