Down and Derby
Encyclopedia
Down and Derby is a 2005 comedy film
about a Cub Scouts' pinewood derby
race. The cars in the race are meant to be built from kits by Cub Scouts with appropriate adult supervision, but in Down and Derby the fathers of four Scouts take over the project from their kids, and get carried away by their competitiveness. The family-friendly movie, which was released as Racing Ace outside the US and Canada, was filmed in and around St. George, Utah
.
) was able to outrun, outjump and outhit anyone in his class, until a kid from California, Ace Montana (Marc Raymond), moved into town. Ever since then, Ace has been number one and Phil number two. Even in the cul-de-sac
where the four childhood friends and rivals (Montana, Davis, Blaine Moosman (Robert Costanzo
) and "Big Jimmy" Scaldoni (Perry Anzilotti) live, the Montana's mailbox is #1, and the Davis' mailbox is #2. After a basketball game where Phil's son's team loses to Ace's son's team, Phil realizes that the Davis family's second-place status has passed on to the next generation.
Phil's wife Kim (Lauren Holly
), the den mother of the local Cub Scout
pack, gives a pinewood derby
kit to each of the Cub Scouts. Although the boys are supposed to make their own cars from the kits, with appropriate adult supervision, the four dads obsessively take over the project, totally excluding the boys.
As each man becomes more and more obsessed with building the fastest car, their wives eventually become so annoyed that they leave the house, taking their sons with them. Soon, "Big Jimmy" is the first to break secrecy to talk to Blaine, and the two of them then talk to Phil, showing him on the title page of the Pinewood Derby Bible that Ace Montana is the author. Not only that, but the car Ace built as an eight-year-old boy in California still holds the record for the fastest pinewood derby car on record.
The three men decide to collaborate to build one car that will beat Montana's. To this end, they steal Ace's record holding car to reverse-engineer
it, but are caught in the act of returning it, barely managing to escape. The three men then succeed in building a fast car that will break the record, and Blaine and Jimmy decide that Phil should have the honor of having his son enter the car in the competition.
At the Derby, the men and their wives are re-united. Kim tells Phil that their son Brady (Adam Hicks
) has built his own car while staying with his grandfather, with advice from grandpa's neighbor, and she challenges him to "do the right thing". After some soul-searching, Phil passes up the car the three men built, and allows Brady to register his car for the race – but "Big Jimmy" still wants to beat Ace, and takes the car for his son to enter.
After several races, the competition comes down to five finalists, including Ace's, Brady's, and the car the three men built. In the final race their car is leading the pack but loses a wheel. Ace's car then takes the lead, but on the flat part of the track, Brady's car takes the lead and finishes first, setting a new pinewood derby record. Ace is shocked, but makes a gesture of congratulating the Davises; still, the minute he leaves the building, he throws a temper tantrum.
When Phil asks Brady who grandpa's neighbor who gave me advice was, Brady points out a man in the audience, who turns out to be the guy in the instructional video Phil has been watching to help design his car.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
about a Cub Scouts' pinewood derby
Pinewood derby
The pinewood derby is a racing event for Cub Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America. Cub Scouts, with the help of parents, build their own cars from wood, usually from kits containing a block of pine, plastic wheels and metal axles...
race. The cars in the race are meant to be built from kits by Cub Scouts with appropriate adult supervision, but in Down and Derby the fathers of four Scouts take over the project from their kids, and get carried away by their competitiveness. The family-friendly movie, which was released as Racing Ace outside the US and Canada, was filmed in and around St. George, Utah
St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
.
Plot
As a child, Phil Davis (Greg GermannGreg Germann
Gregory Andrew "Greg" Germann is an American actor. He played the roles of Richard Fish in the television series Ally McBeal, businessman Mattson from Child's Play 2 and the vet Laurence from Quarantine...
) was able to outrun, outjump and outhit anyone in his class, until a kid from California, Ace Montana (Marc Raymond), moved into town. Ever since then, Ace has been number one and Phil number two. Even in the cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
where the four childhood friends and rivals (Montana, Davis, Blaine Moosman (Robert Costanzo
Robert Costanzo
Robert Jason Costanzo is an American actor. He has an acting career spanning over thirty years and is often found playing surly New York types such as crooks or low level workers and mixes both drama and comedy roles...
) and "Big Jimmy" Scaldoni (Perry Anzilotti) live, the Montana's mailbox is #1, and the Davis' mailbox is #2. After a basketball game where Phil's son's team loses to Ace's son's team, Phil realizes that the Davis family's second-place status has passed on to the next generation.
Phil's wife Kim (Lauren Holly
Lauren Holly
Lauren Michael Holly is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Deputy Sheriff Maxine Stewart in the TV series Picket Fences, as Mary Swanson in the 1994 film Dumb & Dumber, and as Jenny Shepard on the TV series NCIS. She was married to comic actor Jim Carrey from 1996 to...
), the den mother of the local Cub Scout
Cub Scouts (Boy Scouts of America)
Cub Scouting is part of the Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America , available to boys from first through fifth-grade, or 7 to 11½ years of age and their families. Its membership is the largest of the three BSA Scouting Divisions...
pack, gives a pinewood derby
Pinewood derby
The pinewood derby is a racing event for Cub Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America. Cub Scouts, with the help of parents, build their own cars from wood, usually from kits containing a block of pine, plastic wheels and metal axles...
kit to each of the Cub Scouts. Although the boys are supposed to make their own cars from the kits, with appropriate adult supervision, the four dads obsessively take over the project, totally excluding the boys.
As each man becomes more and more obsessed with building the fastest car, their wives eventually become so annoyed that they leave the house, taking their sons with them. Soon, "Big Jimmy" is the first to break secrecy to talk to Blaine, and the two of them then talk to Phil, showing him on the title page of the Pinewood Derby Bible that Ace Montana is the author. Not only that, but the car Ace built as an eight-year-old boy in California still holds the record for the fastest pinewood derby car on record.
The three men decide to collaborate to build one car that will beat Montana's. To this end, they steal Ace's record holding car to reverse-engineer
Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
it, but are caught in the act of returning it, barely managing to escape. The three men then succeed in building a fast car that will break the record, and Blaine and Jimmy decide that Phil should have the honor of having his son enter the car in the competition.
At the Derby, the men and their wives are re-united. Kim tells Phil that their son Brady (Adam Hicks
Adam Hicks
Adam Paul Neilson Hicks is an American actor. His first leading role was in How to Eat Fried Worms. He is most notable for playing Luther in the Disney XD series Zeke and Luther and starring in the Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth as Wendell "Wen" Gifford...
) has built his own car while staying with his grandfather, with advice from grandpa's neighbor, and she challenges him to "do the right thing". After some soul-searching, Phil passes up the car the three men built, and allows Brady to register his car for the race – but "Big Jimmy" still wants to beat Ace, and takes the car for his son to enter.
After several races, the competition comes down to five finalists, including Ace's, Brady's, and the car the three men built. In the final race their car is leading the pack but loses a wheel. Ace's car then takes the lead, but on the flat part of the track, Brady's car takes the lead and finishes first, setting a new pinewood derby record. Ace is shocked, but makes a gesture of congratulating the Davises; still, the minute he leaves the building, he throws a temper tantrum.
When Phil asks Brady who grandpa's neighbor who gave me advice was, Brady points out a man in the audience, who turns out to be the guy in the instructional video Phil has been watching to help design his car.
Miscellany
- The creator of the pinewood derby, Don Murphy, makes a cameo appearance in the film.
- The license plates indicate that the film is set somewhere in ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, but the filming actually took place in St. GeorgeSt. George, UtahSt. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
and Santa Clara, UtahSanta Clara, UtahSanta Clara is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,630 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 square miles , of which, 4.9 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square miles of it...
. - In the opening scene of the movie, it is mentioned that "Big Jimmy" "hasn't grown an inch since fifth grade." He has compensated by having the biggest mailbox, biggest lawnmower, tallest wife, biggest dog and biggest truck.
See also
- Soapbox Derby
External links
- Down and Derby official website
- Interview with Eric Hendershot (writer and director) at the Meridian Magazine website