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:

Small cars that make grown-ups act like really big kids

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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

Phil Davis: Well, the all-time world record is 3.11275 seconds.
Kim Davis: There is a Pinewood Derby world record?
Phil Davis: Heh, yeah.

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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

Nothing "down" here, this upbeat movie is one fine and funny family flick

When Phil (Greg Germann) was a kid, he ruled his California town as the champion athlete. That is, until the day Ace Montana (Marc Raymond) came to town and left poor Phil a permanent second for the next few years. Now, they are both adults and still living in the same community. Phil is married to the lovely Kim (Lauren Holly) and Ace has an equally stunning wife (Hunter Tylo). But, Phil remains envious of Ace and his abilities. Therefore, when its time for the scouts annual Pinewood Derby, Phil is determined that his son, Brady, will be the winner over Ace's offspring. His two closest friends decide to enter their sons in the competition, too. Soon, everyone is toting long wooden boards into their dwellings and trying to perfect the little vehicles and their ramps. Phil takes over his own bedroom, much to Kim's disgust, who has to sleep under the ramp. When her hair dryer blows up, due to over extended outlets, Kim sees red. She tells Phil she is taking Brady to her mother's house for awhile. And, she cautions her advertising executive husband not to neglect, and/or, lose his actual JOB over his derby obsession, for a wealthy client (Pat Morita) is counting on excellence. Will Phil let Ace-mania destroy his exemplary life? This is a fine, funny family flick that will please everyone, especially fathers and sons. When it comes to little racing cars, few males can resist the competitive tug at their hearts to beat the opposition. As the main cast members, Germann and Holly are wonderfully humorous and the supporting cast is very fine as well. Then, too, the California setting is lovely, the costumes are terrific and the camera work, comical script, and energetic direction are all big assets. Most importantly, the movie has no objectionable material or language, making it an ideal choice for everyone in the household. Therefore, look for this upbeat flick on your next trip to the DVD outlets and plunk down a few bucks. It will be money very well extended.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Down and Derby

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