Year One (2009)

After being banished from their tribe, two hunter-gatherers encounter Biblical characters and eventually wind up in the city of Sodom.

Director:

Harold Ramis

Writers:

Harold Ramis (screenplay), Gene Stupnitsky (screenplay)

Stars:

Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Black	...	Zed
Michael Cera	...	Oh
Oliver Platt	...	High Priest
David Cross	...	Cain
Christopher Mintz-Plasse	...	Isaac
Vinnie Jones	...	Sargon
Hank Azaria	...	Abraham
Juno Temple	...	Eema
Olivia Wilde	...	Princess Inanna
June Diane Raphael	...	Maya
Xander Berkeley	...	King
Gia Carides	...	Queen
Horatio Sanz	...	Enmebaragesi
David Pasquesi	...	Prime Minister
Matthew Willig	...	Marlak (as Matthew J. Willig)

Storyline

Zed, a prehistoric would-be hunter, eats from a tree of forbidden fruit and is banished from his tribe, accompanied by Oh, a shy gatherer. On their travels, they meet Cain and Abel on a fateful day, stop Abraham from killing Isaac, become slaves, and reach the city of Sodom where their tribe is now enslaved. Zed and Oh are determined to rescue the women they love, Maya and Eema. Standing in their way is Sodom's high priest and the omnipresent Cain. Zed tries to form an alliance with Princess Innana, which may backfire. Can an inept hunter and a smart but slender and diffident gatherer become heroes and make a difference?

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Plot Keywords:

horniness | sodom | cain and abel | biblical satire | prehistory | 

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Taglines:

Meet your ancestors

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, brief strong language and comic violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cameo: Bill Hader as a witch doctor.

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Goofs

In the scene when Zed tries to shoot Abel's cow, he is thrown off and lands on his back. A second later he's attempting to get up from a face-down position.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Zed: To the north!
Maya: You know that that's west.
Zed: Mmm hmm, yeah, I was just checking to see if you knew. To the west!
[under his breath]
Zed: I'm already glad you're here.

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Crazy Credits

Several bloopers are shown during the first half of the end credits.

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Alternate Versions

The 12-rated UK version has dialogue changes to secure a lower rating. The following lines were removed:

• "My thingy smells like lamb chops"
• "Did you know he can put his penis in his mouth, the whole thing?"
• "His poor rectum is absolutely pulverized, which is not usual for a sheep in this region."

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Rotten Tomatoes Show Year Endies (2009)

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Soundtracks

Put the Message in the Box
Written by Karl Wallinger
Performed by World Party
Courtesy of Seaview Records Ltd.

User Reviews

Not nearly as bad as everyone seems to think

Saw this at a matinée yesterday, with very lowered expectations. Don't quite get all the hate on here for it. If you like Jack Black and Michael Cera, they perform as expected here, loudmouthed braggart and wimpy foil, respectively. Amazing cast...David Cross as Cain and Paul Rudd as Abel? Inspired. Oliver Platt as a hairy-chested high priest? The "McLovin" Kid? There's even a member of Upright Citizens Brigade who puts in a very brief cameo. The story is dumb, and there's a few jokes that fall flat...but the sets are impressive and everyone involved seems to be having fun. A good rental, at least. But you people that are rating it a 1? Save your venom for movies that deserve that, like "Meet The Spartans" (unwatchable) or the latest Michael Bay atrocity.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France] Official site [Mexico]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Year One

Filming Locations:

Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,610,304, 21 June 2009

Gross USA:

$43,337,279

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$62,357,900

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Ocean Pictures, Apatow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 100 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1