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:

man wears eyeglasses | dead brother | shark | eagle | bully | 

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Taglines:

Finding love was never so... Awkward.

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Miranda Manasiadis, who portrays one of the Meaty Boy staff (the woman with long blond hair), is Jemaine Clement's wife.

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Goofs

During the Fight Man competition there is a character whose combat name is Blaze. Although he is seen playing just before Jarred, his game character is seen much earlier in the tournament.

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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

80's Celebration
Performed by The Reduction Agents

User Reviews

Not Exactly Fresh, but Quite Good

Eagle Vs. Shark is a quirky comedy from New Zealand, with "Flight Of The Conchords" Jermaine Clement, and a cast of unknowns.

It's a very funny film, with some good directing and a decent score. My only quip is it feels like it's been done before...(read more)e. The wall paper and tapestries remind instantly of that legendary Garden State scene, there's animation of the Michel Gondry arts and crafts vein, a little blonde girl who very much resembles a certain Little Miss Sunshine, a leading man doing his best Napolean Dynamite, and a leading lady playing a dotting, kind hearted, quite woman ala Miranda July in "Me and You etc". Yes there all here including a soundtrack of obligatory indie pop, I heard a Devandra Banheart cover of "Body Breaks".

That being said, the movie works. It's funny, painfully awkward, mean, and consistently goofy. Loren Horsley gives a terrific performance as "Lily" the films hero, who is at the beginning of the film for reasons never clearly expressed absolutely in love with clueless uber-loser Jarred. The two get together at an Animal Dress up party, and all's well until Lily discovers Jarred is planning to get revenge on a man who bullied him in high school (which seems to be his only really coherent thought). So its off to Jarred's home town, and uncertain revenge and love.

Jarred is ridiculously unlikable, and Lily has the loving patience of a saint, it's the sheer awkwardness of the performances which make any of this believable, the little ticks like the compulsive lying, the monotone speech, awkward stance, clothes, droll humor. The performers really drive home the story well which in the hands of others could have been God awful.

Though writer/director Taika Cohen has borrowed a lot of elements from other films working in similar fields, he does so naturally, with a poise, grace, and nerdiness, left out of a lot of the quirky, funny, hip, indie rom-coms. Nothing brilliant, but a solid comedy, that plays better to absurd than it does thoughtful, but I laughed all the way through, and would recommend to others, if it sounds like the thing for you. It's pluses easily beat out it's minuses.

I'm not really into actors, or following "the stars', but Loren Horsley's performance here was really kind of enchanting, and I would definitely be interested in seeing her again. "I am...Dangerous Person..."

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