The Country Bears (2002)

User Rating:

3.8/10   

Director:

Peter Hastings

Writer (WGA):

Mark Perez (written by)

Release Date:

26 July 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Music | Musical

Tagline:

They're legends. Bearly.

Plot:

Based on an attraction at Disneyland, the Country Bear Jamboree, "The Country Bears" (2002) is one in a long line of live action Disney family films...

Plot Keywords:

Bear | Satire | Disney | Spoof | Box Office Flop

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Haley Joel Osment	...	Beary Barrington (voice)
Diedrich Bader	...	Officer Cheets / Ted Bedderhead (voice)
Candy Ford	...	Trixie (voice)
James Gammon	...	Big Al (voice)
Brad Garrett	...	Fred Bedderhead (voice)
Toby Huss	...	Tennessee O'Neal (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Henry (voice)
Stephen Root	...	Zeb (voice)
Christopher Walken	...	Reed Thimple
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Norbert Barrington
Daryl Mitchell	...	Officer Hamm (as Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell)
M.C. Gainey	...	Roadie
Alex Rocco	...	Rip Holland
Meagen Fay	...	Mrs. Barrington (as Megan Fay)
Eli Marienthal	...	Dex Barrington
Queen Latifah	...	Cha-Cha
Chip Chinery	...	Tom Tamina
Carolyn Almos	...	Tina Tamina
Marcus Knight	...	Chef
Michael Lawrence Morgan	...	Benny Bogswaggle
Alpheus Merchant	...	Elderly Black Man
Daniel Escobar	...	Store Manager
Christopher Darga	...	Mr. Slamboni
Jess Harnell	...	Long-Haired Dude
Ann Hastings	...	Elderly Woman
Paul Rugg	...	TV Reporter
Dennis E. O'Donnell	...	Wedding Band Member
Michael R. Hastings	...	Wedding Band Member
Peter Leinheiser	...	Wedding Band Member
Arthur F. Repola	...	Wedding Band Member (as Art Repola)
Betty Weiss	...	Cashier
Jennifer Paige	...	Waitress (as Jennifer S. Paige)
Josh Quirk	...	Fry Cook
Larry Burke	...	Video Roadie
Krystal	...	Herself (as Krystal Marie Harris)
Don Henley	...	Himself / Tennessee O'Neal (singing voice)
Wyclef Jean	...	Himself
Elton John	...	Himself
Willie Nelson	...	Himself
Bonnie Raitt	...	Herself - Trixie St. Claire (singing voice)
Brian Setzer	...	Himself
Don Was	...	Himself
Xzibit	...	Himself
Elizabeth Daily	...	Beary Barrington (singing voice) (as E.G. Daily)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Timothy Anderson	...	Cafe patron
Billy Bonsangue	...	Dancer
Bubba Carr	...	Dancer
Karen Elmore	...	Singer
Davey Faragher	...	Soundtrack singer
Patrice Fisher	...	Backup Singer
Aisha Jamila Francis	...	Dancer (as Aisha Francis)
Marc C. Geschwind	...	Bartender
Gregory Graham	...	Cowboy Party Guest
Jennifer L. Hamilton	...	Waitress (as Jennifer Hamilton)
Colin Hay	...	(singing voice)
Brandon Henschel	...	Dancer
John Hiatt	...	Himself - Ted Bedderhead (singing voice)
Brian La Rosa	...	Ted Bedderhead
Melissa S. Markess	...	Shop Assistant
Misty Rosas	...	Beary Barrington
Pamela Rossi	...	Dancer
Peter Siragusa	...	Victor The Vulture
Kevin Alexander Stea	...	Cafe Patron
Grant Taskerud	...	Guitarist
Bernie Dresel	...	Drummer - Brian Setzer (uncredited)
Mary Kircher	...	Car Polish Expert (uncredited)
Tara Tortorello	...	Bride (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Hastings

Writing credits (WGA)
Mark Perez		(written by)

Produced by
Jeffrey Chernov	....	producer
Andrew Gunn	....	producer
John G. Scotti	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Mitchell Amundsen		(director of photography) (as C. Mitchell Amundsen)

Film Editing by
George Bowers
Seth Flaum

Casting by
Ruth Lambert

Production Design by
Dan Bishop

Art Direction by
Maria L. Baker		(as Maria Baker)

Set Decoration by
Kathe Klopp

Costume Design by
Genevieve Tyrrell

Makeup Department
Kim M. Ferry	....	additional hair stylist
Cleve Gunderman	....	special makeup effects artist
Rob Hinderstein	....	makeup designer
Lee Romaire	....	sculptor/painter: Jim Henson Creature Shop
Beka Wilson	....	key hair stylist
Janice Zoladz	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Jamie D. Boscardin	....	production supervisor
Stephen Lim	....	unit production manager
Charles Rapp	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruce Hendricks	....	second unit director
Kristen Ploucha	....	second assistant director
Douglas A. Raine	....	first assistant director: second unit
John G. Scotti	....	first assistant director
Jody Spilkoman	....	second second assistant director
Nicholas Wolfert	....	second assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Greg Aronowitz	....	concept model maker
Greg Aronowitz	....	propmaker
Drew Boughton	....	assistant art director
Eric Bryant	....	art department production assistant
Alan Day	....	set dresser
Joe Elvington	....	set laborer
Windy Fleischaker	....	production assistant
Monica Frommholz	....	art department coordinator
Lance Gunnin	....	general foreman
Steve A. Hagberg	....	construction coordinator
Ritchie Kremer	....	property master
Mike Piccirillo	....	art department production assistant
Scott Reiber	....	stand-by painter: reshoots
Eric Rosenberg	....	graphic artist
Carisa Rosenthal	....	set dresser
Mary Saisselin	....	set designer
Gary Thomas	....	storyboard artist
Steven C. Voll	....	welder
Brian Wade	....	concept artist
Richard D. Wright	....	set dresser
Ron Ashmore	....	paint supervisor (uncredited)
Tony Wright	....	labor foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Tim Boot	....	dialogue editor
Tim Boot	....	playback engineer
Christopher Boyes	....	sound re-recording mixer
G.W. Brown	....	supervising adr editor
John T. Cucci	....	foley artist (as John Cucci)
Andy D'Addario	....	sound re-recording mixer
Valerie Davidson	....	sound editor
Chris Diamond	....	cable utility
Erik Flockoi	....	dubbing recordist
Kimberly Harris	....	adr editor (as Kimberly A. Harris)
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer
Samuel F. Kaufman	....	adr recordist
Steve Kohler	....	dubbing recordist
Adam Kopald	....	sound effects editor
John Kwiatkowski	....	sound editor
Linda Lew	....	foley recordist
Nancy MacLeod	....	sound editor
Donald J. Malouf	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Nelson	....	sound mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Charles W. Ritter	....	sound editor
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	adr editor
Douglas Shamburger	....	boom operator
Ann L. Thornberg	....	assistant sound editor
Todd Toon	....	supervising sound editor
Tara Tortorello	....	adr coordinator
Mark A. Tracy	....	first assistant sound editor
Thomas Whiting	....	adr editor (as Thomas G. Whiting)
Dan Yale	....	sound editor
Andy Potvin	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Rick Bongiovanni	....	special effects technician: animatronic bear heads
Tamara Carlson	....	fabricator/dresser: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Tony Chavez	....	special effects
Joe Colwell	....	sculptor
David Fedele	....	special effects costume fabricator
Patrick M. Gerrety	....	beast creature effects
Joe Gomez	....	mold technician
Doug Hubbard	....	special effects
Jeff Jingle	....	animatronic bear design
David P. Kelsey	....	special effects coordinator
Donald Krause	....	special effects technician
Robin McCarthy	....	creature construction: Jim Henson Co.
Barry McQueary	....	special effects
Ken Niederbaumer	....	special effects technician: Jim Hensons Creature Shop
David A. Poole	....	special effects
Brian Wade	....	special bear effects: conceptual design
Lynne Watson	....	creature hair department
Bryan Wohlers	....	special effects foreman
Michael Clarke	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jacqueline Allard	....	digital compositor
Michael Curtis	....	digital compositor
Michael S. Harbour	....	digital compositor
Kyle J. Healey	....	pre-vis supervisor: TSL
William Koshowany	....	digital compositor
Josh Novak	....	lead compositor: main title sequence
Sally Ray	....	production supervisor: Jim Henson's Creature Shop

Stunts
Charlie Brewer	....	stunts
Bob Brown	....	stunts
Max Daniels	....	stunts
Jeffrey J. Dashnaw	....	stunts (as Jeff Dashnow)
Keith Davis	....	stunts
Tim A. Davison	....	stunt coordinator (as Tim Davison)
Danny Downey	....	stunts
Brian Duffy	....	stunt double
Richard Epper	....	stunts
Dan Flannigan	....	stunts
Christian J. Fletcher	....	stunt rigger
Mark Ginther	....	stunts
Jimmy Graham	....	stunts
Norman Howell	....	stunts
Josh Kemble	....	stunts
Paul Lane	....	stunts
Paul M. Lane	....	utility stunts
Kent W. Luttrell	....	stunt double (as Kent Lutrell)
Rob Mars	....	stunt double: Diedrich Bader
Robert E. Nelson	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunt rigger
Michael Runyard	....	stunts (as Mike Runyard)
Ben Scott	....	stunts
Jim Sharp	....	stunts
Banzai Vitale	....	stunt double (as Joseph 'Banzai' Vitale)
Jim Wilkey	....	stunts
Jason Ybarra	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Amundsen	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Ben Beaird	....	key grip
Nick Beaird	....	grip
Rafael 'Rafa' Castro	....	video assistant operator: second unit
Christopher Duskin	....	camera operator
Kevin 'Rambo' Fitzgerald	....	best boy grip
Gregory Irwin	....	assistant camera
Leslie J. Kovacs	....	gaffer
Jeff Kunkel	....	key grip: second unit
Damon Marcellino	....	lighting technician: second unit
Andrew Osborne	....	assistant camera
David Presley	....	video assist operator: second unit
Robert Presley	....	Steadicam operator
Thomas Pugh	....	lighting technician
Richard Scarpone	....	video assist operator
David Schmalz	....	video assist operator
Peter Burgess Smith	....	rigging electrician
Kurt E. Soderling	....	aerial director of photography
Michael Stone	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Michael Stone	....	director of photography: second unit
Mike Gentile	....	film loader: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Shannon Dunn	....	extras casting
Vanessa Portillo	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Roberta Bilé	....	set costumer
Carolyn Dessert	....	costume supervisor
David Dietch	....	set costumer
April Krueger	....	costumer
Kelly Anne Ross	....	key costumer: second unit (as Kelly Ross)
Sarah Rubano	....	creature costume
Simone Williams	....	dresser

Editorial Department
Timothy Colletti	....	assistant editor
Dean Holland	....	editor: musical sequences
Jeff Smithwick	....	color timer
Yoram Tal	....	colorist: Online Editor
Trudy Yee	....	first assistant editor
Kristen Young	....	editorial production assistant

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Bruce Babcock	....	orchestrator
Tim Boot	....	music editor
Konstantinos Christides	....	orchestrator
Konstantinos Christides	....	score coordinator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Erin Deis	....	music coordinator
Craig Eastman	....	musician: fiddle
Nora Felder	....	music supervisor
Robert Fernandez	....	score recordist
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Bruce Fowler	....	additional music arranger: orchestra
David Giuli	....	scoring coordinator
Joseph Magee	....	supervising music mixer
Roger McGuinn	....	composer: song "So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star"
Thomas Milano	....	music editor
Angie Rubin	....	music editor: temp score
Vlad Solovey	....	scoring coordinator
Haseo Nakanishi	....	score mock-up (uncredited)
Jeffrey Potokar	....	temp assistant music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
George Bolton	....	driver
Paul D. Boydston	....	transportation coordinator
Alex Connaughton	....	driver: honeywagon
Daniel Dowling	....	transportation
Mario Simon	....	transportation

Other crew
Pamela Alch	....	script supervisor
Toni Atterbury	....	unit publicist
Brian Berkel	....	general foreman
Matt Braaten	....	production assistant
Julianne Buescher	....	puppeteer: "Tennessee O'Neal"
Heather Curtis	....	production assistant
Brian De Esch	....	production assistant
Alice Dinnean	....	puppeteer
Craig Eastman	....	fiddle coach
Louis Farah	....	construction medic
Marc C. Geschwind	....	extras coordinator
Lisa Greenspan	....	production coordinator: additional photography
Terri Hardin	....	puppeteer
Garrett Hauenstein	....	production secretary
Pamela Jaeckle	....	production coordinator
Dave Kasubowski	....	craft service
Timber Kislan	....	payroll accountant
John C. Kruize	....	production accountant
Kenneth LaFayette	....	first assistant accountant (as Ken Lafayette)
Frank Langley	....	puppet fabricator
Alex Leimone	....	production assistant
Michael Leon	....	location manager
Karon May	....	script supervisor: second unit
Daniel A. Mondschain	....	production assistant
Marguerite Pomerhn Derricks	....	choreographer
Keith Potter	....	set production assistant
Jonathan Price	....	synthesizer programmer
Angela Randazzo	....	payroll accountant
Debbie-Lynn Siegel	....	payroll accountant
Emily R. Silver	....	assistant: Peter Hastings
Michelan Sisti	....	puppeteer
Charline St. Charles	....	assistant production coordinator
Jason Tamez	....	assistant production coordinator: additional photography
Tara Tortorello	....	assistant to producer
Allan Trautman	....	puppeteer: "Fred"
Connie Wang	....	clearance administrator
Simone Williams	....	assistant fabricator
Julia M. Sauder	....	production assistant: re-shoots (uncredited)
Mark Swenson	....	production coordinator: additional photography (uncredited)
Kim Thio	....	construction medic (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Pictures (presents)
• Working Bear Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Buena Vista International (2003) (Argentina) (all media)
• Buena Vista International (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Net5 (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Walt Disney Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Jim Henson's Creature Shop (animatronic bear design and construction)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Walt Disney Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

The Bears (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:G (certificate #38711) | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U | Singapore:PG | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Franklin, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

After Tennessee and Trixie's performance in the bar, a bar patron comments that it was better than Eagles. The patron is Don Henley, who once performed with The Eagles and who provided the singing voice for Tennessee. The female companion he says it to is Bonnie Raitt, who provided the voice for Trixie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the bears are being spun in the booth in the diner, they are alternately seated/dancing between shots. Tennessee also alternates between wearing a sweater and a vest.

Quotes:

Dex: [Holding up a baby picture] This is my baby picture,
[holds up another picture of a park ranger holding a bear]
Dex: and this is yours.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Golgotha (2008)

Soundtrack:

Straight to the Heart of Love

Oh, my entertainment lord, you have shown me the way, and it is "Thy Country Bears....."

In times of depression consisting of Disney being nothing but high school, cheerleading, relationships, and violence, there would be one movie that would take all of these troubles and SHOVE IT!!!!! out the window, bringing forth a light shining from a distance. Yes, it is that of "Thy Country Bears!!!!!"

This movie would belong in a category of some G-rated Disney movies that are somewhat intelligent in my book known as "Vacation Movies," because it's like being at a Disney park!!!!! Speaking of which, this movie is based on the Country Bear Jamboree from Frontierland at Disneyland and Walt Disney World!!!!! And so, this attraction is the ONLY good movie rendition of a Disney park attraction, removing all the sh...aving cream gunk that "PIRATE DVDS" and "HUNTED MOOSEMEN" leave behind.

So see if the bears can save the concert hall when you see the light with "Thy Country Bears!!!!!"

10/10