Movie Title: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Writer: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, Amy Adams
Review: NASCAR superstar Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) is at the top of his game; adored by fans, a trophy wife (Leslie Bibb) by his side, and incredible wealth. Not to mention, he and childhood friend Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly) are the top two drivers on the Dennit Racing Team. But Ricky loses it all when French Formula One champion Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) roars onto the scene. Ricky, with the help of his ruthless father Reese (Gary Cole), must pull himself out of the depths of despair and restore his honor on the racetrack.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is one of Will Ferrell's more underrated films. This film somehow manages to be both incredibly stupid and incredibly clever at the same time. A lot of the situations that arise in this movie are absolutely silly. Ricky Bobby winning a race in reverse, naming his children Walker and Texas Ranger, and conquering his fear by driving with a live cougar in the backseat of his car. Complete insanity! But there's also a clash of cultures as Ricky Bobby, a southern patriotic American, goes toe-to-toe with Jean Girard, a sophisticated gay Frenchman. These two main adversaries and their vastly different lifestyles provide for a lot of hilarious moments, but culminates with a mutual level of respect for one another. This movie is a lot fun, and extremely quotable. It's satirical and lowbrow without being degrading. I highly recommend this film. Speed on over to your TVs, and get ready to shake 'n bake. And always remember, if you ain't first, you're last!
Fun Fact: Cal, Ricky, and Girard were all introduced during driver introductions at the 2005 UAW Ford 500 at Talladega. Ricky and Cal were cheered, but when Girard was introduced as a driver from France driving the Perrier car, the entire crowd started booing without any prompting.