Herbie: Fully Loaded

Herbie: Fully Loaded

Promotional poster
Directed by Angela Robinson
Produced by Robert Simonds
Written by Thomas Lennon
Ben Garant
Alfred Gough
Miles Millar
Starring Lindsay Lohan
Justin Long
Breckin Meyer
Matt Dillon
Michael Keaton
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
George Bruns (Herbie's theme)
Cinematography Greg Gardiner
Edited by Wendy Greene Bricmont
Production
company
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
Release dates
  • June 17, 2005 (2005-06-17)
Running time
 102 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $50 million
Box office $144.1 million

Herbie: Fully Loaded is a 2005 American sport-comedy film directed by Angela Robinson and produced by Robert Simonds for Walt Disney Pictures. It stars Lindsay Lohan as the youngest member of an automobile-racing family, Michael Keaton as her father, Matt Dillon as a competing racer, Breckin Meyer as her brother, and Justin Long as her best friend and mechanic. The film features cameos by many NASCAR drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Mark Martin. It is the first theatrical Herbie film since Herbie Goes Bananas in 1980, and grossed over $144 million worldwide.[1]

Plot

Maggie Peyton (Lohan) is an aspiring race car driver. Maggie's family includes her brother, Ray Jr., and her father, Ray Sr., who are members of their namesake's racing team. Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, is towed to a junkyard after losing several races, and Ray Sr. takes Maggie to the junkyard to buy her a car as a college graduation present. After Maggie selects Herbie, she finds an anonymous note in Herbie's glove box, possibly written by Herbie's old owner Hank Cooper (from the 1997 The Love Bug TV film) or Jim Douglas (Herbie's original owner from The Love Bug and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo) which reads: "Please take care of Herbie. Whatever your problem, he'll help you find the answer". Herbie takes her against her will to the garage where her friend Kevin works as a mechanic. Kevin has Maggie take Herbie to a car show to buy parts for Herbie, but when they arrive, Herbie tricks Maggie into disguising herself in a racing suit and helmet and challenging NASCAR champion Trip Murphy to an impromptu race, which Herbie wins by a second.

This delights Kevin, who tries to talk Maggie into racing again. However, Ray Sr., who has forbidden her from racing since she was hospitalized after a street racing accident years ago, is concerned. It also infuriates Murphy, who becomes obsessed with Herbie. Murphy organizes a local street-racing competition to lure Herbie back for a rematch, which Maggie and Kevin enter. Herbie easily defeats the other cars and qualifies for the final match with Murphy, but when Murphy talks Maggie into racing for pinks (where the winner takes possession of the opponent's car), Herbie becomes alarmed over Maggie's desire to win Murphy's stock car—incorrectly assuming that Maggie will have him scrapped if she wins the other car, and also unaware that Murphy only agreed to the match so that he could have Herbie scrapped if he got possession of him—and intentionally loses the race against Murphy's Corvette C6 Z06. Maggie is humiliated, Herbie is towed away, and Ray Sr. lectures Maggie for racing without his permission.

However, encouraged by her friend Charisma, Maggie decides to race professionally. She tries to buy Herbie back from Murphy, but Murphy has entered Herbie in a demolition derby. Desperate to save Herbie from destruction, Maggie goes to the derby, runs onto the field while the derby is in progress, pleads with Herbie to help her, and wins the derby.

Meanwhile, Team Peyton may have to forfeit an upcoming stock-car race due to financial troubles and two crashes by Ray Jr. Ray Sr. declines Maggie's offer to drive for the team, but Ray Jr. allows her to take his place and sends the Team Peyton crew to help her and Kevin prepare Herbie for the race. At the race track, Maggie and Herbie have a heart-to-heart conversation, and Murphy ominously warns Maggie that the race will be dangerous.

Herbie starts the race slowly, but he eventually catches up and begins passing the other cars before Maggie makes her first pit stop. While watching the race at home, Ray Sr. decides to watch the race in person. On the track again, Herbie is soon boxed in by some other cars, but Ray Sr. arrives at the track and encourages Maggie over the team radio, and Maggie escapes the trap by driving directly over Tony Stewart who was in front of her. This damages Herbie's oil system, so Maggie makes another pit stop and Kevin hurriedly extracts a replacement part from the yellow New Beetle, which Herbie has been eyeing amorously throughout the film, owned by Sally, one of Team Peyton's few remaining sponsors. The jerry-rigged oil system is fragile, and Murphy is intent on preventing Herbie from winning.

With Maggie, Herbie, and Ray Sr. now working together, Maggie and Herbie catch up to Murphy. Murphy tries to damage Herbie by pushing him into the track wall when Maggie tries to pass him, but he is caught off guard and crashes into the wall when she slams on the brakes during his next attempt. Herbie passes Murphy's car, now upside down on the track, by climbing onto the fence above the wall. After landing back on the track, Maggie and Herbie win the race. Maggie is congratulated by her father and brother, and Murphy is hospitalized as Maggie and Kevin kiss. Later, Ray Sr. warns Herbie and Sally's New Beetle not to stay out too long on their date.

Cast

Herbie

Many racing professionals appear as themselves in cameo roles. These include announcer Allen Bestwick and 1973 NASCAR champion Benny Parsons, ESPN broadcaster Stuart Scott, and drivers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett, and Tony Stewart.

Director Angela Robinson stated in an interview that she attempted to have Dean Jones reprise his role as Jim Douglas for a cameo, but due to scheduling problems, was unable to do so. This circulated false rumors alleging Jones had filmed the cameo and the scene had been deleted.[2]

Reception

Critical response

As of 2015, the film holds a 41% rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 140 reviews, with the critics' consensus saying that "Herbie: Fully Loaded is a decent kids movie that is pretty undemanding for adult viewers."[3]

Box office

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $12,709,221 million in 3,521 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #4 at the box office. By the end of its run, Herbie: Fully Loaded grossed $66,023,816 domestically and $78,123,000 internationally, totaling $144,146,816 worldwide.[1] With a production budget of $50 million, the film was a commercial success.[1]

Awards

At the 2006 Kids' Choice Awards, Lindsay Lohan won Favorite Female Actress for her role. The film was also nominated for Favorite Movie but lost to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Year Ceremony Award Result
2006 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Comedy Actress: Lindsay Lohan Nominated
Choice Summer Movie
Kids Choice Awards Favorite Movie
Favorite Movie Actress: Lindsay Lohan Won

Marketing

The movie was reported to include heavy uses of product placement. For example, Maggie Peyton is a former reporter for ESPN (owned by Disney) turned NASCAR driver. A huge billboard for Mid America Motorworks (an aftermarket parts supplier for classic Volkswagens and other vehicles) is seen in the background of the scene where Murphy attempts to sabotage Herbie. In addition, Volkswagen provided a Volkswagen Touareg and a Volkswagen New Beetle for use in certain scenes.[4]

Soundtrack

Herbie: Fully Loaded
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released June 21, 2005
Genre Pop, rock
Label Hollywood

The soundtrack album was released on June 21, 2005. It includes Lindsay Lohan's third single, "First"," and remakes of classic songs by Walt Disney Records artists including Aly & A.J., Caleigh Peters, Ingram Hill and Josh Kelley, and big names such as Lionel Richie and Mark McGrath. The album does not, however, contain any of Mark Mothersbaugh's original score for the film. Mostly, the songs' original recordings were used in the film while the soundtrack contained the remakes. For example, The Beach Boys' original recording of "Getcha Back" is used for the film's opening credits, but the Mark McGrath cover is featured on the soundtrack. The Girls Aloud single "Long Hot Summer" was planned to be included, but was cut from the final film.

  1. Lindsay Lohan - "First"
  2. Mark McGrath - "Getcha Back" - The Beach Boys cover (1985)
  3. Aly & AJ - "Walking On Sunshine" - Katrina and the Waves cover (1985)
  4. Caleigh Peters – "Fun, Fun, Fun" - The Beach Boys cover (1964)
  5. Pilot - "Magic"
  6. Josh Gracin - "Working for the Weekend" - Loverboy cover (1981)
  7. The Donnas – "Roll On Down the Highway" - Bachman–Turner Overdrive cover (1974)
  8. Sol Seppy - "Nice Car"
  9. The Mooney Suzuki - "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf cover (1968)
  10. Ingram Hill - "More Than a Feeling" - Boston cover (1976)
  11. Rooney - "Metal Guru" - T. Rex cover (1972)
  12. Josh Kelley - "You Are the Woman" - Firefall cover (1976)
  13. Lionel Richie - "Hello"
  14. Mavin - "Welcome To My World"
  15. Black Smoke Organization - "Herbie Fully Loaded Remix"
  16. Black Smoke Organization – "Herbie VS Nascar"

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  2. ↑ "An Interview with Angela Robinson". UltimateDisney.com. October 21, 2005. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Herbie: Fully Loaded". RottenTomatoes.com.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Ross (July 6, 2005). "Product Placement for the Whole Family". Movies. New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015.

External links

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