The Darwin Awards (2006)

Director:

Finn Taylor

Writer (WGA):

Finn Taylor (written by)

Release Date:

5 July 2006 (United Arab Emirates)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A forensic detective (Fiennes) and an insurance claims investigator (Ryder) trek to investigate a potential Darwin Award winner. From www.darwinawards.com: "The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who accidentally kill themselves in really stupid ways." |

Plot Keywords:

Claims Investigator | Frozen Lake | Rock Concert | Based On Website | Film Within A Film

Cast

David Arquette	...	Harvey
Ty Burrell	...	Emile
Josh Charles	...	Paramedic
Kevin Dunn	...	Insurance Exec
Nora Dunn	...	Mrs. Pearlman
Joseph Fiennes	...	Michael Burrows
Judah Friedlander	...	Simon
Lukas Haas	...	Farley
Tom Hollander	...	Henry
Brad Hunt	...	Stan
Juliette Lewis	...	Joleen
Julianna Margulies	...	Carla
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Perp
Alessandro Nivola	...	Ad Exec
Chris Penn	...	Tom

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violent images, some sexuality and drug use.

Runtime:

USA:94 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Malaysia:(Banned) | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | Japan:PG-12 | New Zealand:M | Australia:MA (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Adelanto, California, USA

Company:

3 Ring Circus Films

Trivia:

The segment with the rocket powered car features "MythBusters" (2003) host Jamie Hyneman and 'Adam Savage (II)' as the surplus salesman. The first episode of 'MythBusters' dealt with that particular urban legend.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the shower harness scene, when Michael flips upside down, his foot knocks the shower head and its hose into the tangle of bungee cables. In following shots, the shower head is back on its holder until Siri sprays the cameraman.

Movie Connections:

References "Popeye the Sailor" (1960)

Soundtrack:

Black and Blue

Better than it's given credit for

Despite the terrible reviews this movie has garnered, it has some qualities that raise it above average and gives us something that, over all, is pretty darn good. In addition to explaining some of the more foolish acts performed by people in an entertaining way, the work attempts to give us an understanding as to why these people commit those foolish acts.

There is, in the eyes of this work, a duality of man that shifts between normal, safe and acceptable behavior and insane actions that may often lead to one's death. Throughout the movie, David Arquette's character is straining to discover what it is, exactly, that drives an otherwise normal human being to acts of profound stupidity and danger. The character's goal shifts from an attempt to discover a common profile for these people into something more personal and real.

However, the movie ultimately fails on this premise. While it does raise the question, it never bothers to give us an acceptable answer. The best it has to offer comes from Ryder's character regarding 'a maze of automatic telephone voicemails' when dealing with insurance companies. Arquette's character can't seem to come close.

Overall, the look and feel of the movie is fresh and original. While it borrows from a number of different styles that will immediately be recognized, but it brings them together in a wonderful way. In addition, the soundtrack to the movie is superb.