Observe and Report (2009)

Bi-polar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt is called into action to stop a flasher from turning shopper's paradise into his personal peep show. But when Barnhardt can't bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective is recruited to close the case.

Director:

Jody Hill

Writer:

Jody Hill

Stars:

Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Seth Rogen	...	Ronnie
Ray Liotta	...	Detective Harrison
Michael Peña	...	Dennis
Anna Faris	...	Brandi
Dan Bakkedahl	...	Mark
Jesse Plemons	...	Charles
John Yuan	...	John Yuen
Matt Yuan	...	Matt Yuen (as Matthew Yuan)
Celia Weston	...	Mom
Collette Wolfe	...	Nell
Randy Gambill	...	Flasher
Alston Brown	...	Bruce
Cody Midthunder	...	D-Rock
Debra-Jayne Brown	...	Female Reporter
Aziz Ansari	...	Saddamn

Storyline

Ronnie Barnhardt lives with his alcoholic mother. He's chief security guard at Forest Ridge Mall, where he's in love with Brandi, a cosmetic sales clerk, and gets a free coffee each day from Nell, a cheery clerk in the food court. A flasher haunts the mall's parking lot, and at night, thefts occur. Ronnie is intent on catching the criminals but has no investigative skills, is delusional about his abilities, and makes mad accusations. His bête noire is Detective Harrison, the city cop sent to investigate. Ronnie thinks he could be an officer, thinks he stands a chance with Brandi, and slowly loses his self control. Will reality set in? What about redemption?

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Plot Keywords:

mall | security guard | police detective | pubic hair | male pubic hair | 

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Taglines:

Right now, the world needs a hero.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cuidado con el guardia

Filming Locations:

New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,017,334, 12 April 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$23,993,605, 12 June 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Line Pictures, Legendary Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the filming of a fight scene, Seth Rogen broke a stuntman's nose by accidentally hitting him in the face for real.

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Goofs

When Ronnie is offered cocaine by a kid, he says it's a schedule 1 narcotic. It's actually a schedule 2 narcotic.

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Quotes

Toast A Bun Manager: Oh, look at that, two "I'm sorries". I thought those might clean the counter but they don't, because I guess I'm fuckin' dumb.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever (2015)

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Soundtracks

Help Is on Its Way
Written by Glenn Shorrock
Performed by The Little River Band (as Little River Band)
Courtesy of EMI Music Australia
Under License from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

One Seriously Underrated Comedy

Observe and Report. No, it is not a ripoff of Paul Blart: Mall Cop, lets get that out of the way right now. This movie has been troubled since the very beginning and has been disowned by critics for being too dark to be funny. Dark? Yes, this movie has its share of politically incorrect humor and gratuitous violence played up for laughs. But to call it not funny…. I simply cannot fathom why anyone did. This movie is a laugh-out-loud spectacle. Its almost as good in the way that Bad Santa was good. Seth Rogen even plays his character akin to Robert DeNiro as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (minus the Oscar worthiness and anything that made Travis Bickle a classic character of course, I'm not equating Rogen to DeNiro). The rest of the cast exemplified terrific comedic timing, especially Ray Liotta. If your looking for laughs, this movie is up your ally. Its in the same league as Kick-Ass and Bad Santa for sure. As for the critics… well… prior to the film's release, the stock market crashed. I blame the economy for this one. Times are a little bit better, and so is this movie. Give it a watch.