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RV (film)
Encyclopedia
RV is a 2006 comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
, written by Geoff Rodkey
, and starring Robin Williams
, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Cheryl Hines
, Josh Hutcherson
, Jeff Daniels
, Kristin Chenoweth
and Will Arnett
. It was released on April 28, 2006 in North America. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on August 15, 2006.
), a California
beverage company executive, is struggling with a dysfunctional family
, with Cassie (JoJo) now 15, surly and sarcastic, son Carl (Josh Hutcherson
) an adolescent weightlifter who likes Hip hop
. At a company picnic, Bob is embarrassed in front of his boss Todd (Will Arnett
) by his daughter's militant friend Gretchen (Lauren Ambrose). Looking forward to a big family vacation in Hawaii, Bob is punished by Todd by having to present a merger proposal to the grassroots Alpine Soda company in Boulder, Colorado
instead. Concealing the real reason for going to Boulder, Bob rents an RV from the dodgy dealer Irv (Barry Sonnenfeld
) and tells his family they are traveling to the Rockies
.
On their trip, Bob and his family encounter many mishaps. These include Bob damaging the parking brake, crashing into and running over objects such as shopping carts, flushing out a trio of raccoons with a stink bomb
, and fixing a clogged sewage system. Along the way, the Munros meet another traveling family, the Gornickes, consisting of Travis (Jeff Daniels
), Mary Jo (Kristin Chenoweth
), and their sons and daughter, Earl (Hunter Parrish
), Billy "Not Earl" (Alex Ferris
), and Moon (Chloe Sonnenfeld). Earl develops a romantic interest in Cassie and Carl starts to like Moon, but thinking that the Gornickes are too strange for them, the adult Munros decide to ditch them; when the Gornickes reappear at another stop, the Munros believe they are stalking them.
Meanwhile, to disguise his business trip, Bob tries to e-mail a proposal outline from his laptop, working in restrooms; eventually, a hitchhiker steals Bob's laptop
, leaving him with only a BlackBerry
PDA, which he does manage to use to compose and wirelessly send his proposal to his company. The Gornickes then recover the stolen laptop after picking up the same hitchhiker, and pursue the Munros to return it.
Eventually the entire family begins to enjoy their vacation. In order to attend the merger meeting, though, Bob distracts his family by feigning illness and sends them on a hike. The meeting with Alpine Soda is a success, but Bob is invited to talk to the whole company again the next day. Rushing back to his family, Bob takes a treacherous 4 wheel drive trail (it's on this bumpy rutted trail that the film's signature "RV high-centered on a boulder" scene takes place, although unlike the huge lofty granite pinnacle shown in the movie poster, the offending boulder in the ATV trail is actually only a number of inches too tall; Bob manages to dislodge the RV from the boulder by "rocking" ---- forcefully throwing himself forward and backwards in the driver's seat --- until the vehicle eventually wobbles and tips forward enough to slide down from atop the stone), succeeding in fooling them, but while he is attempting a similar ruse the next day, the RV brakes fail again and it rolls into a lake. Bob lets it slip about the real intentions of the Colorado vacation, and his family is upset. Still needing to get to the meeting, a desperate Bob retrieves one of his family's bicycles from the lake and pedals off. Jamie, Carl, and Cassie are then picked up by the Gornickes, and soon realize how well they get along, when Bob appears again, climbing atop the moving bus. After apologizing to his family, Bob is just about to blow off the meeting when it turns out he's right outside the headquarters.
At the second meeting, Bob starts his speech and it goes well, but then -- Bob has an epiphany, and so he recommends against the merger, realizing that Todd would destroy a great independent company. Carl gets angry at Todd and flips him over his shoulder, onto the ground. Moon exclaims "My Hero!" Bob is then fired but he quits anyway, and soon retrieves the sodden-but-still-operable RV from the lake. At the end, Bob is offered a job by the owners of Alpine Soda, who want to go national independently. As the credits roll, the two families are shown dancing and singing the song, "Route 66
" (RV Style).
area and southern Alberta
on May 25, 2005 and finished filming in December 2005.
and featured several members of the Lyle Lovett Band: Matt Rollings
(keyboards), Russ Kunkel (drums), Ray Herndon (guitar), Viktor Krauss
(bass), and Buck Reed (pedal steel). Alvin Chea
, vocalist from Take 6
, provided solo vocals. Additional music was provided by Stuart Michael Thomas
and Blake Neely
.
Several songs were featured prominently in the film including: "GTO", "Route 66", "Cherry Bomb", and "Stand By Your Man".
The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. Based on 204 reviews from critics collected by the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
, 24% gave RV a positive review. Justin Chang of Variety
said "RV works up an ingratiating sweetness that partially compensates for its blunt predictability and meager laughs." Roger Ebert
, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
, said "There is nothing I much disliked but little to really recommend."
RV won a Golden Raspberry Award for a special category called "Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment", while Kristin Chenoweth
was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress.
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld is an American filmmaker and television director. He worked as cinematographer for the Coen brothers, then later he directed and produced big budget films such as Men in Black.-Life and career:...
, written by Geoff Rodkey
Geoff Rodkey
Geoff Rodkey is an American screenwriter. He is best known for his work on the Daddy Day Care films and The Shaggy Dog . He received an Emmy nomination for his contributions to the Politically Incorrect broadcasts from the Democratic and Republican conventions on Comedy Central.-Career:-External...
, and starring Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Ruth Hines is an American actress and director, known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She currently appears on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory...
, Josh Hutcherson
Josh Hutcherson
Joshua Ryan "Josh" Hutcherson is an American film and television actor. He began working in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles...
, Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
, Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
and Will Arnett
Will Arnett
William Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
. It was released on April 28, 2006 in North America. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on August 15, 2006.
Plot
Bob Munro (Robin WilliamsRobin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
), a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
beverage company executive, is struggling with a dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
, with Cassie (JoJo) now 15, surly and sarcastic, son Carl (Josh Hutcherson
Josh Hutcherson
Joshua Ryan "Josh" Hutcherson is an American film and television actor. He began working in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles...
) an adolescent weightlifter who likes Hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. At a company picnic, Bob is embarrassed in front of his boss Todd (Will Arnett
Will Arnett
William Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
) by his daughter's militant friend Gretchen (Lauren Ambrose). Looking forward to a big family vacation in Hawaii, Bob is punished by Todd by having to present a merger proposal to the grassroots Alpine Soda company in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
instead. Concealing the real reason for going to Boulder, Bob rents an RV from the dodgy dealer Irv (Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld is an American filmmaker and television director. He worked as cinematographer for the Coen brothers, then later he directed and produced big budget films such as Men in Black.-Life and career:...
) and tells his family they are traveling to the Rockies
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
.
On their trip, Bob and his family encounter many mishaps. These include Bob damaging the parking brake, crashing into and running over objects such as shopping carts, flushing out a trio of raccoons with a stink bomb
Stink bomb
A stink bomb or stinkbomb is a device designed to create an unpleasant smell. They range in effectiveness from simple pranks to military grade or riot control chemical agents.The Guinness Book of Records lists two smelliest substances...
, and fixing a clogged sewage system. Along the way, the Munros meet another traveling family, the Gornickes, consisting of Travis (Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
), Mary Jo (Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
), and their sons and daughter, Earl (Hunter Parrish
Hunter Parrish
Hunter Parrish is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Silas Botwin in Showtime's television series Weeds.-Personal life:...
), Billy "Not Earl" (Alex Ferris
Alex Ferris
Alexander "Alex" Ferris is a Canadian child actor. He currently stars on jPod as Connor Lefkowitz, and appeared in The Time Traveler's Wife as Young Henry DeTamble.Ferris was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
), and Moon (Chloe Sonnenfeld). Earl develops a romantic interest in Cassie and Carl starts to like Moon, but thinking that the Gornickes are too strange for them, the adult Munros decide to ditch them; when the Gornickes reappear at another stop, the Munros believe they are stalking them.
Meanwhile, to disguise his business trip, Bob tries to e-mail a proposal outline from his laptop, working in restrooms; eventually, a hitchhiker steals Bob's laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
, leaving him with only a BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
PDA, which he does manage to use to compose and wirelessly send his proposal to his company. The Gornickes then recover the stolen laptop after picking up the same hitchhiker, and pursue the Munros to return it.
Eventually the entire family begins to enjoy their vacation. In order to attend the merger meeting, though, Bob distracts his family by feigning illness and sends them on a hike. The meeting with Alpine Soda is a success, but Bob is invited to talk to the whole company again the next day. Rushing back to his family, Bob takes a treacherous 4 wheel drive trail (it's on this bumpy rutted trail that the film's signature "RV high-centered on a boulder" scene takes place, although unlike the huge lofty granite pinnacle shown in the movie poster, the offending boulder in the ATV trail is actually only a number of inches too tall; Bob manages to dislodge the RV from the boulder by "rocking" ---- forcefully throwing himself forward and backwards in the driver's seat --- until the vehicle eventually wobbles and tips forward enough to slide down from atop the stone), succeeding in fooling them, but while he is attempting a similar ruse the next day, the RV brakes fail again and it rolls into a lake. Bob lets it slip about the real intentions of the Colorado vacation, and his family is upset. Still needing to get to the meeting, a desperate Bob retrieves one of his family's bicycles from the lake and pedals off. Jamie, Carl, and Cassie are then picked up by the Gornickes, and soon realize how well they get along, when Bob appears again, climbing atop the moving bus. After apologizing to his family, Bob is just about to blow off the meeting when it turns out he's right outside the headquarters.
At the second meeting, Bob starts his speech and it goes well, but then -- Bob has an epiphany, and so he recommends against the merger, realizing that Todd would destroy a great independent company. Carl gets angry at Todd and flips him over his shoulder, onto the ground. Moon exclaims "My Hero!" Bob is then fired but he quits anyway, and soon retrieves the sodden-but-still-operable RV from the lake. At the end, Bob is offered a job by the owners of Alpine Soda, who want to go national independently. As the credits roll, the two families are shown dancing and singing the song, "Route 66
Route 66 (song)
" Route 66", often rendered simply as "Route 66", is a popular song and rhythm and blues standard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. It was first recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole, and was subsequently covered by many artists including Chuck Berry in 1961, The Rolling...
" (RV Style).
Cast
- Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
as Bob Munro - Cheryl HinesCheryl HinesCheryl Ruth Hines is an American actress and director, known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She currently appears on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory...
as Jamie Munro - Joanna Levesque as Cassie Munro
- Josh HutchersonJosh HutchersonJoshua Ryan "Josh" Hutcherson is an American film and television actor. He began working in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles...
as Carl Munro - Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as Travis Gornicke - Kristin ChenowethKristin ChenowethKristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
as Mary Jo Gornicke - Chloe Sonnenfeld as Moon Gornicke
- Hunter ParrishHunter ParrishHunter Parrish is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Silas Botwin in Showtime's television series Weeds.-Personal life:...
as Earl Gornicke - Alex FerrisAlex FerrisAlexander "Alex" Ferris is a Canadian child actor. He currently stars on jPod as Connor Lefkowitz, and appeared in The Time Traveler's Wife as Young Henry DeTamble.Ferris was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
as Billy "Not Earl" Gornicke - Will ArnettWill ArnettWilliam Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
as Todd Mallory - Brendan FletcherBrendan FletcherBrendan Fletcher is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:Fletcher was born in Comox Valley, British Columbia and went to junior high school at Lake Trail in Courtenay, British Columbia....
as Howie - Matthew Gray GublerMatthew Gray GublerMatthew Gray Gubler is an American actor, film director, sketch artist, and former fashion model. He is best known for his role as the young genius Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show Criminal Minds, of which he has also directed two episodes...
as Joe Joe - Barry SonnenfeldBarry SonnenfeldBarry Sonnenfeld is an American filmmaker and television director. He worked as cinematographer for the Coen brothers, then later he directed and produced big budget films such as Men in Black.-Life and career:...
as Irv - Richard Ian CoxRichard Ian CoxRichard Ian Cox is a Welsh-Canadian voice actor and online radio host best known for his voice acting for English language dubs of anime. Cox gained prominence for playing the character of Henry Dailey's teenaged traveler and horse rider, Alec Ramsay, in The Family Channel's Adventures of the...
as Laird (as Richard Cox) - Rob LaBelleRob LaBelleRob LaBelle is an American film and television actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Career:LaBelle has made appearances, many as a character actor, in dozens of film and television roles, most in the science-fiction genre, and is probably best known for his role as...
as Larry Moiphine - Brian MarkinsonBrian MarkinsonBrian Markinson is a Canadian film and television actor. He has appeared as Police Chief Bill Jacobs on Da Vinci's Inquest and Da Vinci's City Hall...
as Garry Moiphine - Ty OlssonTy OlssonTyler "Ty" Olsson is a Canadian actor. He's best known for being the voice of the dragon Ord on Dragon Tales and for portraying real life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television movie Flight 93.-Life and career:...
as Diablo Pass Officer - Diane MichelleDiane MichelleDiane Michelle is an American voice actress, famous for voicing Daisy Duck in several modern Disney projects . Diane's voice work appears in Happy Feet and she voiced both Depa Billaba, a Republic Medic Droid, and Zam Wessel in Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds...
as Martha the RV (voice) (uncredited)
Production
The film began principal photography in the VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
area and southern Alberta
Southern Alberta
Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of the year 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat...
on May 25, 2005 and finished filming in December 2005.
Soundtrack
The score was written by James Newton HowardJames Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
and featured several members of the Lyle Lovett Band: Matt Rollings
Matt Rollings
Matt Rollings is an American composer, musician and record producer. He plays piano, organ, and keyboards.Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, he has worked with many artists, not all country...
(keyboards), Russ Kunkel (drums), Ray Herndon (guitar), Viktor Krauss
Viktor Krauss
Viktor Karl Krauss is a bassist.He has worked with Peter Rowan and Lyle Lovett, among other musicians.He is the brother of bluegrass musician Alison Krauss. He has played on some of his sister's albums, together with those of her dobro player, Jerry Douglas.-External links:*...
(bass), and Buck Reed (pedal steel). Alvin Chea
Alvin Chea
Alvin "Vinnie" Chea was born in 1967 and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. A product of Christian Education, Chea attended Seventh-day Adventist schools up through 1989 where Mr. Chea earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Oakwood University, double-majoring in English and Communications...
, vocalist from Take 6
Take 6
Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel music sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two...
, provided solo vocals. Additional music was provided by Stuart Michael Thomas
Stuart Michael Thomas
-Biography:Stuart Michael Thomas is an American music composer, producer and arranger for film and television. He has been a credited contributor to dozens of films including Michael Clayton, RV, The Lookout and Duplicity as well as TV films such as High Noon, Northern Lights, and Angels Fall. He...
and Blake Neely
Blake Neely
Blake Neely is an American composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, and author. His father was a rancher and his brother Tom Neely is an artist in Los Angeles....
.
Several songs were featured prominently in the film including: "GTO", "Route 66", "Cherry Bomb", and "Stand By Your Man".
Reception
RV grossed $87,528,173 worldwide.The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. Based on 204 reviews from critics collected by the film review aggregator 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...
, 24% gave RV a positive review. Justin Chang of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said "RV works up an ingratiating sweetness that partially compensates for its blunt predictability and meager laughs." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, said "There is nothing I much disliked but little to really recommend."
RV won a Golden Raspberry Award for a special category called "Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment", while Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress.