Max Keeble's Big Move

Last updated

Max Keeble's Big Move
MaxKeeble.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tim Hill
Screenplay by
Story by
  • David Watts
  • Jonathan Bernstein
  • Mark Blackwell
  • James Greer
Produced byMike Karz
Starring
Cinematography Arthur Albert
Edited by
  • Tony Lombardo
  • Peck Prior
Music by Michael Wandmacher
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • October 5, 2001 (2001-10-05)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million [1]
Box office$18.6 million [1]

Max Keeble's Big Move is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Tim Hill, written by David L. Watts, James Greer, Jonathan Bernstein and Mark Blackwell and starring Alex D. Linz, Larry Miller, Jamie Kennedy, Nora Dunn, and Robert Carradine. The plot follows the eponymous Max and his friends, who begin going to junior high school only to learn Max and his family will soon move elsewhere; Max resolves to get even with those who bully him and his friends before he leaves since he will not remain long enough to face discipline for anything he does.

Contents

The film was released in the United States on October 5, 2001, by Walt Disney Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb that grossed $18 million against its $25 million budget.

Plot

Max Keeble is a paperboy who starts his first day of middle school. Max is antagonized by the corrupt megalomaniacal and tyrannical school principal, Elliot T. Jindrake, resident school bullies Troy McGinty and Dobbs, and the Evil Ice Cream Man. Max also learns that an animal shelter he visits next door to the school is being closed down to build Jindrake's opulent football stadium.

When Max's father, Donald, reveals that he is moving to Chicago for his boss, because he is unable to stand up for himself, Max realizes that he can do whatever he wants to his tormentors, facing no consequences because he will be gone by then. Enlisting his equally socially outcast friends, Robe and Megan, Max sets up a variety of pranks, which include traumatizing Troy by playing the main theme song of the children's television show MacGoogles the Highlander Frog (which frightened him as a child), then trapping him in the gym with someone wearing a MacGoogles costume; instigating a fight between Dobbs and the Evil Ice Cream Man by stealing the coolant coil for the ice cream truck and Dobbs's handheld device; and ruining Jindrake's chances of becoming successor to the current superintendent, Bobby "Crazy Legs" Knebworth (an alumnus who was a star football player for the school) by planting animal pheromones within his breath spray, instigating a food fight in the cafeteria in view of Superintendent Knebworth, and later by sabotaging his TV announcements by placing a cardboard cutout of Max mocking him.

After his missions are completed, Max ends up ditching Robe and Megan's going-away party by accepting an invitation to a milkshake party hosted by his crush Jenna, causing a falling-out. Robe tells Max how Megan really feels about him, and then walks away telling Max that he hopes he enjoys his new life in Chicago. Max then calls Megan's house, telling her mom to relay to her that he is sorry for what happened. Taking Max's earlier advice to heart, Donald announces that he quit his job and started his own business, meaning that Max is not moving after all. Max freaks out at this news, and learns that other students at his school are suffering because of his actions.

Max confronts Jindrake, Troy, and Dobbs one final time, and with the help of other students at his school, Max eventually defeats Troy and Dobbs for good by throwing them into the dumpster with his schoolmates' help and stops Jindrake from demolishing the animal shelter. Jindrake is dismissed and facing criminal charges for manipulating the school budget in order to build his stadium after Max tricked him into publicly admitting to his crimes earlier.

The film ends when Max rides on his bicycle delivering newspapers around his neighborhood, and the Evil Ice Cream Man starts pursuing him once again.

Cast

Cameos

Reception

Box office

Max Keeble's Big Move grossed $17.3 million in the United States and Canada and $1.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $18.6 million, against a production budget of $25 million. [1]

The film grossed $5.4 million in its opening weekend, finishing 7th at the box office.

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 29% based on 56 reviews, and an average rating of 4.31/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Max Keeble may be fun for kids, but bland and unoriginal for adults." [2] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score 40 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [3] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Coming Home</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Hal Ashby

Coming Home is a 1978 American romantic war drama film directed by Hal Ashby from a screenplay written by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones with story by Nancy Dowd. It stars Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Robert Carradine and Robert Ginty. The film's narrative follows a perplexed woman, her Marine husband and a paraplegic Vietnam War veteran with whom she develops a romantic relationship, while her husband is deployed in Vietnam.

Alexander David Linz is an American former child actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television series. His film roles include Home Alone 3 (1997) and Max Keeble's Big Move (2001). He retired from acting in 2007.

<i>The Replacements</i> (film) 2000 film by Howard Deutch

The Replacements is a 2000 sports comedy film directed by Howard Deutch and starring Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, Orlando Jones, Brooke Langton, Rhys Ifans, Jon Favreau, and Jack Warden in his last film appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Carradine</span> American actor (born 1954)

Robert Carradine is an American actor. A member of the Carradine family, he made his first appearances on television Western series such as Bonanza and his brother David's TV series, Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys, which starred John Wayne and Roscoe Lee Browne. Carradine also portrayed fraternity president Lewis Skolnick in the Revenge of the Nerds series of comedy films.

<i>Whats the Worst That Could Happen?</i> 2001 American comedy film by Sam Weisman

What's the Worst That Could Happen? is a 2001 comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito. Loosely based on a book by Donald E. Westlake, the film follows the misadventures of a skilled thief and a wealthy businessman facing financial trouble. The film did not meet expectations and performed poorly commercially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Peck</span> American actor and comedian (born 1986)

Joshua Michael Peck is an American actor and comedian. Peck began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and had an early role on the Nickelodeon sitcom The Amanda Show from 2000 to 2002. Peck rose to prominence for his role as Josh Nichols alongside Drake Bell's character on Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh from 2004 to 2007, and in its two television films, Drake & Josh Go Hollywood (2006) and Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Carradine</span> American actor (born 1949)

Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film Nashville, E. J. Bellocq in Louis Malle's Pretty Baby, Mickey in Alan Rudolph's Choose Me, Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series Deadwood, FBI agent Frank Lundy in Dexter, Lou Solverson in the first season of Fargo, and U.S. president Conrad Dalton in Madam Secretary. He also had a recurring role as Penny's father Wyatt in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He is a member of the Carradine family of actors that began with his father, John Carradine.

<i>Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd</i> 2003 American comedy film directed by Troy Miller

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd is a 2003 American buddy comedy film directed by Troy Miller from a screenplay by Miller and Robert Brener. It is the second installment in the Dumb and Dumber franchise and a prequel to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. Depicting the original film's characters during their high school years, it stars Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen in the title roles. The film was a moderate box office success, but was panned by critics, who compared it unfavorably with the original.

<i>The Exterminator</i> 1980 film directed by James Glickenhaus

The Exterminator is a 1980 American vigilante action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus. It stars Robert Ginty as Vietnam War veteran John Eastland, also known as "The Exterminator". When a group of thugs paralyze his friend, Eastland becomes a vigilante, embarking on a mission to cleanse New York of organized crime. The film also stars Samantha Eggar, Christopher George and Steve James. It has gained a cult following since its release.

<i>The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D</i> 2005 film by Robert Rodriguez

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D is a 2005 American 3D superhero adventure film co-written and directed by Robert Rodriguez and originally released in the United States on June 10, 2005, by Miramax Films and Dimension Films. The production companies were Dimension Films, Columbia Pictures and Troublemaker Studios. The film uses the anaglyph 3D technology, similar to the one used in Rodriguez's Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003). The film stars Taylor Lautner, Taylor Dooley, Cayden Boyd, David Arquette, Kristin Davis and George Lopez. Many of the concepts and much of the story were conceived by Rodriguez's children, most notably Racer Max.

<i>See No Evil, Hear No Evil</i> (film) 1989 film by Arthur Hiller

See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a 1989 American thriller comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a trio of murderous thieves. This is the third film featuring Wilder and Pryor, who had appeared previously in the 1976 film Silver Streak and the 1980 film Stir Crazy. The film was released in the United States on May 12, 1989.

<i>Run Ronnie Run!</i> 2002 American comedy film

Run Ronnie Run! is an American satirical comedy film directed by Troy Miller. The film is a spin-off inspired by David Cross's recurring character Ronnie Dobbs from the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show. David Cross plays the lead and multiple other roles, while Mr. Show co-creator Bob Odenkirk plays multiple supporting roles. The film was produced in 2001 and premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, before being released direct-to-video over 18 months later in 2003.

<i>Big Bully</i> (film) 1996 American film

Big Bully is a 1996 American black comedy film directed by Steve Miner, written by Mark Steven Johnson and starring Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold as two men, a childhood bully and his victim, as they reconnect as adults.

<i>The Stupids</i> (film) 1996 Canadian film

The Stupids is a 1996 adventure comedy film starring Tom Arnold and directed by John Landis. It is based on The Stupids, characters from a series of books written by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall.

<i>Evil Toons</i> 1992 film by Fred Olen Ray

Evil Toons is a 1992 American live-action/adult animated comedy horror B movie written and directed by Fred Olen Ray. The film is a light spoof of traditional haunted-house films.

<i>Never Back Down</i> 2008 film by Jeff Wadlow

Never Back Down is a 2008 American martial arts film directed by Jeff Wadlow and starring Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard, and Djimon Hounsou. It tells the story of a frustrated and conflicted teenager who arrives at a new high school and discovers an underground fight club there.

<i>Thats What I Am</i> 2011 American film

That's What I Am is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Michael Pavone and starring Ed Harris and Chase Ellison. It received a limited release on April 29, 2011, and was later released on DVD on July 15, 2011.

<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>Fist Fight</i> 2017 film by Richie Keen

Fist Fight is a 2017 American comedy film directed by Richie Keen and written by Van Robichaux and Evan Susser. The film stars Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Tracy Morgan, and Jillian Bell with Dean Norris, Christina Hendricks, Kumail Nanjiani, and Dennis Haysbert in supporting roles. The film centers on a school teacher who is challenged to an after-school fist fight after causing another teacher's termination.

<i>Little Evil</i> 2017 American film

Little Evil is a 2017 American supernatural horror comedy film written and directed by Eli Craig. It stars Adam Scott, Evangeline Lilly, Owen Atlas, Bridget Everett, Kyle Bornheimer, Chris D'Elia, Donald Faison, Carla Gallo, Tyler Labine, Brad Williams, Clancy Brown, and Sally Field. It was released by Netflix on September 1, 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Max Keeble's Big Move (2001)". Box Office Mojo, LLC. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
  2. "Max Keeble's Big Move (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  3. "Max Keeble's Big Move reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  4. "Max Keeble's Big Move - CinemaScore". CinemaScore.com.