Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Number one NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Director:

Adam McKay

Writers:

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay

Stars:

Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen

8 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell	...	Ricky Bobby
John C. Reilly	...	Cal Naughton Jr.
Sacha Baron Cohen	...	Jean Girard
Gary Cole	...	Reese Bobby
Michael Clarke Duncan	...	Lucius Washington
Leslie Bibb	...	Carley Bobby
Jane Lynch	...	Lucy Bobby
Amy Adams	...	Susan
Andy Richter	...	Gregory
Molly Shannon	...	Mrs. Dennit
Greg Germann	...	Larry Dennit Jr.
David Koechner	...	Hershell
Jack McBrayer	...	Glenn
Ian Roberts	...	Kyle
Pat Hingle	...	Mr. Dennit Sr.

Storyline

NASCAR stock car racing sensation Ricky Bobby is a national hero because of his "win at all costs" approach. He and his loyal racing partner, childhood friend Cal Naughton Jr., are a fearless duo -- "Shake" and "Bake" by their fans for their ability to finish so many races in the #1 and #2 positions, with Cal always in second place. When flamboyant French Formula One driver Jean Girard challenges "Shake" and "Bake" for the supremacy of NASCAR, Ricky Bobby must face his own demons and fight Girard for the right to be known as racing's top driver.

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Plot Keywords:

slapstick comedy | racing | nascar | friend | french | 

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Taglines:

The story of a man who could only count to #1

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

High, Wide, and Handsome

Filming Locations:

Lowe's Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$72,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$47,042,215, 6 August 2006, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$148,213,377

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$162,966,177

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Relativity Media,Apatow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 122 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels) DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Will Ferrell offered a role to Steve Carell, but he couldn't accept due to scheduling conflicts.

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Goofs

At the school when Ricky's dad comes in, he is wearing sunglasses. They disappear and then reappear in the next two camera angle changes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Reese Bobby: [Reese is speeding] Guess how fast we're going now!
Lucy Bobby: [screams] I don't care! I'm having a baby!
Reese Bobby: Hundred and five miles an hour! Can you believe that!

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Crazy Credits

During the opening credits, the following quote is displayed: "America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, bad ass speed."

• Eleanor Roosevelt, 1936

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Connections

References Real World (1992)

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Soundtracks

Faithfully
(1983)
Written by Jonathan Cain
Published by Twist & Shout Music and Love Batch Music
Performed by Journey
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Dumb but entertaining racing comedy

In Talladega Nights, Will Farrell and Jon C. Reilly head a nicely assembled cast (without a lot of star power) in a story about a fool who happens to be a race car driver and who has based his entire life philosophy around a phrase uttered by his alcoholic father during a drunk - "If you ain't first, you're last". Ricky Bobby rides high in his largely unexamined life until, predictably, he eventually crashes hard when confronted with a gay French intellectual who just might be a better driver than he is, and a boss who does not appreciate his arrogance.

Talladega Nights uses a narrative and editing style reminiscent of the brilliant Deathrace 2000 to create an entirely different effect - unlike Deathrace 2000's intellectually challenging political and social commentary, Talladega Nights is a simple absurdist comedy played out by several stereotypes in the contemporary racing entertainment industry. The film is successful largely because of it's careful plotting and occasional substitution of slap-stick for (dumb) dialogue driven comedy. The script is nothing special, but was probably well edited in the final construction of the film in order to emphasize its occasional moments of brilliance. If you go into this without much in the way of expectations, you just might enjoy it.