Eagle vs Shark (2007)

The tale of two socially-awkward misfits and the strange ways they try to find love: through revenge on high-school bullies, burgers, and video games.

Director:

Taika Waititi

Writers:

Loren Taylor (story) (as Loren Horsley), Taika Waititi (story)

Stars:

Loren Taylor, Jemaine Clement, Craig Hall

6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Loren Taylor	...	Lily (as Loren Horsley)
Jemaine Clement	...	Jarrod
Joel Tobeck	...	Damon
Brian Sergent	...	Jonah
Craig Hall	...	Doug
Rachel House	...	Nancy
Morag Hills	...	Vinny
Bernard Stewart	...	Zane
Taika Waititi	...	Gordon
David Fane	...	Eric Elisi
Cohen Holloway	...	Mason
Gentiane Lupi	...	Tracy
Chelsie Preston Crayford	...	Jenny
Adam Gardiner	...	Tony
Jackie van Beek	...	Burger Staff

Storyline

In Wellington, wallflower Lily is inexplicably attracted to loser Jarrod. She's out of a job; he's nursing a decade-long grudge against someone who teased him in high school. When she accompanies him to his seacoast hometown where he intends to take on his nemesis, she meets his father, his daughter from a one-night stand, and other family members--plus the memory of his talented, dead brother. Jarrod treats Lily badly, invents a relationship with his dead brother's fiancée, and gears up for his fight. Will she finally have enough and go home?

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Plot Keywords:

dead brother | shark | eagle | bully | fight | 

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Taglines:

Opposites. Unattractive.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexuality, and brief animated violence

Details

Official Sites:

NZonScreen listing Official DVD site

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 August 2007 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Eagle vs. Shark

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,361, 17 June 2007

Gross USA:

$221,846

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,298,037

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Zealand Film Commission, Unison Films, Whenua Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Taika Waititi made Jemaine Clement and Loren Taylor wear shoes that were too big so that they would be more clumsy.

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Goofs

One of the certificates on the wall of Jonah's art room is upside-down.

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Quotes

[as Lily enters the room, her face caked in makeup]
Doug Davis: Woah!
Nancy: Wow!
Doug Davis: Stop the press! We've got a fashion model in the house! Is that the makeup you got from us?
Lily: Yep.
Doug Davis: And your skin's all right?
Lily: Yep. Why?
Nancy: Oh, we were just wondering.

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Connections

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

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Soundtracks

Hitchcock
Written by William Ricketts/Luke Buda/The Phoenix Foundation
Performed by The Phoenix Foundation

User Reviews

"I was going to come as a shark but I realized an eagle was slightly better."

"Eagle Vs Shark" is the story of two people considered 'losers' by society and how they might...just might...be right for one another. On one hand you have Jerrod, a twelve-year old boy trapped in a man's body who enjoys making candles, plotting revenge on the school bully that ruined his life and playing the video game 'Fight Man'. On the other hand, you have the fragile Lilly who sings songs about tangerines, lets people walk all over her and dreams about how Jerrod (a regular customer at the fast food restaurant where she works) may one day love her.

Creating a quirky, whimsical movie featuring two geeks who are awkward and barely able to function in society is difficult to pull off but New Zealand film maker Taika Watiti manages it. What makes this movie different to many others which focus on similar characters is that "Eagle Vs Shark" never stoops to mocking its characters despite the opportunity to do so. The audience is invited to share in their hopes and defeats, rather than stand back and laugh at their offbeat behaviour. It is a romantic comedy about two characters who are ill-suited to the genre (Lilly wears her shark costume while lying in bed with Jerrod for example).

Whilst both leads are magnificent, Loren Horsley is the real find here. With her wide innocent eyes, crooked smile and shy demeanour, she creates a character which you can truly connect with. Jerrod may be a complete jerk and oblivious to everyone around him but you never doubt that Lilly truly loves him. She's the type of girl who fades into the background of any room and Horsley manages to convey her joy and heartbreak in a way that you really want her to have a happy ending. Jermaine Clement as Jerrod is a lot harder to warm to because of his actions (and inactions) throughout the movie but ultimately you come to share Lilly's faith that the two are right for one another.

It's hard to avoid the comparisons to "Napoleon Dynamite" when reviewing "Eagle VS Shark". The deadpan deliveries of the characters in both movies is similar and the tone is almost identical. It's safe to assume that if you hated "Napoleon Dynamite" then you're absolutely going to loathe "Eagle VS Shark". Everyone else should give this movie a chance. Like the characters it features, it's not perfect but, like love, it's an uplifting experience.

Awkward. Quirky. Wonderful.

Recommended.