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Chicken Run

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This article is about the film. For the game based on the film, see Chicken Run (video game).
Chicken Run
British theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Lord
Nick Park
Written byPeter Lord
Nick Park
Karey Kirkpatrick
Produced byNick Park
Peter Lord
David Sproxton
StarringJulia Sawalha
Mel Gibson
Miranda Richardson
Benjamin Whitrow
Timothy Spall
Phil Daniels
Jane Horrocks
Tony Haygarth
Edited byMark Solomon
Music byHarry Gregson-Williams
John Powell
Production
company
Distributed byDreamWorks Animation (USA)
Pathé (UK)
20th Century Fox (UK DVD)
Release dates
  • 23 June 2000 (2000-06-23) (United States)
  • 30 June 2000 (2000-06-30) (United Kingdom)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryTemplate:Film UK
LanguageEnglish
Budget$45 million
Box office$224,834,564

Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films. Set in Yorkshire, England in 1959, the film centres around a band of chickens, who seek a smooth-talking Rhode Island Red named Rocky as their only hope to escape from their certain death when the owners of their farm decide to move from selling eggs to selling chicken pies.

Story

Title

The title of the film is a play on words, since a chicken run defines a confined area where chickens are allowed to run outdoors and also describes the objective of the chickens to escape their predicament.

Plot

The Tweedys are a grumpy middle-aged couple who run a chicken farm in Yorkshire, England, in the manner of a World War II prisoner of war camp (or a concentration camp). One chicken, Ginger, continually tries to get the chickens (including her best friends Babs and Bunty) to escape from the coop using various plans and contraband obtained from two rats, Nick and Fetcher. The story begins during Ginger's (unsuccessful) attempt at going under the fence. But Ginger is always caught by Mr. Tweedy and his dogs, and while she is kept in solitary confinement in the Coal shed, she comes to realize their only hope of escape is to go over the coop's fence.

After Mrs. Tweedy finds out that one of the chickens, Edwina, has laid no eggs, Mrs. Tweedy kills her with a hatchet. Ginger tells Nick and Fetcher to find parts for a catapult, but Nick and Fetcher are tired of being paid with chicken food and want her to give them eggs in exchange instead.

Mrs. Tweedy, struggling to keep the farm financially viable on dwindling egg production ("I'm sick and tired of making minuscule profits"), notices a magazine advertising poultry products; she decides to convert the farm from egg production to chicken pies, and orders a giant pie-making machine. Mr. Tweedy believes the chickens are organising a big escape, but Mrs. Tweedy dismisses the idea as a ridiculous notion and does so in a rude, domineering manner. While the Tweedys await delivery, Ginger tries to keep the chickens' hopes up, but Bunty, a champion egg layer, says that their chances of escaping are a million to one. To this, Ginger responds, "Then there's still a chance." Outside her hut, she cries to herself, wondering why she's trying to lead the chickens and prays for help. An explosion sounds, and a Rhode Island Red rooster named Rocky Rhodes appears to "fly" into the coop, though damaging his wing on landing after crashing into a weather vane and power lines and finally the chicken feed box (the box sprains his wing). While the other hens fawn over him, Ginger convinces Rocky to help teach them how to fly. Fowler, an elderly rooster, doesn't like Rocky as he views all Americans as selfish people (a possible reference to Americans refusing to fight in World War 2 until the Pearl Harbor bombing).

Rocky plays for time by putting the chickens through seemingly-futile training exercises while he tends to his injured wing. At the same time, the Tweedys provide the chickens with more food in order to make them plumper for their pies. Ginger tells them that they're going to be killed with Rocky telling her that if the chickens expect to escape, then they have to remain motivated, but Ginger doesn't see it that way. To prove what he meant, Rocky has Nick and Fetcher bring a radio so that he and the chickens can have a party. Bunty, ironically, is the first to go with the music, followed by Babs, a chicken who is known to knit, and then the rest of the clan. When the pie-making machine soon is completed, Mr. Tweedy is asked to get a chicken for the machine's demonstrations, Mr. Tweedy attempts to put Ginger through the machine, despite his wife saying to keep his suspicions about the chickens in his head. But she is saved by Rocky, and they are able to disable the machine by increasing the gravy pressure with a carrot and jamming some gears with a wrench, giving themselves some more time while Mr. Tweedy tends to its repair. Back at the huts, Rocky gains Fowler's respect and a medal for bravery.

The next day, Ginger finds Rocky has fled, leaving behind the medal and a part of a poster that explains that he was a circus act, only "flying" over the land after being launched out of a cannon. He felt too ashamed to say it and leaves, afraid of how everyone will react. Ginger and the other chickens lose hope of escape. They wonder what was the real reason he left was, which leads to a huge brawl in the mud, until Ginger finds out that Fowler was once an honorary member of the Royal Air Force. With Fowler's knowledge, and with the nervous and scientist-style Mac's aeronautical engineering, they begin working hastily to create a flying machine pedal-powered by the chickens themselves, in secret from Mr. Tweedy, who has become suspicious of the chickens' ingenuity because of the rats sneaking around in gnome statues. The craft is completed even as the repairs on the pie-making machine are completed. As Mr. Tweedy attempts to grab the chickens, he is restrained by the attacking chickens and 'hidden' under one of the coops.

The chickens quickly assemble their plane and attempt to take off, despite Mr. Tweedy's attempt to stop them. Mrs. Tweedy hears the commotion outside and arrives armed with her earlier-used hatchet, attempting to stop the plane from flying by attacking Ginger, swearing that she will be a pie. However, Rocky's return results in her almost getting killed when her hatchet falls out of her hands and lands within inches of her neck; she faints. Rocky and Ginger continue to enable the escape by righting the chickens' makeshift launching ramp (which Mr. Tweedy had knocked down moments earlier), succeed in doing so, and grab onto a string of Christmas lights unceremoniously trailing from the craft. But Mrs. Tweedy (recovered from her shock) is able to grab onto the string of lights before it takes off. Ginger attempts to sever the bond to detach Mrs. Tweedy because, in addition to her threat, her weight is too much for the chickens to keep the plane airborne. She manages to trick Mrs. Tweedy into cutting the light string with her hatchet, just barely escaping death in the process. This causes Mrs. Tweedy to fall right into a vent on the pie-making machine; the machine explodes in a mushroom cloud of gravy as Mrs Tweedy had increased the pressure to maximum speed, destroying the Tweedy's barn and leaving just the door standing. Mr. Tweedy then berates his irate wife for not listening to him about the fact that the chickens were being organized. Mrs. Tweedy growls at him in fury, but is cut short when the door comes down on top of her before she can react (possibly pushed by Mr. Tweedy, as he had enough of her abuse). Rocky, Ginger, and the other chickens celebrate as they fly off and Ginger kisses Rocky. At the end of the film, the chickens have found themselves a protected bird sanctuary in which to live and raise their chicks, with Rocky and Ginger having become a couple. As the credits roll, Nick and Fetcher discuss their plan to open their own chicken farm for eggs leading to the chicken and the egg theory. One becomes confused, and the credits roll.

In a scene during the credits, Nick and Fetcher continue to argue about the theory, but are interrupted by Rocky telling them to be a little quieter. They apologize, but silently insult him and criticise him for his supposed "big shot" personality, proclaiming themselves to be the movie's stars.

Cast and characters

  • Julia Sawalha as Ginger, the primary protagonist of the film and the chickens' leader. She is determined to save her fellow chickens from the farm. When Rocky lands in the farm, she persuades him to help them. When it is revealed that the Tweedys are planning to make pies out of them, she is more determined than ever, but finds out the next morning that Rocky can't really fly, which she shows to the others. She is disappointed, but then comes up with another way of escape. She also realizes that she loves Rocky, despite the fact that he's not what she thought he was. However, when she and the others try to escape, he returns and after they escape from Mrs. Tweedy, their plane lands in a protected bird sanctuary, and she becomes Rocky's mate.
  • Mel Gibson as Rocky, the supporting protagonist of the film. He lands in the farm one night and is convinced by Ginger to teach the chickens how to fly since his wing was sprained. When his wing gets better, the chickens believe that he can fly for them. He leaves the next morning, not wanting to face the shame, despite his newfound feelings for Ginger. However, he later sees a sign advertising the chicken pies, and he returns to the farm and aids in the chickens' escape and becomes Ginger's mate. Rocky represents the Americans coming to help aid the Second World War
  • Miranda Richardson as Melisha Tweedy, the main antagonist of the film. Determined to make good money, she decides to turn the farm into a chicken pie factory. Mrs. Tweedy represents Hitler as she is disgusted with the chickens and plans to exterminate them for her own gain.
  • Benjamin Whitrow as Fowler, an elderly rooster who lives on the farm. He is a former RAF member who was obviously involved in World War 2 and is always talking about his time there. At first he distrusts Rocky, but softens toward him after he saves Ginger. When it comes for the chickens' big escape, he is encouraged by Ginger and Bunty to lead the way. At the end, he tells the story of the chickens' escape to some young chicks.
  • Timothy Spall as Nick, an obese rat who, along with his partner, Fetcher, aids the chickens in their quest to freedom, in exchange for eggs. He is the more level-headed of the two.
  • Phil Daniels as Fetcher, a slender rat with a knitted sweater and a knitted cap, who, along with his partner, Nick, aids the chickens in their quest to freedom, in exchange for eggs. He is the less level-headed of the two.
  • Jane Horrocks as Babs, one of Ginger's friends, who is the fattest of the chickens with a dim-witted personality who loves knitting. A running gag in the film is whenever someone is not there, Babs assumes that he or she is on Holiday.
  • Imelda Staunton as Bunty, another one of Ginger's friends, who has a tendency for laying eggs and is the most doubtful of Ginger's plans to escape. She is not at all interested in Fowler's stories, but later encourages him that he can lead the way to freedom.
  • Lynn Ferguson as Mac, Ginger's assistant, who is extremely brilliant, and who helps in the chickens' big escape as the engineer. At the end, she's a teacher of young chicks in flight safety.
  • Tony Haygarth as Willard Tweedy, the secondary antagonist of the film, and Melisha's husband. He is semi-dimwitted, but still tries to help his wife make money. At the end, he pushes the barn door down on his wife to repay her for all the times she physically abused him. He, as well as the dogs, represent the Nazi Soldiers.

Production

Chicken Run was to be Aardman Animations' first feature length production, which would be executive produced by Jake Eberts. Nick Park and Peter Lord, who run Aardman, co-directed the film,[1] while Karey Kirkpatrick and Jack Rosenthal scripted the film. In December 1997, it was noted that David Sproxton was to also produce. DreamWorks secured their first animated feature with the film, and they handled distribution in all territories except Europe, which Pathé handled. The two studios both co-financed the film. DreamWorks also retains rights to international merchandising. Pathé and Aardman had both been developing the film since 1995, whilst DreamWorks officially came aboard in 1997. DreamWorks beat out studios like 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. and largely won due to the perseverance of DreamWorks co-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, who as a company were eager to make their presence felt in the animation market in an attempt to compete with Disney's dominance of the field.[2]

Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell, composers in the artist pool of Media Ventures, were in talks to compose the film since January 1999.[3] In January 2000, the release was revealed to be for 23 June 2000.[4]

Production notes

  • Chicken Run was the first feature film in Europe to use the Digital Intermediate process, digitally storing and manipulating every frame of the film before recording back to film.
  • In early versions of the movie, Ginger had a little brother named Nobby, but the idea was dropped in order to make the film less cute.
  • An early storyboard idea was that the plane would break up in the middle of its flight and that the chickens would suddenly find the ability to fly; the idea being to show that you can do things if you "believe in yourself". This was dropped because the directors thought it was a little far-fetched.
  • It was also suggested that Fowler would be a drunk who felt useless and neglected until Ginger convinced him that he was needed. In the final film it is a sober Fowler who is made to believe in himself and fly the plane.
  • During the early stages of production, the film had the working title "A Few Good Hens", a reference to the 1992 drama film A Few Good Men.
  • The reason why all the chickens wear scarves or pearl necklaces is to hide the joint between the head and the body. The scarves hide the 'seam' which is present because the bodies of the chickens are articulated steel frames coated in silicon rubber while the heads are plasticine (this is similar to the reason why Ewoks in Return of the Jedi wore hoods: to hide the seam between the head and the body parts of the suit).
  • A parody of Toblerone called "Tasty Choc" appeared in the film, a pun based on the phrase 'chocks away' and Toblerone's rather unique triangular shape.
  • The role of Mac is a parody of Scotty from Star Trek; they were both Scottish engineers, and whilst escaping the coop Mac refers to Mrs Tweedy as "a Klingon, cap'n, and the engines can't take it!"

Reception

The film has received critical acclaim from critics upon its release and currently garners a 96% "Certified Fresh" rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 140 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10 and the critical consensus: "Chicken Run has all the charm of Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit, and something for everybody. The voice acting is fabulous, the slapstick is brilliant, and the action sequences are spectacular."[5] The film also holds a score of 88 based on 34 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim."[6]

Awards and nominations

Awards listed in bold were won by the film.

Box office

On opening weekend, the film grossed $17,506,162 for a $7,027 average from 2,491 theatres. Overall, the film placed second behind Me, Myself and Irene. In its second weekend, the film held well as it slipped only 25% to $13,192,897 for a $4,627 average from expanding to 2,851 theaters and finishing in fourth place. The film's widest release was 2,953 theaters and it closed on November 2, 2000, after grossing $106,834,564 domestically with an additional $118,000,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $224,834,564. Produced on a $45 million budget, the film was a huge box office hit.

Marketing

Reel.com received exclusive right to hosting the official site for the film and designing, for which Canned Entertainment were chosen.[7]

Video game

Main article: Chicken Run (video game)

Chicken Run is a stealth-based 3-D platformer based on the movie. The game is a loose parody of the film The Great Escape, which is set during World War II.

See also

References

  1. ^ Rex Weiner (10 April 1997). "Aardman on 'Run'". Variety. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  2. ^ Dan Cox (4 December 1997). "D'Works' feat of clay". Variety. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  3. ^ Robert Koehler (21 January 1999). "Zimmer's Ventures in music is a factory in the (tune) making". Variety. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  4. ^ Christian Moerk (21 January 2000). "Showbiz was schiz in 1999". Variety. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  5. ^ "Chicken Run Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  6. ^ "Chicken Run Movie Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  7. ^ Marc Graser (3 April 2000). "D'Works hands Reel 'Chicken'". Variety. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
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