Drillbit Taylor
Encyclopedia
Drillbit Taylor is a 2008 comedy film
starring Owen Wilson
as the eponymous character and based on an original idea by John Hughes. It was directed by Steven Brill
and the screenplay was written by Kristofor Brown
and Seth Rogen
. Paramount Pictures
released the film on March 21, 2008.
Drillbit Taylor was Hughes' last film as a writer before his death on August 6, 2009. He also used his pseudonym, Edmond Dantès
, for this film.
) and Wade (Nate Hartley
) are starting high school. On the first day of school, Ryan and Wade witness two bullies, Filkins (Alex Frost
) and Ronnie (Josh Peck
), attack a geek
, Emmit Oosterhaus (David Dorfman
), by shoving him into his locker. Wade intervenes. Filkins and Ronnie begin endlessly targeting Ryan, Wade, and Emmit.
Wade suggests hiring a bodyguard. They place an ad on the Internet, and end up selecting Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson
). Taylor pretends to be a martial arts expert and mercenary, but is really a homeless beggar who showers at a public beach and eats out of a dumpster. His real intention of becoming their bodyguard was to rob them and use the money to buy a ticket to British Columbia
. Drillbit tells the boys to find some common interests and become friends with Filkins and Ronnie. Ryan challenges Filkins to a rap battle, but gets carried away and ends up humiliating Filkins. As an angry Filkins, alongside Ronnie, ambushes Ryan, Wade, and Emmit, the boys try using a tactic Drillbit taught them, but it ultimately fails. The boys are furious with Drillbit's teachings. But they decide to bring him to school as a substitute teacher, and in that capacity he is able to protect them. While there, Drillbit meets a teacher, Lisa Zachey (Leslie Mann
), and they start a relationship.
One morning as his mother (Lisa Lampanelli
) is driving him to school, Ronnie sees Taylor taking a shower at the beach; his mother reveals that he is homeless. Ronnie tells Filkins and Filkins finds the boys and punches Drillbit. Later on at Wade's house, they catch Drillbit's homeless friends stealing everything in sight. Drillbit confesses that his real name is Bob and he went AWOL from the U.S. Army. The boys fire Drillbit, who later recovers all of Wade's possessions and placed them back before Wade's parents return home. Unfortunately, the boys accidentally let slip about Drillbit. Their parents take things up with the principal, who contacts the police. Filkins plays innocent and charms all the adults; Filkins continues to ridicule the boys after Drillbit's disappearance. Tensions finally burst when Filkins interrupts Wade's attempt to ask Brooke Nguyen (Valerie Tian
) out. Without realizing what he was doing, Wade challenges Filkins to a fight.
Ryan and Wade arrive at Filkins' house, where he is hosting a party; Ronnie shows up to help Filkins against them. Emmit, who initially refused to fight, comes to their aid and for a while causes quite a lot of pain to Filkins, almost defeating him; but Ronnie knocks him out while trying to break Filkins' leg. Drillbit shows up and Filkins punches him. Drillbit refuses to fight back until it is revealed Filkins is not a minor; Drillbit quickly begins fighting and knocks Filkins out cold. He is about to defeat Ronnie, but he's a minor. Within minutes, the police arrive and Drillbit flees for fear of prosecution. Filkins wakes up and throws a samurai sword at the boys, but Drillbit catches it. He saves them, losing half of his pinkie finger in the process.
Filkins is arrested and shipped off to Hong Kong
where his parents are living. Ronnie can no longer ridicule other boys because his bully partner is gone. Drillbit is taken to jail, but ends up being released within three weeks. He is reunited with Lisa and the boys.
did not conduct any interviews to promote the film. Instead, Paramount Pictures
had Wilson record introductions for Fox
's Sunday night primetime shows such as The Simpsons
, American Dad, King of the Hill
, Family Guy
, and Unhitched
. The character of Drillbit Taylor was also featured as a "Superstar" on the Raw page of WWE.com for a period of time. Wilson's publicist said his availability was limited due to filming Marley & Me
. John Horn and Gina Piccalo of the Los Angeles Times
wrote that the studio was worried interviewers would bring up Wilson's hospitalization in the summer of 2007.
, the film has an overall approval rating of 26%.
Metacritic
calculated an average score of 41%.
and Blu-ray
on July 1, 2008. About 620,927 units have been sold, bringing in $11,669,617 in revenue.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
as the eponymous character and based on an original idea by John Hughes. It was directed by Steven Brill
Steven Brill
Steven Brill may refer to:*Steven Brill , founder of American Lawyer magazine, Court TV, Contentville, and Brill's Content*Steven Brill , actor, director and screenwriter of films such as The Mighty Ducks...
and the screenplay was written by Kristofor Brown
Kristofor Brown
Kristofor Brown is a professional writer, producer and actor. He is probably best known for being a former writer of Beavis and Butt-head. He made his feature film writing debut for the 2008 comedy Drillbit Taylor, which he also co-produced...
and Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
. 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...
released the film on March 21, 2008.
Drillbit Taylor was Hughes' last film as a writer before his death on August 6, 2009. He also used his pseudonym, Edmond Dantès
Edmond Dantès
Edmond Dantès is the protagonist and title character of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.Dumas may have gotten the idea for the character of Edmond from a story which he found in a book compiled by Jacques Peuchet, archivist to the French police. Peuchet related the tale of...
, for this film.
Plot
Ryan (Troy GentileTroy Gentile
Troy Gentile is an American teen actor.Gentile was born in Boca Raton, Florida, the son of Debbie Gentile, who once worked at the advertising department of the Boca Raton News, and Albert Farshi, from Iran...
) and Wade (Nate Hartley
Nate Hartley
Nathan Daniel "Nate" Hartley is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Wade in Drillbit Taylor.-Early life:...
) are starting high school. On the first day of school, Ryan and Wade witness two bullies, Filkins (Alex Frost
Alex Frost
Alex 'Frosty' Frost is an American actor.Frost was born in Portland, Oregon. His parents are Debbie and Jack, and he has an older brother named Chris. Frost is currently living in London....
) and Ronnie (Josh Peck
Josh Peck
Joshua Michael "Josh" Peck is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor best known for playing Josh Nichols in the Nickelodeon live-action sitcom Drake & Josh. He began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on...
), attack a geek
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
, Emmit Oosterhaus (David Dorfman
David Dorfman
David Dorfman is an American teen actor. His most notable role was as Aidan Keller in the 2002 horror film remake The Ring, and its 2005 sequel The Ring Two. He has also appeared in the 2000 film Panic as Sammy. Some people may remember him as the character "Charles Wallace Murry" in the film...
), by shoving him into his locker. Wade intervenes. Filkins and Ronnie begin endlessly targeting Ryan, Wade, and Emmit.
Wade suggests hiring a bodyguard. They place an ad on the Internet, and end up selecting Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
). Taylor pretends to be a martial arts expert and mercenary, but is really a homeless beggar who showers at a public beach and eats out of a dumpster. His real intention of becoming their bodyguard was to rob them and use the money to buy a ticket to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Drillbit tells the boys to find some common interests and become friends with Filkins and Ronnie. Ryan challenges Filkins to a rap battle, but gets carried away and ends up humiliating Filkins. As an angry Filkins, alongside Ronnie, ambushes Ryan, Wade, and Emmit, the boys try using a tactic Drillbit taught them, but it ultimately fails. The boys are furious with Drillbit's teachings. But they decide to bring him to school as a substitute teacher, and in that capacity he is able to protect them. While there, Drillbit meets a teacher, Lisa Zachey (Leslie Mann
Leslie Mann
Leslie Mann is an American actress best known for her roles in comedic films, many of which are collaborations with her husband, Judd Apatow.-Early life:...
), and they start a relationship.
One morning as his mother (Lisa Lampanelli
Lisa Lampanelli
Lisa Lampanelli is an American stand-up comedian and insult comic. She is noted for her racy and raunchy style of comedy, which frequently includes taboo subjects such as race and homosexuality....
) is driving him to school, Ronnie sees Taylor taking a shower at the beach; his mother reveals that he is homeless. Ronnie tells Filkins and Filkins finds the boys and punches Drillbit. Later on at Wade's house, they catch Drillbit's homeless friends stealing everything in sight. Drillbit confesses that his real name is Bob and he went AWOL from the U.S. Army. The boys fire Drillbit, who later recovers all of Wade's possessions and placed them back before Wade's parents return home. Unfortunately, the boys accidentally let slip about Drillbit. Their parents take things up with the principal, who contacts the police. Filkins plays innocent and charms all the adults; Filkins continues to ridicule the boys after Drillbit's disappearance. Tensions finally burst when Filkins interrupts Wade's attempt to ask Brooke Nguyen (Valerie Tian
Valerie Tian
Valerie Tian is a Chinese-Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Su-Chin in Juno.-Career:In the summer of 2001, Tian auditioned for Canadian director Mina Shum, while she was casting for her feature Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity and won leading role of Mindy Ho...
) out. Without realizing what he was doing, Wade challenges Filkins to a fight.
Ryan and Wade arrive at Filkins' house, where he is hosting a party; Ronnie shows up to help Filkins against them. Emmit, who initially refused to fight, comes to their aid and for a while causes quite a lot of pain to Filkins, almost defeating him; but Ronnie knocks him out while trying to break Filkins' leg. Drillbit shows up and Filkins punches him. Drillbit refuses to fight back until it is revealed Filkins is not a minor; Drillbit quickly begins fighting and knocks Filkins out cold. He is about to defeat Ronnie, but he's a minor. Within minutes, the police arrive and Drillbit flees for fear of prosecution. Filkins wakes up and throws a samurai sword at the boys, but Drillbit catches it. He saves them, losing half of his pinkie finger in the process.
Filkins is arrested and shipped off to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
where his parents are living. Ronnie can no longer ridicule other boys because his bully partner is gone. Drillbit is taken to jail, but ends up being released within three weeks. He is reunited with Lisa and the boys.
Cast
- Owen WilsonOwen WilsonOwen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
as Bob "Drillbit" Taylor, a homeless U.S. army deserter. - Nate HartleyNate HartleyNathan Daniel "Nate" Hartley is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Wade in Drillbit Taylor.-Early life:...
as Wade, a high school freshman who along with his friend Ryan, have hopes of being popular. - Troy GentileTroy GentileTroy Gentile is an American teen actor.Gentile was born in Boca Raton, Florida, the son of Debbie Gentile, who once worked at the advertising department of the Boca Raton News, and Albert Farshi, from Iran...
as Ryan Anderson. Along with Wade, Ryan hopes of becoming popular. He loves to rap and makes brief hip hop culture references, also acquires the nickname T-Dog. - David DorfmanDavid DorfmanDavid Dorfman is an American teen actor. His most notable role was as Aidan Keller in the 2002 horror film remake The Ring, and its 2005 sequel The Ring Two. He has also appeared in the 2000 film Panic as Sammy. Some people may remember him as the character "Charles Wallace Murry" in the film...
as Emmit Oosterhaus, a nerdy kid who is first bullied by Filkins and Ronnie, then becomes friends with Wade and Ryan. - Alex FrostAlex FrostAlex 'Frosty' Frost is an American actor.Frost was born in Portland, Oregon. His parents are Debbie and Jack, and he has an older brother named Chris. Frost is currently living in London....
as Terry Filkins, a mean-spirited bully. - Josh PeckJosh PeckJoshua Michael "Josh" Peck is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor best known for playing Josh Nichols in the Nickelodeon live-action sitcom Drake & Josh. He began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on...
as Ronnie Lampanelli, Filkins' friend and sidekick. - Leslie MannLeslie MannLeslie Mann is an American actress best known for her roles in comedic films, many of which are collaborations with her husband, Judd Apatow.-Early life:...
as Lisa Zachey, Drillbit's love interest and later girlfriend. - Danny R. McBrideDanny R. McBrideDaniel Richard "Danny" McBride is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist.-Career:...
as Don Armstrong, Drillbit's old friend. - Stephen RootStephen RootStephen Root is an American actor. He is best known for his comedic work on the TV sitcom NewsRadio, in the film Office Space and as the voice of Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland in the animated series King of the Hill...
as Principal Neville Doppler - Ian RobertsIan Roberts (actor)Ian Michael Roberts is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe.-Life and career:...
as Jim, Wade's stepdad - Lisa LampanelliLisa LampanelliLisa Lampanelli is an American stand-up comedian and insult comic. She is noted for her racy and raunchy style of comedy, which frequently includes taboo subjects such as race and homosexuality....
as Mrs. Lampanelli - Lisa Ann WalterLisa Ann WalterLisa Ann Walter is an American actress, comedienne, writer and film producer. She has appeared in such films as the 1998 version of The Parent Trap, Bruce Almighty, Shall We Dance, and War of the Worlds as Cheryl. Walter also created and starred in the short-lived 1996-1997 sitcom, Life's Work...
as Delores Anderson, Ryan's mom - Hynden WalchHynden WalchHeidi Hynden Walch , known professionally as Hynden Walch, is an American actress.One of her most known roles is Starfire in Teen Titans. She also voiced Penny Sanchez on the Nickelodeon show ChalkZone and Elsie on the Disney Channel show Stanley...
as Mrs. Oosterhaus, Emmit's mom - Valerie TianValerie TianValerie Tian is a Chinese-Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Su-Chin in Juno.-Career:In the summer of 2001, Tian auditioned for Canadian director Mina Shum, while she was casting for her feature Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity and won leading role of Mindy Ho...
as Brooke Nguyen, Wade's first crush at school - David BoweDavid BoweDavid Bowe is an often seen but rarely recognized character actor in American movies and television. His best known role is that of "Weird Al" Yankovic's sidekick, Bob, in 1989's UHF...
as the male teacher. - Beth LittlefordBeth LittlefordElizabeth Anna Halcyon "Beth" Littleford is an American actress, comedienne, and television personality. She is perhaps best known for being one of the original correspondents on the popular Comedy Central satirical news series The Daily Show from 1996 to 2000; she is also known as Tripp's mother...
as Barbara Drennan - Steve BannosSteve BannosSteve Bannos is an American television and film actor and writer. As an actor, he may be best known for his portrayal of Frank Kowchevski on the short-lived NBC dramedy Freaks and Geeks....
as Coffee Computer Guy - Chuck LiddellChuck LiddellCharles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
as Himself - Robert Allen MukesRobert Allen MukesRobert Allen Mukes is an American actor living in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.Sometimes credited as Robert "Bonecrusher" Mukes, got his start later in life after a failed shot at pro-wrestling .The 6' 10" actor is best known for his role as Rufus "R.J." Firefly, Jr...
as Bonecrusher - Cedric YarbroughCedric YarbroughCedric Yarbrough is an American comedian and actor.Yarbrough was born in Burnsville, Minnesota. Yarbrough attended Burnsville Senior High School and later Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is also an alumnus of Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis.Yarbrough starred on the Comedy...
as Bernie Hodge - Tichina ArnoldTichina ArnoldTichina Rolanda Arnold is an American actress and singer. She is best known for having portrayed the roles of Pamela James on the FOX sitcom Martin and the family matriarch Rochelle on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris....
as Photography teacher - Kevin HartKevin Hart (actor)Kevin Hart is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Early life and career:Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother...
as Pawn Shop Guy 1 - Matt BesserMatt BesserMatthew Gregory "Matt" Besser is an American actor and comedian best known as one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe who also had their own show on Comedy Central from 1998-2000....
as Pawn Shop Guy 2 - Shaun WeissShaun WeissShaun Weiss is an American television and film actor. Weiss started his acting career as Elvis on Pee-wee's Playhouse. He is best known for his portrayal of Greg Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks films. Shaun also has a cult following for his role as Josh in the Disney film Heavyweights...
as the Bus Driver - Steven BrillSteven BrillSteven Brill may refer to:*Steven Brill , founder of American Lawyer magazine, Court TV, Contentville, and Brill's Content*Steven Brill , actor, director and screenwriter of films such as The Mighty Ducks...
as Doctor - Mary-Pat GreenMary-Pat GreenMary-Pat Green is an American film, television, and theatre actress.She is best known for playing Odessa on the television series Any Day Now. In addition, she has appeared as a guest star on many television series, including Saving Grace, The Middle, Eli Stone, My Name Is Earl, Home Improvement,...
as Nurse - Jareb DauplaiseJareb DauplaiseJareb Dauplaise is an American actor. He played Wayne in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He has also appeared in a commercial for the restaurant El Pollo Loco...
as Jareb - Max Van VilleMax Van VilleMax Van Ville is an American actor who mostly appears in small roles in movies and television shows. He is 6'3" and has blonde hair. He is mostly known for playing the typical skater/surfer type character.- Filmography :-External links:...
as Kid with a drink - Eddy MartinEddy MartinEddy Martin is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as One Love in the movie Rebound, and as Joaquin in the Nickelodeon original show Just Jordan, which he stars as a friend for Lil' JJ....
, Roshon FeganRoshon FeganRoshon Bernard Fegan is an American actor, dancer, rapper and musician. He is best known for his role as Sander Loyer in the Disney Channel movie franchise Camp Rock and for his role as Ty Blue on the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up!.-Early life:Roshon Fegan was born on October 6,...
, Kyle KaplanKyle KaplanKyle Joseph Kaplan is an American actor.At the age of 13, Kaplan toured with Jim Henson's Bear and the Big Blue House Live! across the U.S. and United Kingdom for ten months. He also performed at the Los Angeles Stage Ovation Awards in 2004. He is a member of a comedy improvisation troupe in Los...
, and Jack Salvatore as Random kids - Adam BaldwinAdam BaldwinAdam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
(cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
) as Bodyguard auditioneeMy BodyguardMy Bodyguard is a 1980 comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Tony Bill , and written by Alan Ormsby... - David KoechnerDavid KoechnerDavid Michael Koechner is an American comedian, musician, and character actor. Koechner began studying improvisational comedy in Chicago at the ImprovOlympic, under the teachings of Del Close, before joining the Second City Northwest...
(unrated version) as Frightened Dad - Austin RogersAustin RogersAustin Rogers is an American actor. Rogers was born in New Port Richey, Florida, and currently lives in Southern California.-Filmography:-External links:...
(uncredited) as Bloody Nose Kid
Marketing
Marketing for the film included television promos and coming attractions previews, but actor Owen WilsonOwen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
did not conduct any interviews to promote the film. Instead, 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...
had Wilson record introductions for Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's Sunday night primetime shows such as The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, American Dad, King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, and Unhitched
Unhitched
Unhitched is an American television comedy that aired as a mid-season replacement on Fox from March 2, 2008 to March 30, 2008. The series was originally scheduled to premiere at 9:30 pm ET, but aired 30 minutes later due to the runover of Nascar. The show is created by Kevin Barnett, Mike Bernier...
. The character of Drillbit Taylor was also featured as a "Superstar" on the Raw page of WWE.com for a period of time. Wilson's publicist said his availability was limited due to filming Marley & Me
Marley & Me (film)
Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
. John Horn and Gina Piccalo of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that the studio was worried interviewers would bring up Wilson's hospitalization in the summer of 2007.
Critical response
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Based on 141 reviews collected by Rotten TomatoesRotten 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...
, the film has an overall approval rating of 26%.
Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
calculated an average score of 41%.
Box office
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $10.2 million in 3,056 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #4 at the box office. The film has grossed $32,862,104 in the United States and $16,828,521 in foreign countries adding to a total worldwide gross of $49,690,625.Home media
The film was released on both rated (102 minutes) and unrated (109 minutes) DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on July 1, 2008. About 620,927 units have been sold, bringing in $11,669,617 in revenue.