Talladaga Nights 2006 Directed by: Adam McKay Cast: Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, Jason Davis, John C Reilly

Written by: Ricardo Barberini January 8, 2007

Following on the heels of the success of the Anchorman, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay teamed up write this screenplay. 

The story, such as it is, is utterly predictable and somewhat lame.  There is nothing original here.  A dumb ass crude yahoo is given a chance to replace a racing driver halfway through an important race.  He is so foolhardy and fearless that he either wins the races that he enters or crashes his cars. Soon he is the number one NASCAR champion.  

Before long, he has all the trappings of success American style. He has got a big house, a hot wife, two rude kids and a buddy who has been with him since his childhood and always runs interference for him at the racetrack to let him win. What else do you want?

Then he loses a race to a brazenly gay French driver.  That is the beginning of the end for him.  He loses his nerve, his job, his house, and to add insult to injury his wife to his best friend.

Penniless and homeless he moves to his mother’s house with his two kids. He is so down on his luck that he has to deliver pizza on a bicycle. 

Just when he has sunk as low as he can his prodigal father who is an itinerant loser arrives and motivates him back to gain his confidence back and become a winner again. So a happy ending for everyone!

Now, we all know that this story, in different form, has been told many times, except this is the theme is on grossness. 

Now for the acting.  Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard has such an obnoxious French accent that made us want to puke.  Apparently, he only knows how to imitate one accent and that is Khazakhy.  Let’s hope he immigrates to Kazakhstan and saves us from more repeat performances.

Will Ferrell kind of grows on you after the first thirty minutes or so of the movie.  And Cal plays a second fiddle as a loser to Will’s winner very convincingly.  The DVD jacket of this movie claims that Richard Roeper of Ebert and Roper gave it two thumbs up.   I guess we are supposed to be impressed with that. How crass can you get?  I guess he thinks he is the next Gene Siskel! 

In a tacky oddball sort of way, this movie is OK.  Please remember there are some sexual references to 69, Missionary style etc, which might not be suitable for kids.

We will give it .

If you like trashy, tasteless movies go rent it.