The Simpsons Movie
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Modèle:Semi-protected Modèle:Infobox Film
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, produced by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Scully, and Richard Sakai, and written by Scully, Jean, Brooks, Groening, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, Ian Maxtone-Graham, and Matt Selman. It stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress MacNeille and Pamela Hayden and features Albert Brooks in a prominent guest role, as well as Tom Hanks and Green Day in smaller ones.
After previous attempts to create a film version of The Simpsons had failed because of script length and lack of staff, production began in 2001. The writers conceived numerous plot ideas, with Groening’s being the one developed into a film. The script was re-written one hundred times continuing after animation had begun. This meant that hours of finished material was cut, including cameos from Isla Fisher, Minnie Driver, Erin Brockovich, Edward Norton and Kelsey Grammer. Tie-in promotions were made with several companies, including Burger King and 7-Eleven, which transformed select stores into Kwik-E-Marts. The film premiered in Springfield, Vermont, which won the right to hold it through a Fox competition. The film was a box office success, and received overall positive reception from film critics.
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Plot
Green Day is performing on Lake Springfield, where they fail to engage the audience in discussing the environment. They are killed when the pollution in the lake erodes their barge, causing it to sink. At the funeral, Grampa has a religious vision, in which he predicts impending doom upon the town, but only Marge takes it seriously. Her environmentalist daughter Lisa and an Irish boy, Colin hold a seminar where they convince the town to clean up the lake. Meanwhile, Homer adopts a pig, which causes his now neglected son Bart to seek a parental figure in neighbor, Ned Flanders. Homer keeps the pig's feces in an overflowing silo, which horrifies Marge, who tells Homer to dispose of it safely. However, Homer is distracted and instead dumps the silo into the lake, polluting it severely. Moments later, a squirrel jumps into the lake and becomes severely mutated. Nearby, Flanders and Bart bond during a hike and discover the squirrel which is captured by the EPA. Russ Cargill, head of the EPA, takes drastic action by enclosing Springfield in a giant glass dome.
When the police discover Homer's silo in the lake, an angry mob approaches the Simpsons' home and sets it on fire. The family escapes through a sinkhole in Maggie's sandbox and flees to Alaska. Meanwhile, cracks in the dome start to form and Cargill, not wanting news of what he has done to become widespread, plans Springfield's destruction. The Simpsons see a television advertisement which promotes a new Grand Canyon to be located where Springfield is. Marge and the kids decide to save the town, but Homer refuses to help the people that tried to kill them. They abandon him and leave to rescue Springfield, only to be captured and placed back in the dome. After a visit with a mysterious Inuit shaman, Homer has an epiphany that he must "become selfless" and save the city and proceeds to do so. Just as he arrives, a helicopter appears above Springfield and lowers a bomb suspended by rope through a hole in the dome. Homer climbs to the peak of the dome and descends the rope, knocking the escaping townspeople and bomb off. Homer then notices a motorcycle, and grabs the bomb. He reunites with Bart and the pair cycle up the side of the dome and Bart throws the bomb through the hole, seconds before detonation. The bomb explodes shattering the dome. The town praises Homer, who rides off with Marge on the motorcycle into the sunset. The film concludes with the townspeople restoring Springfield back to normal.
Production
Development
The production staff of The Simpsons had entertained the thought of a film since early in the series, but production never came together. The show's creator Matt Groening felt a feature length film would allow them to increase the show's scale and animate sequences too complex for a TV series.<ref name=creators> Edward Douglas
. " The Creators of The Simpsons Movie! " , Comingsoon.net , 2007-07-24 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> He intended the film to be made after the show ended, "but that [...] was undone by good ratings."<ref name=variety/> There were attempts to turn the season 4 episode "Kamp Krusty" into a film, but difficulties were encountered in expanding the episode to feature length.<ref>Modèle:Cite video</ref> For a long time the project was held up. There was trouble finding a story that was right for a film, and the crew did not have enough time to complete such a project, as they already worked full time year-round on the show.<ref name="avclub"> Nathan Rabin . " Matt Groening interview with The A.V. Club (page 3) " , The A.V. Club , 2006-04-26 . Retrieved on 2007-04-23 . </ref> Groening also expressed a wish to make Simpstasia, a parody of Fantasia, although it was never produced, partly because it would have been too difficult to write a feature-length script.<ref>Modèle:Cite video</ref> Before his death, Phil Hartman had wished to make a live action Troy McClure film, and several of the show's staff had expressed a desire to help create it.<ref>Modèle:Cite video</ref>
Modèle:Quotebox The voice cast was finally signed on to do the film in 2001,<ref name="empire"> Olly Richards
. " Homer's Odyssey " , Empire , 2007-05-24 , pp. 72-78 . Retrieved on 2007-05-25 . </ref> and work then began on the script.<ref name="usa"> Scott Bowles . " Mmmm, popcorn: A 'Simpsons' film in '07 " , USA Today , 2006-04-02 . Retrieved on 2006-04-02 . </ref> The producers were initially worried that creating a film would have negative effects on the series, as they did not have enough manpower to focus their attention on both projects. As the series progressed, more writers and animators were hired so that both the show and the film could be produced at the same time.<ref name=officialsite/> Groening and Brooks invited back Mike Scully and Al Jean (who continued to work as showrunner on the television series) to produce the film with them.<ref name="pig feces"/> They then signed David Silverman, who in anticipation of the project had quit his job at Pixar, to direct.<ref name="pig feces"/> The "strongest possible" writing team was assembled, with many of the writers from the show's early seasons being chosen for the film.<ref name=officialsite/> David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, George Meyer, John Swartzwelder and Jon Vitti were selected. Ian Maxtone-Graham and Matt Selman joined later, and Brooks, Groening, Scully, and Jean also wrote parts of the script.<ref name=officialsite/> Sam Simon did not return having left the show over creative differences in 1993, nor did Conan O'Brien, who wanted to work with the Simpsons staff again. O'Brien joked, "Truth be told, I worry that the Simpsons-writing portion of my brain has been destroyed after 14 years of talking to Lindsay Lohan and that guy from One Tree Hill, so maybe it's all for the best."<ref> Dan Snierson . " D'Oh! " , Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved on 2007-07-19 . </ref> The same went for Brad Bird who "entertained fantasies of asking if [he] could work on the movie", but did not have enough time because of work on Ratatouille.<ref name="empire"/> The producers arranged a deal with Fox that meant they could abandon production at any point if they felt the script was not going anywhere.<ref name=nytimes> Dave Itzkoff . " D'oh! They're Still Tinkering With Homer " , The New York Times , 2007-05-06 . Retrieved on 2007-05-05 . </ref>
Work continued on the screenplay from 2003 onwards and did not cease,<ref name=nytimes/> taking place in the small bungalow where Groening first pitched The Simpsons in 1987.<ref name="totalfilm"> Matt Groening
. " The 12 steps to making a Simpsons movie " , Total Film Issue 130 , Summer 2007 , pp. 84-85 . Retrieved on 2007-07-03 . </ref> The writers spent six months discussing a plot,<ref name=tislondon/> and each pitched a "half-assed" idea.<ref name="totalfilm"/> Jean suggested the family rescue manatees, which became the 2005 episode "Bonfire of the Manatees", and there was The Truman Show-esque notion of the characters discovering their lives were a TV show, which Groening rejected as he felt "that the Simpsons never become aware of themselves as celebrities."<ref name="empire"/> Groening read about a town that had to get rid of pig feces in their water supply, which inspired the plot of the film.<ref name="pig feces"> Dan Snierson . " Homer's Odyssey " , Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved on 2007-07-20 . </ref> The decision to have Flanders in an important role also came very early on, as Jean wished to see Bart wonder what his life would be like if Flanders were his father.<ref name=moviesonline/> Having eventually decided on the basic outline for the film, the writers then separated it into seven sections. Jean, Scully, Reiss, Swartzwelder, Vitti, Mirkin, and Meyer wrote twenty five pages each, with the group meeting one month later to merge the seven sections in to one "very rough draft."<ref name=officialsite/> The writers wrote the script in a way that they almost always employed when writing the television series, sitting around a table and pitching ideas, trying to make each other laugh.<ref name=nytimes/> The script went through one hundred revisions.<ref name=tislondon/> Groening described his desire to also make the film dramatically stronger than a TV episode, as "we wanna really give you something that you haven't seen before. There are moments you actually forget that you're watching a cartoon and that is difficult when you have characters as ugly as the Simpsons."<ref> Dave West . " Groening: 'Simpsons Movie' will be emotional " , Digital Spy , 2007-07-07 . Retrieved on 2007-07-10 . </ref>
Animation
Animation for the film began in January 2006,<ref name="pig feces"/> with the Itchy & Scratchy short being the first scene to be storyboarded.<ref name=com>Modèle:Cite video</ref> Groening rejected making either a live action or a CGI film,<ref name="totalfilm"/> describing the film's animation as being "deliberately imperfect", and "a tribute to the art of hand-drawn animation, which is basically disappearing."<ref> Neil Smith
. " 'Clumsy' Simpsons movie promised " , BBC News , 2007-07-05 . Retrieved on 2007-07-05 . </ref> The film was animated in a wider 2.35:1 aspect ratio than the television series,<ref name=officialsite/><ref name=com/> and colored with the largest palette the animators ever had available to them.<ref name=creators/> A lot of the animation was done on Wacom Cintiq tablets, a technique which enables the image to be drawn directly on to a computer monitor, which meant that the film could be animated, colored and edited together more quickly.<ref name=com/> The film was animated at four different studios around the world: Film Roman in Burbank, California; Rough Draft Studios in Glendale, California; and AKOM and Rough Draft Korea in Seoul, South Korea. Like the television series, the storyboarding, character and background layout, and animatic parts of production were done in America, with the overseas studios completing the animation, inbetweening and digital ink and paint processes.<ref name=com2/>
Director David Silverman said that unlike the TV series where "you've got to pick and choose," the film allowed the opportunity to "lavish that attention with every single scene that we do," also noting that the characters have shadows.<ref name=nytimes/> Silverman and the animators looked to The Incredibles, Triplets of Belleville, and Bad Day at Black Rock for inspiration as they were "a great education in staging because of how the characters are placed."<ref name=nytimes/> They also looked at Dumbo and the Pluto cartoon Pluto's Judgment Day for a dream sequence,<ref name="totalfilm"/> and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World for crowd scenes.<ref name=moviesonline/> Silverman also looked at some of the episodes he had directed, primarily his two favorites "Homie the Clown" and "Three Men and a Comic Book".<ref name=silvermaninter> Peter Brown
. " Interview: 'Simpsons Movie' Director David Silverman Loves Making D'oh " , iF Magazine , 2007-07-31 . Retrieved on 2007-07-31 . </ref> Mike B. Anderson, Lauren MacMullan, Rich Moore, and Steven Dean Moore each directed roughly a quarter of the film under Silverman's supervision, with numerous other animators working on scenes.<ref name=com2>Modèle:Cite video</ref>
Casting
As inspiration for the crowd scenes in the film, the production staff spent a long time looking at the Simpsons poster that features more than 320 of the show's characters.<ref name=ew> Dan Snierson
. " Inside 'The Simpsons Movie' " , Entertainment Weekly , 2007-04-27 . Retrieved on 2007-05-05 . </ref> Groening said that they did try to put every single character into the film, with 98 having speaking parts,<ref name="pig feces"/> and the crowds being filled with previously established characters rather than just generic people.<ref name=com/> The series regulars Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer, and semi-regular performers Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden and Marcia Wallace reprised their roles.<ref name=variety/> Joe Mantegna returned as Fat Tony,<ref name="fattony">" Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner Plan June Wedding/Joe Mantegna Pulls Eclectic String of Roles " , creators.com . Retrieved on 2007-04-11 . </ref> while Albert Brooks, who supplied many guest voices in episodes, was hired as Russ Cargill,<ref name=officialsite> About the DVD . The Simpsons Movie.com
. Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
Go to the Simpson's house, click on Lisa's book, then on "Production Notes".</ref> after he told the staff that he wanted to be part of the film.<ref name=moviesonline/> For "about a week", he was to reprise the role of Hank Scorpio from the episode "You Only Move Twice", but the staff realized that creating a new character was a better idea.<ref name=com2/>
The cast did the first of three table readings in May 2005,<ref>"
Nancy Cartwright on The Simpsons Movie " , comingsoon.net , 2005-06-05 . Retrieved on 2007-05-07 . </ref><ref name=variety> Michael Fleming . " Homer going to bat in '07 " , Variety , 2006-04-02 . Retrieved on 2007-05-19 . </ref> and began recording every week from June 2006 onwards.<ref> Paul Fischer . " Harry Shearer For your Consideration & Simpsons Movie Interview " , Girl.com . Retrieved on 2007-07-07 . </ref> James L. Brooks directed them for the first time since the television show's early seasons. Castellaneta described the recording sessions as "much more intense" than recording the television series as well as more emotionally dramatic.<ref> Scott Weinberg . " Castellaneta Does Double Duty on "Simpsons Movie" " , Rotten Tomatoes , 2007-02-01 . Retrieved on 2007-07-07 . </ref> Some scenes, such as Marge's video message to Homer, were recorded over one hundred times, leaving the voice cast exhausted.<ref name=moviesonline/>
Green Day played themselves in the film after requesting to guest star in the show. They were given the part of the originally unspecified band who drown at Springfield Lake. Tom Hanks also appears as himself in the film and accepted the offer after just one phone call.<ref name=moviesonline/> Everybody Loves Raymond creator Philip Rosenthal provides the voice of the father in the "new Grand Canyon" commercial with Hanks.<ref name=com/> Minnie Driver recorded the part of a patronizing grievance counselor in a scene that ended up being cut.<ref name=drivercut> Shawn Adler; Larry Caroll
. " Movie File: 'Dark Knight,' Christian Bale, 'Simpsons Movie' & More " , MTV , 2007-05-02 . Retrieved on 2007-05-08 . </ref> Driver found recording her part "the funniest afternoon of her career",<ref> Shawn Adler; Larry Carroll . " Movie File: 'Simpsons Movie,' 'Harold & Kumar 2,' Amber Tamblyn & More " , MTV , 2007-02-28 . Retrieved on 2007-07-07 . </ref> and was saddened when she was told it had been cut.<ref name=drivercut/> Edward Norton recorded the part of the man who gets crushed as the dome is implemented, performing a Woody Allen impression. The staff felt the voice distracted the audience too much and so Castellaneta re-recorded Norton's dialogue with a different voice.<ref name=com/> Isla Fisher and Erin Brockovich also recorded cameos, but they were cut as well.<ref name="pig feces"/> Kelsey Grammer recorded lines for Sideshow Bob, who was to appear at several different points,<ref name=com/><ref name=com2/> but he did not make the final cut either.<ref name=moviesonline/> Johnny Knoxville was also touted as a possible guest star.<ref name=moviesonline/>
Although he does not provide the voice, Arnold Schwarzenegger is President of the United States in the film. He was chosen ahead of the incumbent President George W. Bush because "in two years that'd mean the film [would be] out of date."<ref name=tislondon> Nick Curtis
. " The Simpsons' big screen test " , This is London , 2007-07-12 . Retrieved on 2007-07-14 . </ref> This idea was met with nervousness, as Brooks noted "[Schwarzenegger's] opinion polls were way down, so we were sweating whether he'd make a political comeback, so it was great when he did."<ref name=creators/> The animators began by drawing an accurate caricature of Schwarzenegger,<ref name=moviesonline> Sheila Roberts . " The Simpsons Movie Interviews " , Movies Online . Retrieved on 2007-08-01 . </ref> but one of the staff suggested that an altered version of the recurring character Rainier Wolfcastle, himself a caricature of Schwarzenegger, could act as President.<ref name=silvermaninter/> This idea was developed, with the design of Wolfcastle being edited to have more wrinkles under his eyes and a different hairstyle.<ref name=moviesonline/>
Editing
Every single aspect of the film was constantly analyzed, with storylines, jokes and characters regularly being re-written.<ref name="com"/> Although most animated films do not make extensive changes to the film during active production due to budget reasons,<ref name="empire"/> The Simpsons Movie crew continued to keep playing with their film even into 2007, with some edits taking place as late as May.<ref name=com/> James L. Brooks noted, "We saw a trailer the other day, and somebody said 70 percent of the things in it - based on where we were eight weeks ago - are no longer in the movie, because we keep on fooling around."<ref name=ew/> Groening said enough material for two more movies was cut.<ref name="totalfilm"/> Various new characters were created, who were cut as they did not contribute much.<ref name="empire"/> Marge was to have the religious possession in the church, but the writers considered this idea too dark and changed it to Grandpa.<ref name=com/> The role of Lisa's love interest Colin was frequently revised. He had previously been named Dexter and Adrien, and had his appearance completely revised.<ref name=moviesonline/> One idea saw Milhouse in the role, but it was changed to a new character when the staff realized "the audience was not as familiar with Milhouse's long-standing crush on [Lisa] as [they had] thought."<ref name=com/> A large-scale car chase where Homer throws flaming mummies out of a truck at the EPA was cut, and replaced with the more emotional and realistic scenes at the motel and carnival, allowing a change of pace.<ref name=com/>
Further changes were made after a March 2007 preview screenings of the film in Portland, Oregon and Phoenix, Arizona,<ref name=com/> including the deletion of Kang and Kodos heavily criticizing the film during the end credits.<ref name="pig feces"/> A lot of people at the screenings found the original film too coarse, and some of Homer's behaviour too horrible, so several scenes were eased down to make him nicer.<ref name=com/> Russ Cargill was re-designed several times, originally appearing as an older man whose speech patterns Brooks based on Donald Rumsfeld. The older model was the one used by Burger King for the action figure.<ref name=com/> Cargill's scene with Bart and Homer at the film's conclusion was added in to fully resolve his story.<ref name=moviesonline/> The "Spider-Pig" gag was a late addition, and one excised scene, before the dome is put over Springfield, had Mr. Burns reminding viewers that it was the last point in the film that they could get a refund.<ref name=com/> Other deletions included Homer's encounter with a sausage truck driver, a scene with Plopper the pig at the end,<ref name=ploppersback> Eric Moro
. " SDCC 07: The Simpsons Panel " , IGN , 2007-07-28 . Retrieved on 2007-07-29 . </ref> and several musical numbers throughout.<ref name="com"/> A news report, showing the dome's effect on daily life in Springfield in areas such as farming and sport, was cut as it failed in the overall context of the film.<ref name=com/>
Music
Modèle:See James L. Brooks chose Hans Zimmer to compose the film's score, as they were good friends and regular collaborators.<ref name=post> Maxine Shen
. " ‘Simpsons’ Score State of the Bart " , New York Post , 2007-07-24 . Retrieved on 2007-07-29 . </ref> Zimmer expressed that the score was a "unique challenge", stating "I had to try and express the style of The Simpsons without wearing the audience out with too much attitude."<ref>" Hans Zimmer Bakes Up a Tasty Soundtrack for The Simpsons Movie " , Soundtrack.net , 2007-06-26 . Retrieved on 2007-06-30 . </ref> He used Danny Elfman's original opening theme, but noted he did not want to overuse it. He created themes for each of the family. Homer's leitmotif was a major focus, and Zimmer also composed smaller themes for Bart and Marge.<ref name=oneandonly> Edward Douglas . " The One and Only Hans Zimmer! " , ComingSoon.net , 2007-08-07 . Retrieved on 2007-11-15 . </ref> Regular television series composer Alf Clausen was not asked to score the film, noting: "sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug."<ref> Will Harris . " Alf Clausen interview, The Simpsons " , Bullz-Eye.com , 2007-09-26 . Retrieved on 2007-11-16 . </ref>
In addition to their appearance in the film, Green Day recorded their own version of the theme song of The Simpsons, which was released as a single.<ref name=hr> Tamara Conniff
. " Mmmmm, soundtrack: 'Simpsons' team effort " , The Hollywood Reporter , 2007-05-24 . Retrieved on 2007-05-24 . </ref> Zimmer turned the Spider-Pig song into a choral piece, which was a joke he never intended to be put into the film. Zimmer had to also write foreign-language lyrics for the thirty-two dubbed versions of the song when the film was released internationally. He found translating the song for the Spanish language dub the hardest to write. The same choir learned to sing the piece for each of the dubs.<ref name=oneandonly/>
Cultural references
Several cultural references and allusions are made throughout the film. Green Day play "Nearer, My God, to Thee" on violins, in reference to Titanic as they drown.<ref name=com/> When Bart skateboards naked he is repeatedly covered by passing objects, a reference to similar techniques used in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.<ref name=com2/> Homer and Marge's love scene parodies many Disney films, with Disney-esque animals helping them undress.<ref name=moviesonline/> Originally, music from The Wizard of Oz was used in that scene, and the fawn had white spots, which were removed as the animators felt it resembled Bambi too directly.<ref name=com/> Bart impersonates Mickey Mouse on the train, claiming to be "the mascot of an evil corporation."<ref name=moviesonline/> Homer plays Grand Theft Walrus, a nod to Grand Theft Auto. In the game his character shoots a tap-dancing penguin, a reference to the film Happy Feet.<ref name=com/> The "Spider-Pig" song is a parody of the theme song of the 1967 Spider-Man TV series,<ref name=oneandonly/> and the name of Lisa's lecture An Irritating Truth is a reference to Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth.<ref name=reuters> Mike Collett-White
. " Simpsons movie targets church, environmentalists " , Reuters , 2007-07-05 . Retrieved on 2007-07-06 . </ref> The bomb disposal robot was based on Vincent D'Onofrio's character Leonard "Pyle" Lawrence from the film Full Metal Jacket, who commits suicide in a similar way.<ref name=com2/> At the end, the crowd celebrate in a similar way to the conclusion of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, with Carl performing the exact same hand gestures as Lando Calrissian.<ref name=com2/>
The Carpenters' song "(They Long to Be) Close to You" was used in Homer and Marge's wedding video as it had been used in several emotional moments between the two in the TV series.<ref name=com/> As Homer leaves Eski-Moe's he grabs on to a passing truck and uses it to propel himself back to the house, an homage to Buster Keaton,<ref name=com/> while the epiphany features homages to Brazil and the works of Salvador Dali.<ref name=com2/> Hilary Clinton appears as Itchy's vice president in the short, while an Orc from The Lord of the Rings appears in the mob scene.<ref name=com/> A cut reference saw Marge and the kids go on the TV talk show The View to spread the news of Springfield's impending doom. Parts were written for all of the show's panel, and the scene would pan out with Russ Cargill appearing and having a gun fight with Joy Behar.<ref name=com/> Another dropped sequence saw Moe describe Springfield's varying physical states inside the dome, one of which was Autopia, a reference to the Disneyland ride.<ref name=com/> Several jokes reference events of the series, including the wreckage of the ambulance crashed into a tree next to Springfield Gorge from the episode "Bart the Daredevil".<ref name=moviesonline/>
Themes
Al Jean described the film's message as being "a man should listen to his wife." In addition, the film parodies the two major contemporary concerns of religion and environmentalism.<ref name=breath> Daniel Martin
. " Breathe a sigh of relief, The Simpsons Movie is brilliant " , The Guardian , 2007-07-05 . Retrieved on 2007-07-05 . </ref> The environment is present in Homer's polluting of Lake Springfield, Green Day's cameo, and Lisa's romance. The villainous Russ Cargill, is head of the EPA.<ref name="pig feces"/> Reviewer Ed Gonzalez argued the plot was a satire of the government's reaction to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.<ref name=gonzalez/> Ian Nathan of Empire criticized this focus, writing that it gave the film an "overt political agenda, bang[ing] the drum for Al Gore’s eco-message [that] it borders on polemic."<ref name=empirereview/>
Religion is focused on in Grampa's momentary possession, and Marge believing what he said to be a message from God.<ref name=reuters/> Groening joked the film "posit[s] the existence of a very active God," when asked if it was likely to offend.<ref name=breath/> Mark I. Pinsky, author of The Gospel According to The Simpsons, said the film "treats genuine faith with respect, while keeping a sharp eye out for religious pretension and hypocrisy of all kinds." He felt it took a "chance to unmask everyone's human fallibility" in the scene where the tenants of Moe's Tavern run into the Church, and vice versa. In analyzing Ned Flanders' role, he wrote, "It is willingness of The Simpsons Movie to depict all the different sides of us – the good, the bad, the cynical and the reverent – that makes it so rich and funny on our complicated, all-too-human relationship with religion."<ref> Mark I. Pinsky
. " 'The Simpsons Movie' - Does faith, religion hit 'Homer' in Springfield? " , Catholic Online , 2007-08-01 . Retrieved on 2007-08-02 . </ref> The animators inserted an apple tree behind Lisa and Colin during their initial meeting, in reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Trees were implemented into every important or emotional scene throughout the film.<ref name=com2/>
Release
On April 1 2006, 20th Century Fox announced The Simpsons Movie would be released worldwide on July 27 2007.<ref>"
Simpsons film confirmed for 2007 " , BBC News , 2006-04-01 . Retrieved on 2007-05-07 . </ref> However, the film was released in Australia and Britain on July 26.<ref> Erin McWhirter . " Simpsons in a new dimension " , News.com.au , 2007-07-26 . Retrieved on 2007-08-02 . </ref><ref>" 06/20/2007: "New Simpsons Movie one-sheet" " , Animated News , 2007-06-20 . Retrieved on 2007-06-28 . </ref> Little information on the plot was released in weeks building up to the film's release. Groening noted, "I can't imagine people look in the TV section of the newspaper and think, 'I'll watch this week's Simpsons because I like the plot.' You just tune in and see what happens."<ref name="empire"/>
Fox held a competition between sixteen Springfields across the United States to host the American premiere,<ref> Anna Johns
. " Simpsons movie to premiere in Springfield. But which one? " , TV Squad , 2007-03-09 . Retrieved on 2007-05-19 . </ref> with Springfield, Minnesota dropping out on May 31 2007.<ref>" Springfield, Minn., to Simpsons: Drop dead " , Winona Daily News , 2007-05-31 . Retrieved on 2007-06-07 . </ref> Each Springfield produced a film, explaining why their town should host the premiere, with the results being decided via a vote on the USA Today website.<ref name=verm/> The winner was announced to be Springfield, Vermont on July 10, which hosted the "yellow carpet" world premiere of the film on July 21.<ref>" Simpsons launch hits Springfield " , BBC News , 2007-07-21 . Retrieved on 2007-07-22 . </ref> Each of the other fourteen entrants held their own smaller screenings of the film on July 26.<ref name=verm> Cindy Clark . " 'The Simpsons Movie' Hometown Premiere Contest " , USA Today . Retrieved on 2007-07-02 . </ref>
The film is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "irreverent humor throughout".<ref> Brad Brevet
(2007-05-30) . Latest MPAA Ratings: #57
. Retrieved on 2007-05-30. </ref> The rating had been expected by the production staff.<ref name="usa"> Scott Bowles
. " Mmmm, popcorn: A 'Simpsons' film in '07 " , USA Today , 2006-04-02 . Retrieved on 2006-04-02 . </ref> However, the British Board of Film Classification passed the film as a PG with no cuts made.<ref name="bbfc"> The Simpsons Movie . British Board of Film Classification
. Retrieved on 2007-07-04. </ref> A BBFC spokeswoman said of Bart's very brief nude scene that "natural nudity with no sexual content is acceptable in PG films."<ref> Adam Sherwin
. " Bart shows fans the unexpected as Simpsons film beats censor with a yellow streak " , Times Online , 2007-07-06 . Retrieved on 2007-07-07 . </ref>
Marketing
Eleven 7-Eleven stores in the United States and one in Canada were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts.<ref> Locate a Kwik-E-Mart
. 7-Eleven
. Retrieved on 2007-07-02. </ref> These twelve stores, as well as the majority of other North American 7-Elevens sold "Squishees", "Buzz Cola", "Krusty-O's" Cereal, "Pink Movie Donuts", and other Simpsons-themed merchandise.<ref name=FOX>"
7-Eleven Becomes Kwik-E-Mart for 'Simpsons Movie' Promotion " , Fox News , 2007-07-01 . Retrieved on 2007-07-03 . </ref> The promotion resulted in a 30% increase in profits for the altered 7-Eleven stores.<ref name=tieins> Gail Schiller . " D'oh! 'Simpsons' limits tie-in partners " , The Hollywood Reporter , 2007-07-06 . Retrieved on 2007-07-06 . </ref> In Dorset an image of Homer was painted next to the Cerne Abbas giant, causing outrage amongst local neopagans who performed "rain magic" to see it be washed away.<ref>" Wish for rain to wash away Homer " , BBC News , 2007-07-16 . Retrieved on 2007-07-19 . </ref> Homer himself performed a special animated opening monologue for the July 24 2007 edition of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as part of another promotion.<ref> Ann Oldenburg . " Homer's 'Tonight Show' odyssey " , USA Today , 2007-07-15 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> Promotions occurred around the world, including the village of Springfield in Canterbury, New Zealand who were awarded a "giant pink donut" for being named Springfield.<ref>" Giant doughnut unveiled in Canterbury " , One News , 2007-07-15 . Retrieved on 2007-07-19 . </ref>
McFarlane Toys released a line of action figures based on the film,<ref> THe Simpsons Movie
. spawn.com
. Retrieved on 2007-05-08. </ref> and although not drawing from its plot, EA Games released The Simpsons Game, to coincide with the film's DVD release.<ref>"
EA's The Simpsons Game Unveiled Alongside The Simpsons 400th Episode " , EA Games . Retrieved on 2007-05-08 . </ref><ref>" The Simpsons due in autumn " , Virgin Media . Retrieved on 2007-05-08 . </ref> Samsung released a The Simpsons Movie phone,<ref> Alex Billington . " Limited Edition Simpsons Movie Samsung Mobile Phones on Display at CES " , FirstShowing.net , 2007-01-11 . Retrieved on 2007-05-07 . </ref> and Microsoft produced a limited edition The Simpsons Movie Xbox 360.<ref> César A. Berardini . " The Simpsons Limited Edition Xbox 360 Picture " , TeamXbox.com , 2007-05-10 . Retrieved on 2007-05-11 . </ref> Ben & Jerry's created a The Simpsons themed beer and donut flavored ice-cream, entitled "Duff & D'oh-Nuts".<ref> Gordon Dritschilo . " Ben & Jerry's delivers Homerific ice cream " , Rutland Herald , 2007-07-19 . Retrieved on 2007-07-19 . </ref> Online users were presented with the opportunity to download free animated and static content for use within their Windows Live Messenger conversations.<ref> The Simpsons Movie Personal Expression . The Simpsons Movie Personal Expression
. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref> Burger King produced a line of The Simpsons toy figures that were given away with children's meals, and ran a series of Simpsons themed television adverts.<ref name=tieins/> JetBlue Airways held a series of online sweepstakes with the top prize being a trip to the film's Los Angeles, California premiere. Their planes' inflight entertainment system included a channel dedicated to The Simpsons.<ref> The Simpsons Sweepstakes
. JetBlue Airways
. Retrieved on 2007-07-06. </ref>
Home video
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc worldwide on December 3, 2007 and on December 18, 2007 in the United States. It includes two commentaries, six deleted scenes, an alternate ending and a selection of promotional material.<ref>"
Mmmm... Movie! The Simpsons Movie " , Comingsoon.net , 2007-09-25 . Retrieved on 2007-09-26 . </ref> An unfinished deleted scene of the townspeople singing the Springfield Anthem was included on The Simpsons The Complete Tenth Season DVD boxset.<ref>Modèle:Cite video</ref>
Reception
Box office performance
The film took $30.7 million on its opening day in the United States, the 16th-highest grossing opening day, and third-highest non-sequel opening.<ref> Top Single Day Grosses
. Box Office Mojo
. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. </ref> It grossed a combined total of $74 million in its opening weekend, taking it to the top of the box office,<ref> Weekend Box Office July 27–29, 2007
. Box Office Mojo
. Retrieved on 2007-07-29. </ref> and making it the fifth highest opening weekend for a July release, and highest July opening for a non-sequel,<ref> Top Opening Weekends By Month
. Box Office Mojo
. Retrieved on 2007-07-29. </ref> thus outperforming the expectation of $40 million that Fox had for the release.<ref> Dean Goodman
(2007-07-29) . "Simpsons" the first family at theaters . Reuters
. Retrieved on 2007-07-29. </ref> It set several American box office records, including the record for highest grossing opening weekend for a non-CG animated film, surpassing The Lion King; the record for highest grossing opening weekend for a film based on a television series, surpassing Mission: Impossible II; and overall it had the third highest grossing opening weekend for an animated film, behind Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third.<ref> Joshua Rich
. " Raking in the d'oh! " , Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved on 2007-07-30 . </ref> It opened at the top of the international box office taking $96 million from seventy-one overseas territories, including $27.8 million in the United Kingdom, Fox's second highest opening ever in the country.<ref> Frank Segers . " "Simpsons Movie" rules foreign box office " , Reuters , 2007-07-29 . Retrieved on 2007-07-30 . </ref> It helped break the record for the highest weekend attendance to British cinemas, as 5.5 million people went to see a film that weekend, with 2.6 million seeing The Simpsons Movie.<ref>" Simpsons film tops record weekend " , BBC News , 2007-07-31 . Retrieved on 2007-08-02 . </ref> In Australia, it grossed AU$13.2 million, the biggest opening for an animated film and third largest opening weekend in the country.<ref> Patrick Kolan . " Simpsons Movie Breaks Records " , IGN , 2007-07-30 . Retrieved on 2007-07-31 . </ref> As of December 21, 2007 the film has a worldwide gross of $525,587,295.<ref> The Simpsons Movie . Box Office Mojo
. Retrieved on 2007-12-21. </ref>
Critical reception
The film garnered an 88% "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with 153 favorable reviews from a total of 173.<ref> The Simpsons Movie (2007)
. Rotten Tomatoes
. Retrieved on 2007-07-26. </ref> It received a rating of 80 out of 100 (signifying "generally favorable reviews") at Metacritic from 36 reviews.<ref> Simpsons Movie, The
. Metacritic
. Retrieved on 2007-07-27. </ref> Both The Guardian and The Times gave the film four out of five stars. The Times' James Bone commented, "the film boasts the same sly cultural references and flashes of brilliance that have earned the television series a following that ranges from tots to comparative literature PhDs,"<ref> James Bone
. " The Simpsons Movie – The Times review " , The Times , 2007-07-22 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> while The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw stated that "The Simpsons Movie gives you everything you could possibly want, and maybe it's a victim of its own gargantuan accomplishment. Eighty-five minutes is not long enough to do justice to 17 years of comedy genius. It's still great stuff."<ref> Peter Bradshaw . " The Simpsons Movie " , The Guardian , 2007-07-24 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> Ed Gonzalez praised the film's political message, likening the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon at the beginning to President Schwarzenegger's situation later on, as well as praising the film's many sight gags.<ref name=gonzalez> Ed Gonzalez . " The Simpsons Movie " , Slant Magazine , 2007-07-27 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> Randy Shulman gave strong praise of the cast who he described as having "elevated their vocal work to a craft that goes way beyond simple line readings," particularly Kavner who "gave what must be the most heartfelt performance ever to find its way into a movie based on an irreverent cartoon".<ref> Randy Shulman . " Homer's Odyssey " , Metro Weekly , 2007-07-26 . Retrieved on 2007-07-26 . </ref> Roger Ebert, although "not generally a fan of movies spun off from TV animation", gave a positive review, calling it a "radical and simple at the same time, subversive and good-hearted, offensive without really meaning to be."<ref> Roger Ebert . " The Simpsons Movie (PG-13) " , Chicago Sun Times , 2007-07-26 . Retrieved on 2007-07-30 . </ref> Richard Corliss of Time decided that the film "was worth waiting for" as "it doesn't try to be ruder or kinkier, just bigger and better."<ref> Richard Corliss . " The Simpsons, Bigger and Better " , Time , 2007-07-26 . Retrieved on 2007-07-30 . </ref>
USA Today film critic Claudia Puig found that the story "does warrant a full-length feature, thanks to a clever plot and non-stop irreverent humor", but stated that some fans may "miss seeing their favorite characters, a few regulars are pared down, and others don't show up at all."<ref> Claudia Puig
. " 'Simpsons' is timely good fun " , USA Today , 2007-07-26 . Retrieved on 2007-07-27 . </ref> Patrick Kolan found that the film was "easily the best stuff to come from the house of Simpson since season 12 or 13" and praised the animation, but commented on the "small and unfunny" appearances of characters such as Comic Book Guy and Seymour Skinner.<ref> Patrick Kolan . " The Simpsons Movie AU Review " , IGN , 2007-07-05 . Retrieved on 2007-07-26 . </ref> Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's good nature, stating the laughs "come in all sizes", although noting that "little has been gained bringing the Simpsons to the screen."<ref> Kirk Honeycutt . " The Simpsons Movie " , The Hollywood Reporter , 2007-07-25 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> Variety's Brian Lowry called it "clever, irreverent, satirical and outfitted" but that it was "just barely" capable of sustaining a longer plot than a television episode.<ref> Brian Lowry . " The Simpsons Movie " , Variety , 2007-07-24 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> Lisa Schwarzbaum praised the voice cast but stated that the "action sequences sometimes falter."<ref> Lisa Schwarzbaum . " The Simpsons Movie (2007) " , Entertainment Weekly , 2007-07-24 . Retrieved on 2007-07-26 . </ref> Comparing the film with the early episodes of the show, one reviewer concluded that the film "has more going for it than the show in its later years, but is still a long way short of what made it so invigorating right back in the early nineties."<ref> Stephen Rowley
. The Simpsons Movie (David Silverman), 2007 . Cinephobia.com
. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. </ref>
Negative criticism came from Empire reviewer Ian Nathan who compared the film to New Coke as "it utterly failed."<ref name=empirereview> Ian Nathan
. " The Simpsons Movie (PG) " , Empire . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> Phil Villarreal noted that there are "too few laugh-worthy moments" and that "instead of stretching to new frontiers, the film rests on the familiar."<ref> Phil Villarreal . " 'Simpsons Movie' nothing special " , Arizona Daily Star , 2007-07-26 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> Sheila Johnston agreed and criticised the pacing and joke level, finding that "the overall momentum flags at times" as the film overstretches itself, being "a salvo of comic squibs, some very funny, others limp."<ref> Sheila Johnston . " Review: Big screen stretching it for Simpsons " , The Telegraph , 2007-07-25 . Retrieved on 2007-07-25 . </ref> David Edwards concured, writing that "there's a great half-hour show rattling around in here somewhere, but the rest is padding at its very dullest."<ref> David Edwards . " Review: The Simpsons Movie " , The Daily Mirror , 2007-07-28 . Retrieved on 2007-07-28 . </ref> Cosmo Landesman stated that "the humour seems to have lost its satirical bite and wit" and that "much of the comedy is structured around the idiocy of Homer, which is a shame."<ref> Cosmo Landesman . " The Simpsons Movie-Sunday Times Review " , The Sunday Times , 2007-07-29 . Retrieved on 2007-07-29 . </ref> Bruce Newman criticized the fleeting appearances of many of the show's secondary characters, finding the film "[not] a disaster, just a disappointment."<ref> Bruce Newman . " Doh! 'Simpsons Movie' is more boohoo than woohoo " , San Jose Mercury , 2007-07-25 . Retrieved on 2007-07-26 . </ref>
Awards
- See also: List of awards won by The Simpsons.
The Simpsons Movie took the award for "Best Comedy Film" at the British Comedy Awards,<ref>"
British Comedy Awards: winners' list " , BBC News , 2007-12-06 . Retrieved on 2007-06-13 . </ref> and won "Best Animation" at the inaugural ITV National Movie Awards, beating Flushed Away, Happy Feet and Shrek the Third.<ref> Pryor , Fiona . " Potter wins film awards hat-trick " , BBC News , 2007-09-28 . Retrieved on 2007-09-29 . </ref> At the inaugural UK Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, the film beat out Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Shrek the Third to win the award for "Best Movie."<ref> Levine, Nick . " In full: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards UK winners " , Digital Spy , 2007-10-20 . Retrieved on 2007-10-28 . </ref> The film's trailer won a Golden Trailer Award in the category "Best Animated/Family Film Trailer" at the 8th Annual Golden Trailer Awards.<ref> Edward Douglas . " The 8th Annual Golden Trailer Awards Winners! " , Comingsoon.net , 2007-05-31 . Retrieved on 2007-06-09 . </ref>
Before its release, the film received a 2007 MTV Movie Awards nomination, but lost to Transformers.<ref>"
2007 MTV Movie Awards | Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet " , MTV . Retrieved on 2007-06-09 . </ref> It also lost out to Hairspray for the Teen Choice Awards for "Choice Summer Movie - Comedy/Musical",<ref> Michael Cidoni . " 'Pirates,' Sophia Bush Top Teen Awards " , Washington Post , 2007-08-27 . Retrieved on 2007-12-22 . </ref> and to Ratatouille for the Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature.<ref> Libby McCarthy . " Satellite nominations announced " , Variety , November 30, 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-12-13 . </ref><ref> Erin Maxwell . " Satellite Award winners announced " , Variety , 2007-12-17 . Retrieved on 2007-12-22 . </ref>
References
External links
Modèle:Wikinewspar2 Modèle:Wikiquote
- The Simpsons Movie Official website
- The Simpsons Movie at the Internet Movie Database
- Modèle:Amg movie
- Modèle:Rotten-tomatoes
- Modèle:Metacritic film
- Modèle:Mojo title
- [The Simpsons Movie Catégorie Arts/Animation/Movies/Titles/Simpsons_Movie,_The/] de l’annuaire dmoz.
Modèle:DEFAULTSORT:Simpsons Movie, Thebg:Семейство Симпсън: Филмът ca:The Simpsons Movie cy:The Simpsons Movie da:The Simpsons Movie de:Die Simpsons – Der Film es:Los Simpson: La película fa:سیمپسونها (فیلم) fr:Les Simpson - Le Film ko:심슨가족 더 무비 it:I Simpson - Il film he:משפחת סימפסון - הסרט lt:Simpsonų filmas hu:A Simpson család – A film ms:The Simpsons Movie nl:The Simpsons Movie no:The Simpsons Movie pl:Simpsonowie: Wersja kinowa pt:The Simpsons Movie ru:Симпсоны в кино sq:The Simpsons Movie simple:The Simpsons Movie sr:Simpsonovi na filmu sh:The Simpsons Movie fi:The Simpsons Movie sv:The Simpsons: Filmen tr:The Simpsons Movie uk:Сімпсони (фільм)
