Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Director:

Adam McKay

Writers (WGA):

Will Ferrell (written by) &
Adam McKay (written by)

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

The story of a man who could only count to #1

Plot:

#1 NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Plot Keywords:

Nascar | Racing | French | Friend | Car Racing

Awards:

6 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Gary Cole	...	Reese Bobby
Jane Lynch	...	Lucy Bobby
Jake Johnson	...	5-Year-Old Ricky
Jason Davis	...	Waffle House Manager
Lorrie Bess Crumley	...	School Teacher
Luke Bigham	...	10-Year-Old Ricky
Austin Crim	...	10-Year-Old Cal (as Austin Crimm)
Michael Clarke Duncan	...	Lucius Washington
Will Ferrell	...	Ricky Bobby
John C. Reilly	...	Cal Naughton Jr.
Adam McKay	...	Terry Cheveaux
David Koechner	...	Hershell
Ian Roberts	...	Kyle
Jack McBrayer	...	Glenn
John D. King	...	ESPN Reporter

Also Known As:

High, Wide, and Handsome (USA) (working title)
Talladega Nights (USA) (working title)
Untitled Will Ferrell NASCAR Comedy (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence.

Runtime:

108 min | 122 min (unrated version) | Argentina:121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels) | DTS

Certification:

UK:12A | Australia:M | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42008) | Ireland:12A | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Sweden:7 | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:15 (DVD rating) | Ireland:15 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:15 | Denmark:7 | New Zealand:M | Norway:10 (TV rating) | Norway:11 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

The car that Reese Bobby drives over the course of the entire film is a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The standard North Carolina State Patrol cars are not white as they are during the police chase. They are silver with a black on both sides.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Reese Bobby: [Reese is speeding] Guess how fast were going now.
Lucy Bobby: [screams] I don't care, I'm having a baby!
Reese Bobby: Hundred and five miles an hour, you believe that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

King of the Road

an entirely solid follow-up

Two summers ago, Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay teamed up for Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, the best display of improvisational comedy on screen since Christopher Guest (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind) entered the scene. This summer, the pair re-teamed for a sort of quasi-sequel as evidenced by the colon and "The Legend of" in the title. Will Ferrell stars as moderately dim-witted race car driver Ricky Bobby who differs from Anchorman's protagonist Ron Burgundy in that he is a more fully-fleshed out character. His need for speed on the track is guided by a void left by his race car driving dad's (Gary Cole's) abandonment. Along for the ride is the ever-so-versatile John C. Riley as perennial sidekick Cal Naughton Jr. who literally finishes second to him in every race. He suggests to his buddy maybe, just once, he can let him win just once to which Ricky Bobby replies, "Well I see where you're coming from but if you win, how am I gonna win."

Talladega is more likable to its subject than a strict satire, because it firmly implants itself in the Nascar world and picks on its more absurd elements. In particular, the heavy emphasis on sponsorship in NASCAR takes a heavy beating with things like Ricky Bobby being contractually obligated to include Powerade in his grace. The ensemble of characters doesn't produce that same energy that Anchorman had, but Talladega Nights did have some priceless bits of humor and it works just as well, perhaps even better, as a feel-good movie.