Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also make appearances.
Racetrack scenes at Texas Motor Speedway were shot at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, using a Porsche Cayenne outfitted with camera mounts on all four corners of the car.
Plot
Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) was born to "go fast." He was born in the back seat of his father's car, and raised solely by his mother, Lucy Bobby (Jane Lynch), while his drug addicted alcoholic father, Reese Bobby (Gary Cole), is absent. At age ten, Reese shows up at Career Day at Ricky's school, but after giving a vulgar speech, he is thrown out of the school. Before leaving, Reese tells Ricky "If you ain't first, you're last". Ricky commits the quote to memory. Many years later, while working on a pit crew as the jackman for a race team, he replaces an uninterested driver and ends up finishing in third place, despite starting mid-race in last place. Ricky quickly soars to the top of NASCAR, achieving fame and fortune at Dennit Racing and meeting his future wife, Carley (Leslie Bibb). He arranges to get his best friend, Cal (John C. Reilly), as the second driver of the team.
Fast forward to several years later; while on top of the racing world, Ricky is challenged by French Formula One driver, Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen). Girard outperforms Ricky on the track and becomes Dennit Racing's top driver. Ricky, desperate to regain his dominance, pushes himself too hard and ends up in a spectacular wreck, during which he believes that he is on fire. While recovering, he persists in the belief that he is paralyzed. His tests at Rockingham Speedway show that he has lost his touch and he fails to regain a spot on the team. Carley, yearning to be married to a top NASCAR driver, plans a divorce and a marriage to Cal before Ricky gets home that night.
Ricky takes his two sons, Walker and Texas Ranger and moves back home with his mother. He takes a job as a pizza delivery boy and is reduced to using a bicycle after losing his license (crashing into a customer's shopping cart, then into the sheriff who wrote him the ticket for the previous incident). With his life at its low point, Reese suddenly reenters Ricky's life and tries to teach Ricky to drive by using the fear he experienced. With the retraining and guidance of his father, Ricky regains his confidence, but still refuses to race after Reese walks out. When Ricky runs into his former assistant, Susan (Amy Adams), at a bar, she convinces Ricky to get back into racing at the Talladega 500 and they fall in love. The race ends with all cars being wrecked and Girard and Bobby running on foot to the finish line. Both drivers are disqualified for violating race procedures and Cal wins the race, having been in third prior to the wrecks. Ricky and Cal repair their friendship and the family, consisting of Ricky, Susan, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Lucy, meet Reese in the parking lot and reunite for a dinner during which they plan to get thrown out of Applebee's.
Cast
Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver who only believes in winning after a childhood advice given to him by his father
John C. Reilly as Cal Naughton, Jr., Ricky's best friend and teammate until events following Ricky's career downturn end their friendship.
Leslie Bibb as Carley Bobby, a young woman who marries Ricky early in his career until his downturn results in a bitter divorce with her marrying Cal.
Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard, the homosexual French Formula One racer who becomes Ricky's rival
Michael Clarke Duncan as Lucius Washington, Ricky's crew chief.
Amy Adams as Susan, Ricky's assistant who later on falls in love with him and helps with his career rebound.
Jane Lynch as Lucy Bobby, Ricky's mother.
Gary Cole as Reese Bobby, Ricky's drunk, estranged father.
Andy Richter as Gregory, Girard's husband, who is a renowned dog trainer.
Pat Hingle as Larry Dennit, Sr., original owner of Dennit Racing, Ricky's team. His son takes over the team halfway through Ricky's career.
Greg Germann as Larry Dennit, Jr., the new owner of Dennit Racing who hires Girard to make up for Ricky's costly on-track antics.
Ted Manson as Chip, Ricky's long-suffering father-in-law
Houston Tumlin as Walker, Ricky's first son with Carley.
Grayson Russell as Texas Ranger, Ricky's second son with Carley. Both boys are named after the Chuck Norris television series Walker, Texas Ranger.
Molly Shannon as Mrs. Dennit, Larry Jr.'s drunk, affectionate wife.
David Koechner as Hershell
Ian Roberts as Kyle
Jack McBrayer as Glenn, a member of Ricky's pit crew who often makes futile attempts to motivate the team.
Adam McKay as Terry Cheveauz
Rob Riggle as Jack Telmont
Cameos as themselves
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in a crowd asking for Ricky's autograph.
Jamie McMurray, who loses to Ricky, who drives in reverse, at a race.
Darrell Waltrip, NASCAR on Fox commentator.
Mike Joy, NASCAR on Fox commentator.
Larry McReynolds, NASCAR on Fox commentator.
Dick Berggren, NASCAR on Fox field reporter.
Bob Jenkins, Speed News anchorman.
Bill Weber, NASCAR on NBC commentator.
Benny Parsons, NASCAR on NBC commentator.
Wally Dallenbach NASCAR on NBC commentator.
Elvis Costello as a guest in Girard's party.
Mos Def as a guest in Girard's party
Release
Reception
The film grossed $47,042,215 in its first week, becoming the #1 film at the box office. It is the second-biggest opening weekend ever for an original comedy, after Bruce Almighty, and the biggest opening for a film starring Will Ferrell. As of April 26, 2007, the film has grossed an estimated $162,966,177 worldwide.
The film holds a current rating of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 66 metarating at Metacritic.
The film has become a cult classic being cited by numerous athletes and musicians. Most recently, Ricky Bobby has become an inspiration for a dance and a hit single by Dallas rap newcomer B-Hamp entitled "Do the Ricky Bobby" in which most of Ricky Bobby's catch phrases are used. The single reached #81 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart and a video was shot in which scenes from the movie are re-enacted by the rapper.
Home media
Blu-ray was released on November 17, 2006 and standard DVD and PSP UMD on December 12, 2006. The menu gives the viewer the choice of Super Speedway (with footage of the film used as intros when special features, scene selection, etc. is chosen) or Short Track (without video intros.) The film is presented on standard DVD in four different configurations, giving consumers the choice between either theatrical or unrated versions and anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1 aspect ratio) or pan & scan presentations. As for the audio, each standard DVD carries Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French with optional English and French subtitles. Extras for the standard DVD editions include a retrospective '25 Years Later' commentary track featuring most of the main cast, deleted and extended scenes along with bonus race footage, featurettes, interviews with Ricky, Cal, and Carley, a gag reel, a 'line-o-rama' feature with alternate dialogue from the film, and DVD-ROM content. The unrated disc contains additional deleted scenes ("Cal Calls Ricky" and "What'd You Do Today?"), an interview with Jean and Gregory, and commercials. The "Unrated & Uncut" DVD omits two scenes and one part that shows that are present in the theatrical version; the scene where young Ricky steals his mother's station wagon, and the scene which shows what happened to Ricky's pit crew. The scenes are not present in the deleted scenes either.
The Blu-ray release is available on a dual-layer disc with the majority of features presented in high definition including: nine deleted/extended scenes, three interviews, gag reel, line-o-rama, bonus race footage, Ricky & Cal's Commercials (However, Cal is not seen in any of the commercials), Ricky & Cal's PSAs, Walker & Texas Ranger, Will Ferrell Returns to Talladega and a theatrical trailer. There are also three extras not presented in high definition: Daytona 500 Spot, NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup Spot, and Sirius and NASCAR Spot. In terms of technical aspects, this edition carries the unrated cut and presents the film with an anamorphic widescreen transfer at its 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio and includes Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French and an uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio track in English, along with English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, and Thai subtitles.
The first 1 million 60GB and 20GB PlayStation 3 units included a free Blu-ray copy of the film.
Reaction
In homage to Talladega Nights, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards climbed out of his wrecked automobile after an accident with Brad Keselowski on the final lap, in which he hit the catch fence and skidded to about 100 feet from the finish line. He climbed out of his car, and ran across the finish line on the final lap of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Aaron's 499 (at Talladega) to a standing ovation from the crowd. NASCAR on Fox play-by-play commentator Mike Joy commented how it was "shades of Ricky Bobby."Edwards was later asked about this on Larry King Live; he responded, "I'm kind of a Will Ferrell fan. He did that at the end of Talladega Nights."
(source:wikipedia)
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