-Will
Ferrell
-John
C.
Reilly
Though
it
is
one
of
America's
most
popular
sporting
events,
the
association
of
NASCAR
with
uneducated,
backwards
rednecks
seems
cemented
into
the
American
consciousness.
So
the
brilliant
comedy
TALLADEGA
NIGHTS:
THE
BALLAD
OF
RICKY
BOBBY,
is
not
just
a
sidesplitting
series
of
slapstick
pratfalls
and
over-the-top
accents,
but
a
lens
into
an
important
part
of
American
culture.
Comic
sensation
Will
Ferrell
(SATURDAY
NIGHT
LIVE,
ANCHORMAN)
plays
the
title
character,
Ricky
Bobby,
a
figure
who
is
at
once
laughably
ridiculous,
infuriating,
and
loveable.
Ricky
Bobby,
with
his
bleached-blond
wife,
cute
sons
Walker
and
Texas
Ranger,
and
dim-bulb
sidekick
Cal
(award-winning
actor
John
C.
Reilly,
flexing
his
considerable
comedic
muscle),
has
got
it
made.
He
is
NASCAR's
most
popular
driver,
and
nearly
every
aspect
of
his
life
is
endorsed
by a
recognizable
product.
Yet
his
racetrack
kingdom
is
not
unshakeable:
two
formidable
opponents,
his
unpleasable
father,
Reese
(Gary
Cole),
and
a
flashy
new
opponent,
the
openly
gay
French
import
Jean
(played
by a
hilarious
Sasha
Baron
Cohen,
known
to
millions
as
Ali
G),
threaten
to
hijack
his
crown
and
expose
his
vulnerabilities.
Though
many
of
the
jokes
are
easy
laughs
(having
Ferrell
run
around
shirtless
is a
guaranteed
guffaw-fest),
the
script
(co-written
by
Farrell
and
Adam
McKay)
is
nuanced
and
intelligent,
lending
its
characters
much
more
sympathy
and
complexity
than
dumber
comedies
are
want
to
do.
And
every
performer--from
Ferrell
to
Amy
Adams
(as
Susan,
Bobby's
fawning
assistant)--tackles
his
or
her
part
with
joy
and
relish.
A
knee-slapper
with
smarts
and
savvy,
TALLADEGA
NIGHTS
ensures
Ferrell's
position
as
one
of
comedy's
shining
talents.
Rated
- PG-13
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of
this
page
Copyright
1948-2006 Muze
Inc.
and
Muze
Europe
Ltd.
All
rights
reserved. |
