Run Fatboy Run
Run Fatboy Run | |
---|---|
UK Theatrical Release Poster | |
Directed by | David Schwimmer |
Written by | Michael Ian Black Simon Pegg |
Produced by | Sarah Curtis Robert Jones |
Starring | Simon Pegg Thandie Newton Harish Patel Dylan Moran Hank Azaria |
Cinematography | Richard Greatrex |
Edited by | Michael Parker |
Music by | Alex Wurman |
Distributed by | UK: Material Entertainment USA: Picturehouse |
Release dates | UK: 7 September 2007 USA: 28 March 2008 |
Running time | 95 min. |
Country | ![]() |
Language | English |
Budget | $10 million[1] |
Box office | $34,986,194 |
Run Fatboy Run is a 2007 British romantic comedy directed by David Schwimmer, written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, and starring Simon Pegg, Dylan Moran, Thandie Newton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort and Hank Azaria. It was released in the UK on 7 September 2007, in Canada on 10 September 2007 and in the United States on 28 March 2008.
Plot
Dennis Doyle (Simon Pegg) is about to marry Libby (Thandie Newton), his pregnant fiancée. However, he gets cold feet and runs away during the preparation for the wedding. Five years later, his life has gone in circles ever since. When Dennis discovers that Libby has started seeing high-flying go-getter Whit (Hank Azaria), with their son, Jake, he realizes it's now or never. He finds out that Whit is running the Nike River Marathon in London, and to prove himself to his doubting friends and, most importantly, Libby, he decides to run the race himself. Dennis receives motivation from his two "coaches", Gordon (Dylan Moran), his best friend, and Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel), his landlord.
Days before the race, Whit proposes to Libby at her birthday party. Libby accepts and this puts Dennis in a state of depression. However, he decides to race anyway, as he has made a deal with Mr. Goshdashtidar's daughter, Maya (India de Beaufort) in which he will be otherwise evicted if he does not finish and Gordon has all his money resting on him completing the race.
Meanwhile, Jake, who has formed a crush on a girl in his class, runs away angry when he discovers that she prefers another boy just because he has a ponytail. Dennis, upon being informed by a frightened Libby, tracks him down and explains to him that he will find many things he does not like in his life and he should just stand up to them and face them, rather than running away, having made that mistake himself.
Dennis starts the race alongside Whit and Whit informs Dennis that he intends to move Libby and Jake to Chicago, Illinois. Angered, Dennis insults Whit and they tussle for a while at the start of the race, and suddenly Whit trips Dennis and badly injures him. Stretchers prepare to take Dennis to hospital. Whit continues, but is taken to hospital after feeling ill and feeling pain in his leg. Libby goes to the hospital to find Dennis, but only finds Whit, who claims loudly that his injuries are the result of Dennis deliberately tripping him. The doctor tells him he is not actually injured and has only "hit the wall". Whit, in a fit of anger, calls Jake a "little shit" as Jake plays with Whit's hospital bed, to Libby's horror.
Dennis has in fact refused to be transported to the hospital or even get medical attention and is continuing the race well into the afternoon and evening with a sprained ankle, accompanied by a growing group of supporters, including Gordon and Mr. Goshdashtidar. An exhausted Dennis almost "hits the wall" but after an emotional inner struggle, his resolve to complete the race is restored.
Later at Whit's house, Libby, Jake and Whit, watch a television replay of the Whit-Dennis tussle, as the replay shows that in fact Whit had deliberately tripped Dennis up and had fallen over because he had gotten tangled up with Dennis as he was falling. As Whit tries to justify his behavior, he blurts out his intentions to have Libby and Jake move to Chicago with him. A furious Libby storms out with Jake. The two go to meet Dennis as he arrives at the finish line. Dennis falls over just metres from the finish line and cannot get up until he sees Libby and Jake calling to him at which point he gets up, sprints to the finish and collapses in their arms.
The film ends as Dennis, before taking Jake to school, asks the now single Libby to dinner, and she agrees.
Characters and cast
- Simon Pegg as Dennis Doyle
- Thandie Newton as Elizabeth Olivia 'Libby' Odell
- Hank Azaria as Whit
- Dylan Moran as Gordon
- Harish Patel as Mr. Goshdashtidar
- India de Beaufort as Maya Goshdashtidar
- Matthew Fenton as Jake
- Simon Day as Vincent
- Ruth Sheen as Claudine
- Tyrone Huggins as Grover
- Nevan Finegan as Mickey
- Iddo Goldberg as the news reporter
Guest appearances
- Chris Hollins (sports reporter)
- Peter Serafinowicz (reporter voice over)
- Denise Lewis (British athlete)
- Stephen Merchant (injured runner)
- David Walliams (customer in Libby's shop) (Cameo)
- Michael Johnson (marathon runner) (Cameo)
Notes
Director David Schwimmer can be seen making an appearance as a fan on the race route towards the end of the film. Wearing a black hat and coat, David gives Simon Pegg's character a half pint of ale.
Little Britain star David Walliams appears in Libby's bakery as a character very similar to his Little Britain character Mr. Mann, who asks for very specific items. In his cameo, Walliams asks for a gingerbread bunny. Upon learning these are only sold at Easter, he asks for gingerbread shaped like any animals, finally saying "I will settle for anything shaped like a fish." He also gets into an argument with Dennis over allotted time. When Libby reminds Dennis of his leaving her at the altar, he loses interest in his order and glares at Dennis accusingly. Coincidentally, David Schwimmer went on to direct several episodes of Little Britain USA.
Run Fatboy Run's storyline is an update (in basis) of the 1979 Michael Douglas film Running.
The Nike river run is a fake event which was originally intended to be the London marathon. However the rights to the London marathon had been aquired by another director. Nike took the opportunity to endorse the fake event, supplied the sportsware and the name was changed.[1]
Reception
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 48% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 142 reviews.[2] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 48 out of 100, based on 27 reviews.[3]
Box office performance
The film topped the UK box office in its opening week and remained at the top of the chart for four straight weeks. To date it has earned over £10.5 million. In the United States, the film enjoyed more limited success. On its opening weekend, it grossed about $2.3 million. As of May 1,2008, the film has grossed $5,946,628 with a foreign gross of $29,039,566 making $34,986,194 as its international gross.
DVD & BD
The DVD was released on 18 February, 2008 in the United Kingdom. It was also released simultaneously on the HD DVD and Blu-Ray formats.
References
- ^ Sony's 21 Has the Winning Hand - ComingSoon.net
- ^ "Run, Fat Boy, Run Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
- ^ "Run, Fat Boy, Run (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-03-30.