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Over the Hedge (film)
Encyclopedia
Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated
family
action comedy film based on the characters from United Media
comic strip of the same name
. Directed by Tim Johnson
and Karey Kirkpatrick
, and produced by Bonnie Arnold
, it was released in the United States
on May 19, 2006.
The film was produced by DreamWorks Animation
and distributed through Paramount Pictures
. The film features the voices of Bruce Willis
, Garry Shandling
, Steve Carell
, William Shatner
, Wanda Sykes
, Nick Nolte
, and Avril Lavigne
. Over the Hedge is the first Dreamworks Animation movie to be distributed by Paramount Pictures
.
, fails to get snacks from a vending machine
, he becomes so desperate that he tries to raid a large food cache belonging to Vincent, a hibernating black bear
. However, while trying to leave, he wakes Vincent and loses both the food and the red wagon that it's on when a truck runs it over. Hastily, he promises to replace everything by the time Vincent reawakens in a week.
Meanwhile, a group of forest animals, led by Verne the box turtle
, emerge from hibernation
to find their food cache nearly empty. They begin foraging
but find a large hedge
blocking their way. Verne investigates, discovering a human residential community
which confuses and frightens him. RJ, who sees the entire commotion, convinces the other animals it's easier to raid the humans' garbage for food rather than forage for it, and they manage to get enough food to keep them from starving. Verne, however, remains wary, especially after homeowner Gladys Sharp discovers the animals in her yard, chases them out through the hedge, and hires VermTech exterminator
Dwayne LaFontant to keep them out.
Worried for his family
's safety, Verne decides to return the food to the humans. RJ tries to stop him, resulting in an argument
between the two. This attracts the attention of a playful Rottweiler
, who chases them across several lawn
s before all of the food the animals gathered is destroyed. RJ then blames Verne who, while trying to defend himself, makes a comment that hurts the others' feelings.
RJ helps Verne reconcile with the others. He also discovers that Gladys has just restocked her pantry
with a large food supply for an upcoming party
and concocts a plan to get past the exterminator-planted boobytraps in her yard. Working together under cover of darkness
, the animals get the food. RJ and Verne get into another argument, this time over a can of "Spuddies" potato chips, during which Verne (and the others) learn of RJ's true motives. Gladys wakes up, discovers the animals in her house, and calls VermTech. Dwayne arrives and traps the animals except for RJ, who escapes with the food.
RJ takes the food to a now-awake Vincent, but when the latter points out RJ's treachery
, the raccoon decides to sacrifice the food to save his friends. This angers Vincent, who chases RJ as he pursues Dwayne's truck. Verne is happy to see RJ again but the others no longer trust him since he abandoned them. They nearly thwart RJ's efforts to help before Verne finally convinces them otherwise. The animals then subdue Dwayne and turn his truck toward home, but the truck goes out of control and demolishes Gladys' house.
The animals hide in the hedge, trapped by Vincent on one side and Dwayne and Gladys on the other. RJ and Verne get an idea to give Hammy the hyperactive squirrel
a can of cola
, which puts him into overdrive. Hammy activates an illegal trap that Dwayne had installed (at Gladys' insistence), capturing Vincent, Dwayne and Gladys. Vincent and Gladys are taken into custody while Dwayne escapes, only to encounter the same Rottweiler that chased RJ and Verne earlier.
Back in the forest, Verne tells RJ that if he'd explained what he was trying to do in the first place, the others would have helped because "that's what families do," and welcomes him back to the family. The animals also find that while Hammy was in his caffeine-charged state, he had refilled their food cache with nuts to satisfy them for the year.
In a post-credits scene, the animals go to the vending machine seen in the beginning of the film and cause every product to fall into the access bin. However, the amount of snacks prevents the access door from opening, prompting Hammy to remark that this is "kind of anti-climatic."
Two minor human characters, appearing during the dog chase scene, were voiced by Lee Bienstock
and Sean Yazbeck
, two participants on The Apprentice 5
as part of a reward for winning a task.
near Terre Haute
between 1990 and 1994. One indication of this is that the licence plates
on the vehicles in the film look exactly like those from Indiana circa 1990 but without the INDIANA on the top and Hoosier Hospitality on the bottom. They even have the standard light blue county name tag on the bottom right corner. Another indication occurs during the period that Vincent, Gladys and Dwayne are being fried by the De-Pelter Turbo. During this period a beam shoots out to space with a point of origin in or near Terre Haute.
. On opening weekend, the film was in second place to The DaVinci Code, but its gross of $38,457,003 did not quite live up to DreamWorks Animation
's other titles released over the past few years. The film had a per-theater average of $9,474 from 4,059 theaters. In its second weekend, the film dropped 30% to $27,063,774 for a $6,612 average from an expanded 4,093 theaters and finishing third, behind X-Men: The Last Stand
and The DaVinci Code. Since it was Memorial Day Weekend, the film grossed a total of $35,322,115 over the four-day weekend, resulting in only a 8% slide. In its third weekend, the film held well with a 24% drop to $20,647,284 and once again placing in third behind The Break-Up
and X-Men: The Last Stand
, for a $5,170 average from 3,993 theaters. The film closed on September 4, 2006 after 112 days of release, grossing $155,019,340 domestically along with $180,983,656 overseas
for a worldwide total of $336,002,996. Produced on an $80 million budget, the film was a commercial success.
Critical reaction was mostly positive with the film being rated 74% "Certified Fresh" on the Rotten Tomatoes
movie review aggregate site; the site's consensus states [that] "Even if it's not an animation classic, Over the Hedge is clever and fun, and the jokes cater to family members of all ages." Critic Frank Lovece
of Film Journal International
found that, "DreamWorks' slapstick animated adaptation of the philosophically satiric comic strip ... is a lot of laughs and boasts a much tighter story than most animated features" Ken Fox of TVGuide.com
called it "a sly satire of American 'enough is never enough' consumerism and blind progress at the expense of the environment. It's also very funny, and the little woodland critters that make up the cast are a kiddie-pleasing bunch".
" was released with the DVD. Over the Hedge was released on DVD October 17, 2006.
This was the first DreamWorks Animation movie not to be released on VHS.
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
family
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
action comedy film based on the characters from United Media
United Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
comic strip of the same name
Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge is a syndicated comic strip written and drawn by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. It tells the story of a raccoon, turtle, a squirrel, and their friends who come to terms with their woodlands being taken over by suburbia, trying to survive the increasing flow of humanity and technology...
. Directed by Tim Johnson
Tim Johnson (film director)
Tim Johnson is an American animation director specializing in CGI animation. Johnson has directed in many films such as Antz, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas and Over the Hedge.-Career:...
and Karey Kirkpatrick
Karey Kirkpatrick
Karey Kirkpatrick is an American screenwriter and director. His films include James and the Giant Peach, Space Jam, The Iron Giant, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charlotte's Web and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy adaptation. He has also directed the films, Imagine That starring Eddie Murphy as...
, and produced by Bonnie Arnold
Bonnie Arnold
Bonnie Arnold is a Hollywood animation film producer who has worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. Arnold grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but later worked her way to Hollywood and caught the wave of computer-animation.- Life and career :Arnold has a...
, it was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 19, 2006.
The film was produced by DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
and distributed through Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. The film features the voices of Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, Garry Shandling
Garry Shandling
Garry Emmanuel Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
, Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
, William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes is an American writer, stand-up comedian, actress, and voice artist. She earned the 1999 Emmy Award for her writing on The Chris Rock Show. In 2004 Entertainment Weekly named Sykes as one of the 25 funniest people in America...
, Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
, and Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
. Over the Hedge is the first Dreamworks Animation movie to be distributed by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.
Plot
After RJ, a starving raccoonRaccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, fails to get snacks from a vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
, he becomes so desperate that he tries to raid a large food cache belonging to Vincent, a hibernating black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
. However, while trying to leave, he wakes Vincent and loses both the food and the red wagon that it's on when a truck runs it over. Hastily, he promises to replace everything by the time Vincent reawakens in a week.
Meanwhile, a group of forest animals, led by Verne the box turtle
Box turtle
The box turtle , or box tortoise is a genus of turtle native to North America . The 12 taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over four species. It is largely characterized by having a domed shell, which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to...
, emerge from hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
to find their food cache nearly empty. They begin foraging
Foraging
- Definitions and significance of foraging behavior :Foraging is the act of searching for and exploiting food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce...
but find a large hedge
Hedge
Hedge may refer to:* Hedge or hedgerow, line of closely spaced shrubs planted to act as a barrier* Hedge , investment made to limit loss* Hedge , intentionally non-committal or ambiguous sentence fragments-See also:...
blocking their way. Verne investigates, discovering a human residential community
Residential area
A residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single family housing, multi-family residential, or mobile homes. Zoning for residential use may permit...
which confuses and frightens him. RJ, who sees the entire commotion, convinces the other animals it's easier to raid the humans' garbage for food rather than forage for it, and they manage to get enough food to keep them from starving. Verne, however, remains wary, especially after homeowner Gladys Sharp discovers the animals in her yard, chases them out through the hedge, and hires VermTech exterminator
Exterminator
Exterminator may refer to:*A practitioner in pest control-Competition:*Exterminator , racehorse, the winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby*X-Terminator, a competitor in Robot Wars-Fiction:...
Dwayne LaFontant to keep them out.
Worried for his family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
's safety, Verne decides to return the food to the humans. RJ tries to stop him, resulting in an argument
Argument
In philosophy and logic, an argument is an attempt to persuade someone of something, or give evidence or reasons for accepting a particular conclusion.Argument may also refer to:-Mathematics and computer science:...
between the two. This attracts the attention of a playful Rottweiler
Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market...
, who chases them across several lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
s before all of the food the animals gathered is destroyed. RJ then blames Verne who, while trying to defend himself, makes a comment that hurts the others' feelings.
RJ helps Verne reconcile with the others. He also discovers that Gladys has just restocked her pantry
Pantry
A pantry is a room where food, provisions or dishes are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. The derivation of the word is from the same source as the Old French term paneterie; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis for bread.In a late medieval hall, there were...
with a large food supply for an upcoming party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
and concocts a plan to get past the exterminator-planted boobytraps in her yard. Working together under cover of darkness
Darkness
Darkness, in contrast with brightness, is a relative absence of visible light. It is the appearance of black in a color space. When light is not present, rod and cone cells within the eye are not stimulated. This lack of stimulation means photoreceptor cells are unable to distinguish color...
, the animals get the food. RJ and Verne get into another argument, this time over a can of "Spuddies" potato chips, during which Verne (and the others) learn of RJ's true motives. Gladys wakes up, discovers the animals in her house, and calls VermTech. Dwayne arrives and traps the animals except for RJ, who escapes with the food.
RJ takes the food to a now-awake Vincent, but when the latter points out RJ's treachery
Treachery
Treachery is a statutory offence in Australia. There was also an unrelated statutory offence bearing that name in the United Kingdom, but it has been abolished. Both of these offences were derived from or inspired by the related offence of treason. The name treachery was chosen because it is a...
, the raccoon decides to sacrifice the food to save his friends. This angers Vincent, who chases RJ as he pursues Dwayne's truck. Verne is happy to see RJ again but the others no longer trust him since he abandoned them. They nearly thwart RJ's efforts to help before Verne finally convinces them otherwise. The animals then subdue Dwayne and turn his truck toward home, but the truck goes out of control and demolishes Gladys' house.
The animals hide in the hedge, trapped by Vincent on one side and Dwayne and Gladys on the other. RJ and Verne get an idea to give Hammy the hyperactive squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
a can of cola
Cola
Cola is a carbonated beverage that was typically flavored by the kola nut as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886...
, which puts him into overdrive. Hammy activates an illegal trap that Dwayne had installed (at Gladys' insistence), capturing Vincent, Dwayne and Gladys. Vincent and Gladys are taken into custody while Dwayne escapes, only to encounter the same Rottweiler that chased RJ and Verne earlier.
Back in the forest, Verne tells RJ that if he'd explained what he was trying to do in the first place, the others would have helped because "that's what families do," and welcomes him back to the family. The animals also find that while Hammy was in his caffeine-charged state, he had refilled their food cache with nuts to satisfy them for the year.
In a post-credits scene, the animals go to the vending machine seen in the beginning of the film and cause every product to fall into the access bin. However, the amount of snacks prevents the access door from opening, prompting Hammy to remark that this is "kind of anti-climatic."
Cast
- Bruce WillisBruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
as RJ, a common raccoon who is very devious and deceptive. Despite his hard outer shell, he is revealed to have a softer personality, developing feelings of guilt over using his new-found companions to his own ends. - Garry ShandlingGarry ShandlingGarry Emmanuel Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
as Verne, a naturally tentative ornate box turtleOrnate box turtleThe Ornate box turtle is one of only two terrestrial species of turtles native to the Great Plains of the United States. It is one of the two different subspecies of Terrapene ornata. It is the state reptile of Kansas...
who is the leader of the foragers. He has his own ways of doing the daily tasks, but his world is turned upside-down when RJ introduces his chaotic lifestyle into the mix. Verne genuinely cares for his "family" and will do anything to protect them. A couple of running gagRunning gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
s throughout the movie are everyone calling him an amphibianAmphibianAmphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
and him correcting them with reptileReptileReptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
(though Dwayne already knew he was a reptile, but first mistook him as an amphibian), as well as his shell constantly falling off. - Steve CarellSteve CarellSteven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
as Hammy, a hyperactive American red squirrelAmerican Red SquirrelThe American Red Squirrel is one of three species of tree squirrel currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus and known as pine squirrels...
, whose mouth moves as fast as his feet. He is naive and very childish in nature, with an extremely short attention span. The double entendreDouble entendreA double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
of Hammy's constantly trying to find his nuts is a third running gag in the film. - Wanda SykesWanda SykesWanda Sykes is an American writer, stand-up comedian, actress, and voice artist. She earned the 1999 Emmy Award for her writing on The Chris Rock Show. In 2004 Entertainment Weekly named Sykes as one of the 25 funniest people in America...
as Stella, a short-tempered, sassy striped skunkStriped SkunkThe striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Found over most of the North American continent north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States.-Description:...
who is constantly being told by the other foragers that she needs a man in her life. - William ShatnerWilliam ShatnerWilliam Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
and Avril LavigneAvril LavigneAvril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
as Ozzie and Heather, a Virginia opossumVirginia OpossumThe Virginia opossum , commonly known as the North American opossum or tlacuache in Mexico, is the only marsupial found in North America north of Mexico. A solitary and nocturnal animal about the size of a domestic cat, and thus the largest opossum, it is a successful opportunist...
father and daughter who see the world from different points of view; Ozzie often embarrasses Heather when he feigns death to get away from danger. This is Avril LavigneAvril LavigneAvril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
's first movie voice role. - Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
as Lou, a North American porcupineNorth American PorcupineThe North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
father and family patriarch with an overly talkative and optimistic attitude. - Catherine O'HaraCatherine O'HaraCatherine Anne O'Hara is a Canadian-American actress and comedienne. She is well known for her comedy work on SCTV, and her roles in the films After Hours, Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and also in the mockumentary films written and directed by Christopher Guest...
as Penny, the porcupineNorth American PorcupineThe North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
family matriarch and optimistic mother; she serves as a ground between their family and the other animals. - Shane BaumelShane BaumelShane Baumel is an American teen actor. The first movie he appeared in was Daddy Day Care, with the role of Crispin. His latest appearance was in Wild Hogs, starring Tim Allen. He has also appeared on TV a few times, in shows such as Andy Barker, PI and the Emperor's New School, as the voice of...
, Sami Kirkpatrick, and Madison DavenportMadison DavenportMadison Danielle Davenport is an American teen actress and singer, best known for her role as Quillo in Over the Hedge. Davenport has also starred in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl as Kit's best friend Ruthie Smithens....
as Spike, Bucky and Quillo, Lou and Penny's three identical sons. They're big on video games (unlike their actual size) and are the most enthusiastic about exploring the world beyond the hedge. - Omid DjaliliOmid DjaliliOmid Djalili is a British Iranian stand-up comedian, actor, television producer and writer.-Personal life:Djalili was born in Chelsea, London to Iranian Bahá'í parents and is a Bahá'í himself...
as Tiger, a Persian cat whose sense of smell has faded to nothing after years of his "beautiful" evolution; his Persian name is "Prince Tigerius Mahmoud Shaboz." He falls in love with Stella and comes to live with her at the end of the movie. - Allison JanneyAllison JanneyAllison Brooks Janney is an American actress, best known for her role as C.J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing.- Personal life :...
as Gladys Sharp, a humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
and president of the Camelot Estates Home Owners Association. She is disgusted by animals and is very strict on H.O.A. rules; in the end, she's arrested for using illegal animal traps. - Nick NolteNick NolteNicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
as Vincent, a massive American black bearAmerican black bearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
whose ruthless behavior intimidates RJ and later, the other animals. - Thomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
as Dwayne LaFontant, an overweight, over-zealous humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
pest exterminator hired by Gladys Sharp. He's often fooled by plastic garden flamingos, but has an innate sense of the animals surrounding him by sniffing. Through this, he can detect the species and even the sex of any animal that has recently been in the area. - Brian StepanekBrian StepanekBrian Stepanek is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Arwin Hawkhauser in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
as Nugent, a playful RottweilerRottweilerThe Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market...
whose only intelligible word is "Play!", other than something that sounds like barking.
Two minor human characters, appearing during the dog chase scene, were voiced by Lee Bienstock
Lee Bienstock
Lee Harrison Bienstock was a contestant of the fifth edition of the NBC reality show The Apprentice, where he was the runner-up to winner Sean Yazbeck. Bienstock was born and raised in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and at the time of the show lived in Lawrence, New York.At the age of 22,...
and Sean Yazbeck
Sean Yazbeck
Sean Yazbeck is the winner of the fifth season of the reality show, The Apprentice, where candidates compete in several tasks on a 15-week "job interview" for a position in one of Donald Trump's companies...
, two participants on The Apprentice 5
The Apprentice (U.S. season 5)
The Apprentice 5 is the fifth series of The Apprentice, with Donald Trump as the Executive Producer and Host. Applications were available online and filming occurred in the fall of 2005. Sean Yazbeck was named the winner and hired by Donald Trump as the new Apprentice during the season finale...
as part of a reward for winning a task.
Setting
The setting of the film is somewhere in IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
near Terre Haute
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
between 1990 and 1994. One indication of this is that the licence plates
Vehicle registration plates of Indiana
The U.S. state of Indiana first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display government-provided license plates in 1913, with the law taking effect on July 1 of that year.-Passenger plates 1970 to present:-New Plate Prefixing:...
on the vehicles in the film look exactly like those from Indiana circa 1990 but without the INDIANA on the top and Hoosier Hospitality on the bottom. They even have the standard light blue county name tag on the bottom right corner. Another indication occurs during the period that Vincent, Gladys and Dwayne are being fried by the De-Pelter Turbo. During this period a beam shoots out to space with a point of origin in or near Terre Haute.
Reception
The film was screened out of competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
. On opening weekend, the film was in second place to The DaVinci Code, but its gross of $38,457,003 did not quite live up to DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
's other titles released over the past few years. The film had a per-theater average of $9,474 from 4,059 theaters. In its second weekend, the film dropped 30% to $27,063,774 for a $6,612 average from an expanded 4,093 theaters and finishing third, behind X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
and The DaVinci Code. Since it was Memorial Day Weekend, the film grossed a total of $35,322,115 over the four-day weekend, resulting in only a 8% slide. In its third weekend, the film held well with a 24% drop to $20,647,284 and once again placing in third behind The Break-Up
The Break-Up
The Break-Up is a 2006 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Peyton Reed, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. It was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick and produced by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
and X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
, for a $5,170 average from 3,993 theaters. The film closed on September 4, 2006 after 112 days of release, grossing $155,019,340 domestically along with $180,983,656 overseas
for a worldwide total of $336,002,996. Produced on an $80 million budget, the film was a commercial success.
Critical reaction was mostly positive with the film being rated 74% "Certified Fresh" on the Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
movie review aggregate site; the site's consensus states [that] "Even if it's not an animation classic, Over the Hedge is clever and fun, and the jokes cater to family members of all ages." Critic Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece is an American journalist, author, comedy performer and comic book writer. He was additionally one of the first professional Web journalists, becoming an editor of a Silicon Alley start-up in 1996....
of Film Journal International
Film Journal International
Film Journal International is a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It is a sister publication of Adweek, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and other periodicals....
found that, "DreamWorks' slapstick animated adaptation of the philosophically satiric comic strip ... is a lot of laughs and boasts a much tighter story than most animated features" Ken Fox of TVGuide.com
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
called it "a sly satire of American 'enough is never enough' consumerism and blind progress at the expense of the environment. It's also very funny, and the little woodland critters that make up the cast are a kiddie-pleasing bunch".
Home media
A short film titled "Hammy's Boomerang AdventureHammy's Boomerang Adventure
Hammy's Boomerang Adventure is a computer-animated short film based on the film Over the Hedge. It can be found on the movie's DVD as a bonus feature.- Synopsis :...
" was released with the DVD. Over the Hedge was released on DVD October 17, 2006.
This was the first DreamWorks Animation movie not to be released on VHS.