Talladega Nights (2006) is the kind of film that you can see over and over again without getting tired of the comedy. A legendary comedy duo was born with an epic track record (let's forget Holmes and Watson). Let's see if your favorite parts line up with mine! Read here, and spoilers may follow (if you haven't seen this movie yet then what are you doing).
The comedic gelling of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly may be the best ever, and I don't say that lightly. There are some fantastic comedy films in our world. Along with Anchorman (see attachment below), this is my favorite funny movie ever made. Be honest with yourself, could any other actors have done their roles the same or better? I wager not.
The character of Ricky Bobby is spot on. As a recent graduate of Jacksonville State University in Alabama (Go cocks!), I know people who act just like him. I could drive to Talladega very easily, and I can see the draw to the sport. Will Ferrell plays the character exactly how you want him to. "If you ain't first, you're last." This saying from Ricky Bobby is constantly said all over the USA. It's hard to say what makes those words so repeatable. Is it the context of racing, the actor who says it, the movie it's in or what? We know it's not the message because of how his dad (played by Gary Cole) said he was high when he said that. That is a great performance too by the way.
Also, I want to point out Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard. This Frenchman driver is challenging Ricky Bobby as the best racer and wins at first. He is hilarious. His introduction scene is great. He breaks Ricky's arm because he refuses to say "I like crepes." First off, crepes are good, but it is not American so he says no. There are more moments, but I'll move on.
There are many great scenes in this film, so I'll just list a few. Ricky gets mauled by a cougar to try to overcome his fear. Ricky's mom (Jane Lynch) whips the boys into shape after they spray the neighbor with a watering hose. Ricky has to outdrive the police after he thinks cocaine is planted on him. Each time Ricky and Cal "slingshot" is funny. Ricky stabs his leg because he thinks he's paralyzed. Ricky runs around in his underwear because he thinks he's on fire. One of the best scenes is probably towards the beginning though. They are praying at dinner, and Ricky keeps say little baby Jesus. You may want to rewatch that scene yourself to really enjoy the comedy. Also, we can't forget the ending. A wreck destroys all the cars, so Ricky and Jean race it out on foot.
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