Get Hard

Last updated

Get Hard
Get Hard film poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Etan Cohen
Screenplay by
Story by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Tim Suhrstedt
Edited byMichael L. Sale
Music by Christophe Beck
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • March 16, 2015 (2015-03-16)(SXSW)
  • March 27, 2015 (2015-03-27)(United States)
Running time
100 minutes [1] [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40-44 million [3] [4]
Box office$111.8 million [4]

Get Hard is a 2015 American crime comedy film directed by Etan Cohen (in his directorial debut) and written by Cohen, Jay Martel, and Ian Roberts. [5] The film stars Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart with Tip "T.I." Harris, Alison Brie, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles. [6] The film focuses on James King (Ferrell), a wealthy investment bank manager who is framed for a crime he didn't commit, and asks the man who washes his car, Darnell Lewis (Hart) to help him prepare for prison.

Contents

The film was released March 27, 2015 to generally negative reviews but was a box office success, grossing a worldwide total of $111.7 million on a $40–44 million budget.

Plot

James King is a wealthy hedge fund manager at Barrow Funds, engaged to Alissa, the daughter of his boss Martin Barrow. During an engagement party for James and Alissa, the FBI arrive and arrest James for fraud and embezzlement. James' lawyer, Peter Penny, urges him to plead guilty for a likely shorter sentence, but James refuses under the belief that he will be exonerated. James is found guilty, however, and subsequently sentenced to 10 years in San Quentin State Prison, with the judge allowing him 30 days to get his affairs in order. On top of this, Alissa leaves James after he suggests the two flee the country together.

Over time, James has come to know Darnell Lewis, who operates a small car wash business in the parking lot used by James. Shortly after his arrest, James encounters Darnell and, assuming he has been incarcerated before because he is Black, begs him for help, requesting to be "toughened up". Darnell, who in actuality has never been to prison and has little experience in fighting, agrees, on the condition James pays him $30,000; Darnell sees it as an opportunity for him and his wife Rita to finally put their daughter Makayla in a better school, away from the bad neighborhood they live in.

Darnell's training, which includes pepper-spraying James, re-modelling his house to resemble a maximum security prison and creating multiple scenarios in which he must defend himself, all fail miserably. During the training, James gets in touch with Martin to tell him about his search for help. Martin, the actual crook, believes James is onto him and orders a hitman named Gayle to monitor him.

With James' training seemingly going nowhere, Darnell suggests that James should prepare in other ways for prison, and takes him to a gay hookup spot to teach James how to perform oral sex in prison. James can't go through with it and instead tells Darnell that he will keep going and do whatever it takes in order to "get hard". James soon after begins to work out harder and faster, makes shivs, learns "keistering" (smuggling contraband in the anus), and seems to be making progress. Darnell simulates a prison riot with help from James' domestic staff. In the chaos, James gets a shiv stuck in his head, after which, Darnell brings James to his home for Rita to treat it. James has dinner with Darnell's family and listens to the tale of how he ended up in prison, which is actually just a retelling of the movie Boyz n the Hood .

James and Darnell resolve for James to join a local gang called the Crenshaw Kings to gain protection in prison. However, Darnell's cousin and gang leader Russell rebuffs James and redirects him to the Alliance of Whites gang. James is unable to portray a convincing racist, leading the gang to think he is a cop; they threaten to attack James, but Darnell rescues him by bursting in with a flamethrower.

Eventually, Darnell and James finally deduce that Martin is the crook, and the reason James is going to prison. They sneak into his office and find the embezzlement records on Martin's computer. Before they can expose him, Gayle finds them and takes back the computer, informing James that Darnell is not who he thinks he is and has never been in prison. Dejected and upset that Darnell lied to him, James returns to the Crenshaw Kings on his own, asking to join. They accept him as one of their own and order him to kill someone as his initiation. Before he can do so, Darnell arrives in time to convince James to expose Martin.

The two sneak onto Martin's yacht to retrieve the computer, only to come across Gayle and his men. James unleashes a series of capoeira moves on them before Martin and Alissa arrive, both confessing to the fraud and embezzlement, a scheme that also included Peter. They try to convince James to run away with them, but he turns them down and heads to a life raft with Darnell. When Gayle shoots the life raft, James pulls out a gun he had "keistered" and aims it at Gayle. U.S. Marshals suddenly appear, summoned by the ankle monitor that James triggered, having trespassed the county line.

Barrow's computer provides the evidence needed to clear James. Martin, Gayle, Alissa, and the henchmen are all arrested and James is exonerated. However, he still ends up getting six months for holding an unlicensed gun, but thanks to Darnell's training, James is fully prepared for his stint in prison, unlike Martin, who is quickly attacked by inmates when his San Quentin sentence with Peter begins. James spends his sentence helping the FBI retrieve all the assets that Martin stole, while guiding Darnell's investments so that he and Rita are able to open their own carwash. As Darnell drives James home after his release, James announces his intent to celebrate his freedom with a Wall Street Journal and a forty, which he now considers a perfect Sunday.

Cast

Production

On December 7, 2012, it was announced that Warner Bros. was in talks to acquire the film written by Ian Roberts and Jay Martel, while Adam McKay and Will Ferrell's Gary Sanchez Productions would produce. [7] On September 17, 2013 Etan Cohen was set to direct. [5] On February 24, 2014, Warner Bros. set the film for a March 27, 2015 release. [8]

On December 7, 2012, Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart were attached to starring roles. [7] On February 26, 2014, it was announced Craig T. Nelson had joined the cast to play Martin Barrow, the founder of Barrow Funds (Ferrell's character's boss) and also the father of Ferrell's character's fiancée. [9] On March 17, 2014 Alison Brie signed on to star, playing the fiancée of Ferrell's character. [10] On March 21, 2014, Edwina Findley joined the cast to play Rita Hudson, wife to Hart's character. [11] On March 24, 2014 Dan Bakkedahl joined the cast to play Rick, Ferrell's hated enemy at their office. [12] On March 25, 2014, T.I. joined the cast, playing a character named Russell, Hart's character's streetwise cousin. [13]

Principal photography began on March 17, 2014, in New Orleans, [14] and ended on May 14, 2014. [15] The film was somewhat controversial with some perceiving that it was playing into race-related stereotypes. [16] During some scenes Cohen asked Hart's opinion on how some jokes would be perceived by African American audiences and made some changes accordingly. [16] Warner Bros. and Cohen also performed extensive testing to make sure the humor came across well. [16]

Music

On October 30, 2014, Christophe Beck was hired to compose the music for the film. [17]

Release

The film was released by Warner Bros. on March 27, 2015. [8]

Reception

Box office

Get Hard grossed $90.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $21.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $111.7 million against a budget of $40 million. [4] (Other reports put the budget at $44 million. The film also received $12.3 million in tax incentives for filming in Louisiana.) [3]

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $33.8 million, coming in second place at the box office behind Home ($52.1 million). It was Ferrell's third-highest opening for a live-action film, behind Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ($47 million) and The Other Guys ($35.5 million), and was passed the following December by Daddy's Home ($38.7 million). [18]

Critical response

Get Hard has received generally negative reviews, with many critics citing the film's overuse of racial jokes. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 28% based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 4.40/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A waste of two fine funnymen, Get Hard settles for tired and offensive gags instead of tapping into its premise's boundary-pushing potential." [19] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 34 out of 100, based on reviews from 43 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [20] CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend recorded that audiences gave Get Hard an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [21]

Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote: "Laughter trumps political fairness, and Get Hard made me laugh at, and with, situations I hadn’t thought could tickle me. The movie has a warm heart beating under its seemingly scabrous shell." [22]

The film was criticized for its gay panic jokes and homophobia. [23] [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Ferrell</span> American actor, comedian, and producer (born 1967)

John William Ferrell is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Ferrell is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. He has earned four Emmy Awards and in 2011 was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2015, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named the best comedian in British GQ.

<i>Wild Wild West</i> 1999 film by Barry Sonnenfeld

Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk Western film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on a story conceived by Jim and John Thomas. Loosely adapted from The Wild Wild West, a 1960s television series created by Michael Garrison, it is the only production since the television film More Wild Wild West (1980) to feature the characters from the original series.

<i>Elf</i> (film) 2003 American Christmas comedy film

Elf is a 2003 American Christmas comedy film directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. It stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by Santa's elves, who learns about his origins and heads to New York City to meet his biological father. James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner, and Bob Newhart appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Other Guys</i> 2010 buddy cop action comedy film by Adam McKay

The Other Guys is a 2010 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who co-wrote it with Chris Henchy. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg with Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Hart</span> American comedian and actor (born 1979)

Kevin Darnell Hart is an American comedian and actor.

<i>Hot Rod</i> (2007 film) 2007 film by Akiva Schaffer

Hot Rod is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Pam Brady. The film stars Andy Samberg as amateur stuntman Rod Kimble, whose stepfather, Frank, continuously mocks and disrespects him. When Frank becomes ill, Rod raises money for his heart operation by executing his largest stunt yet. The film also stars Jorma Taccone, Sissy Spacek, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, Isla Fisher and Bill Hader.

<i>6,000 Enemies</i> 1939 film by George B. Seitz

6,000 Enemies is a 1939 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Walter Pidgeon as a successful District Attorney who is framed on charge of bribery. Although innocent, he is sent to prison where he fights to clear his name. The film also stars Rita Johnson.

<i>Megamind</i> 2010 animated film by Tom McGrath

Megamind is a 2010 American animated superhero comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Tom McGrath from a screenplay by Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, the film stars the voices of Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, and Brad Pitt. It tells the story of Megamind, a highly intelligent alien supervillain; after defeating his long-time nemesis Metro Man, Megamind creates a new hero to fight but must act to save the city when his "creation" becomes an even worse villain than he was.

<i>The Campaign</i> (film) 2012 American political black comedy film by Jay Roach

The Campaign is a 2012 American political satire comedy film directed by Jay Roach, written by Shawn Harwell and Chris Henchy and stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two North Carolinians vying for a seat in Congress. The film was released on August 10, 2012, by Warner Bros Pictures, to mixed reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Shkreli</span> American financial criminal and businessman (b. 1983)

Martin Shkreli is an American businessman and financial criminal. Shkreli is the co-founder of the hedge funds Elea Capital, MSMB Capital Management, and MSMB Healthcare, the co-founder and former CEO of pharmaceutical firms Retrophin and Turing Pharmaceuticals, and the former CEO of start-up software company Gödel Systems, which he founded in August 2016.

<i>The Lego Movie</i> 2014 film by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

The Lego Movie is a 2014 animated adventure comedy film co-produced by Warner Animation Group, Village Roadshow Pictures, Lego System A/S, Vertigo Entertainment, and Lin Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a story they co-wrote with Dan and Kevin Hageman, based on the Lego line of construction toys. The film stars the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman. A collaboration between production houses from the United States, Australia, and Denmark, its story focuses on Emmet Brickowski (Pratt), an ordinary Lego minifigure who helps a resistance movement stop a tyrannical businessman (Ferrell) from gluing everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection.

<i>Entourage</i> (film) 2015 film by Doug Ellin

Entourage is a 2015 American comedy film written, directed and produced by Doug Ellin, and serves as a continuation of the HBO television series of the same name. It stars the principal cast of the show, Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven, and follows actor Vincent Chase, who goes over budget on his directorial debut and must ask newly appointed studio head Ari Gold for more money. Like in the series, many celebrity sportspeople and actors appear as themselves, while several supporting cast members from the show reprise their roles.

<i>Ride Along</i> (film) American buddy cop comedy film

Ride Along is a 2014 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tim Story and starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart.

<i>Ride Along 2</i> American buddy cop comedy film

Ride Along 2 is a 2016 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tim Story and written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. It is the sequel to the 2014 film Ride Along. The film stars Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Ken Jeong, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Bruce McGill and Tika Sumpter. Universal Pictures released the film on January 15, 2016. Like the original film, this sequel was panned by most critics but was a box office success, grossing $124.6 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

<i>The Boss</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

The Boss is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Ben Falcone and written by Falcone, Melissa McCarthy and Steve Mallory. The film stars McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Ella Anderson, Tyler Labine, Kathy Bates, Annie Mumolo, Timothy Simons, and Peter Dinklage.

<i>The Wedding Ringer</i> 2015 film by Jeremy Garelick

The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American buddy romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick. It stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco. The film was produced by Adam Fields, Will Packer Productions and Miramax, distributed by Screen Gems, and released on January 16, 2015.

<i>Daddys Home</i> (film) 2015 American film

Daddy's Home is a 2015 American buddy comedy film directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders, Brian Burns, and John Morris. The film is about a mild-mannered stepfather who vies for the attention of his wife's children when their biological father returns.

<i>The Accountant</i> (2016 film) 2016 US action-thriller film by Gavin OConnor

The Accountant is a 2016 American action-thriller film directed by Gavin O'Connor, written by Bill Dubuque and starring Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J. K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Jeffrey Tambor, and John Lithgow. The storyline follows Christian Wolff, a certified public accountant with autism who makes his living uncooking the books of criminal and terrorist organizations around the world that are experiencing internal embezzlement.

<i>Central Intelligence</i> 2016 film directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber

Central Intelligence is a 2016 American buddy action comedy film directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and written by Thurber, Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart as two old high school classmates who go on the run after one of them joins the CIA to save the world from a terrorist who intends to sell satellite codes.

<i>The House</i> (2017 film) 2017 American comedy film

The House is a 2017 American comedy film directed by Andrew J. Cohen, and co-written by Cohen and Brendan O'Brien. The film stars Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, Ryan Simpkins, Nick Kroll, Allison Tolman, Rob Huebel, Michaela Watkins, and Jeremy Renner, and follows a couple who open an underground casino in their friend's house in order to pay for their daughter's college tuition.

References

  1. ↑ "GET HARD (15)". British Board of Film Classification . March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  2. ↑ "AMC Theatres: Get Hard". amctheatres.com. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "2015 Film Study" (PDF). May 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 "Get Hard (2015)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (September 17, 2013). "Etan Cohen to Direct Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in Warner Bros. 'Get Hard'". variety.com. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  6. ↑ THR Staff (December 19, 2014). "Kevin Hart Schools a Racist, Convicted Will Ferrell in the 'Get Hard' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 7, 2012). "Warner Bros In Talks For 'Get Hard' With Will Ferrell And Kevin Hart Attached To Star". deadline.com. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Ford, Rebecca (February 24, 2014). "Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart Comedy 'Get Hard' Lands Release Date". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  9. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (February 26, 2014). "Craig T. Nelson Joins Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart Comedy 'Get Hard'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  10. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 17, 2014). "'Community's Alison Brie Joins Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart Comedy 'Get Hard'". deadline.com. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Edwina Findley Cast In 'Get Hard'". deadline.com. March 21, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Dan Bakkedahl Joins 'Get Hard'". deadline.com. March 24, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  13. ↑ "T.I. Joins Will Ferrell Comedy 'Get Hard'". deadline.com. March 25, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  14. ↑ "GET HARD with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart Begins Filming". broadwayworld.com. March 18, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  15. ↑ "On The Set For 5/19/14: Christoph Waltz-Starrer 'Tulip Fever' Starts For The Weinstein Co". Studiosystemnews.com. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 Zeitchik, Steven (March 26, 2015). "For 'Get Hard' director, race-themed satire is a tricky enterprise". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Christophe Beck Scoring 'Get Hard'". filmmusicreporter.com. October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Will Ferrell". boxofficemojo.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Get Hard". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Get Hard Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  21. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 29, 2015). "Star Power Propels DWA's 'Home' To $54M; 'Get Hard' To $34.6M – Final Sunday AM Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood . auds gave it a B CinemaScore, guys under 18 loved it with an A-.
  22. ↑ Corliss, Richard (March 27, 2015). "Don't Tell Anyone, But I Kind of Liked Get Hard". Time .
  23. ↑ Needham, Alex (March 17, 2015). "Get Hard review – Will Ferrell continues the tradition of gay panic comedies". The Guardian . Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  24. ↑ Donnelly, Matt (May 2, 2016). "Hollywood Movies Still Stereotype LGBT Characters, Depict 'Gay Panic' Scenes". The Wrap . Retrieved September 11, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.