The Dukes of Hazzard (film)

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The Dukes of Hazzard
Dukes of hazzard movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
Screenplay byJohn O'Brien
Story by
  • John O'Brien
  • Jonathan L. Davis
Based onCharacters
by Gy Waldron
Produced by Bill Gerber
Starring
Cinematography Lawrence Sher
Edited by
Music by Nathan Barr
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • August 5, 2005 (2005-08-05)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$53 million [1]
Box office$109.8 million [1]

The Dukes of Hazzard is a 2005 American action comedy film loosely based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and stars Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson in her feature film debut, Burt Reynolds, Joe Don Baker, Lynda Carter, and Willie Nelson.

Contents

As in the television series, the film depicts the adventures of cousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy, and their Uncle Jesse, as they outfox crooked Hazzard County Commissioner Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.

The film was released on August 5, 2005, by Warner Bros. Pictures. While financially successful with an opening debut of $30 million and a worldwide gross of $109.8 million, the film met with generally negative reviews from critics. The film was followed by a direct-to-video prequel titled The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (2007).

Plot

Cousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke run a moonshine business for their Uncle Jesse in Hazzard County, Georgia. The cousins' primary mode of transportation is an orange 1969 Dodge Charger that the boys affectionately refer to as the "General Lee". Along the way, the family is tormented by corrupt Hazzard County Commissioner Jefferson Davis Hogg, widely known as "Boss Hogg", and his willing but dimwitted henchman, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.

After Rosco has the General Lee vandalized after Bo and Luke's attempt to run away from a daughter of one of their many moonshine customers, Billy Prickett, a famous stock-car driver, enters Hazzard to participate in the rally. Meanwhile, Rosco plants a fake moonshine still in Uncle Jesse's barn and seizes the Duke property in the interest of eminent domain for Boss Hogg, forcing the family to temporarily reside with neighbor Pauline. She informs the Dukes that Rosco seized another farm on charges, so Bo and Luke investigate a local construction site and find their farm and neighboring farms marked on a map. They also discover a safe which they believe contains information that Boss Hogg wants to keep secret, unable to get the safe open they drag it to Sheev's. With his help they blow open the safe and discover geologic core samples but are unsure on what the samples are. Meanwhile, Cooter Davenport turns the General Lee into a hot rod in hopes of finally receiving payment for all the work he has done for the boys in the past if they win the race.

Sheriff's car at location in Thousand Oaks, California Dukes-of-hazzard-sheriff-car.jpg
Sheriff's car at location in Thousand Oaks, California

The Dukes go to Atlanta to visit a local university geology lab, meeting with Katie-Lynn Johnson, a Hazzard county girl. They discover Boss Hogg's intentions of turning the county into a strip coal mine. However, before they can return to Hazzard country, they are arrested. Boss Hogg visits their prison cell, where he informs the Dukes that the vote on Hogg's proposition is at the same time as the rally, with Billy Prickett providing an distraction. During a transfer from detainment, Daisy helps the boys escape from the patrol car, and they speed home to try to inform the townsfolk, escaping the Atlanta Police, and the Georgia State Patrol.

Upon returning home, the Dukes discover that Boss Hogg and Rosco had taken Uncle Jesse and Pauline hostage. The two race to the farmhouse to cause a distraction to the waiting Hazzard County Sheriff's deputies and Georgia State Troopers, while Daisy and Cooter rescue Jesse and Pauline. Meanwhile, the college girls head to the rally with Sheev to inform the townsfolk about the vote on the strip-mining ordinance, however; because Sheev is a known conspiracy theorist, no one listens to them. Bo leaves for the rally while Luke and Jesse team up to foil the county and state police. Upon crossing the finish line first before Billy, the two then continue racing across town, leading the townsfolk to the courthouse, where the proposal is rejected.

Boss Hogg attempt's to have the boys locked up but Daisy takes advantage of the governor of Georgia's presence and TV cameras to convince him to pardoning them. The final scene shows a cook-out at the Dukes' house where the Dukes and the townspeople celebrate.

Cast

Knoxville and Scott at the premiere Dukes of Hazzard Premiere.jpg
Knoxville and Scott at the premiere

Cameos

All five members of the comedy film troupe Broken Lizard appear in the film, four as cameos and Kevin Heffernan in a speaking role as Sheev.

Broken Lizard cameos
Other cameos

Production

Stunts

Knoxville said he was initially reluctant to take on the role, but was persuaded by script changes and the presence of Dan Bradley as stunt coordinator and second unit for the car chase scenes. Knoxville praised him, saying, "everyone in Hollywood wants Dan Bradley to shoot their car stuff". [4]

Locations

Principal photography for the film began on November 15, 2004, [5] before wrapping up the following February. The majority of the film was shot in and around Clinton & French Settlement, Louisiana. The Boar's nest was Moonlight Inn located in French Settlement, LA. The street scenes are set in Atlanta, but filmed in the New Orleans Central Business District, and the university scenes were shot on the campus of Louisiana State University.

Reception

Box office

The film was number one at the box office its opening weekend and grossed $30.7 million on 3,785 screens. [6] It also had an adjusted-dollar rank of number 24 all-time for August releases. [7] The film eventually collected $109.8 million worldwide, although it was much less successful financially outside the United States. [1]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 14% of 168 reviews were positive. The website's consensus called the film "A dumb, goofy, and vacuous adaptation of a TV show where plot is simply an excuse to string together the car chases." [8] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 33% based on 36 reviews, indicating "Generally unfavorable reviews". [9] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F. [10] Longtime fans of the original Dukes of Hazzard series were generally disappointed by the film. [11]

Roger Ebert gave the film one star, calling it a "lame-brained, outdated wheeze" and wondered if Burt Reynolds' part in the film is "karma-wise... the second half of what Smokey and the Bandit was the first half of". [12] Ebert also named it the second-worst film of the year and Richard Roeper named it the worst film of 2005. [13] Ebert also included the film on his most hated list. [14]

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave it B+ grade and wrote: "It's trash, all right, but perfectly skewed trash -- a comedy that knows just how smart to be about just how dumb it is." [15]

Awards

At the 26th Golden Raspberry Awards, the film received seven nominations, but did not win any.

At the People's Choice Awards, Simpson won the "Favorite Song from a Movie" award for her cover of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".

The film was nominated for two MTV Movie Awards, including Best On-Screen Team (Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, and Jessica Simpson), and Sexiest Performance (Jessica Simpson).

Simpson won the Choice Breakout Female award for her role in the film at the Teen Choice Awards.

Controversies

Before the release of this film, Warner Bros. reportedly paid $17.5 million to the producer of Moonrunners , the movie that inspired the television series. [16] This was soon followed by a claim from screenwriter Gy Waldron.[ citation needed ] The Hollywood Reporter reported that James Best, who portrayed Rosco P. Coltrane in the original series, filed suit in late July 2011 over royalties he was contracted to receive over spinoffs that "used his identity". [17]

Ben Jones, who played Cooter Davenport in the original series, criticized the film for its emphasis on sexual content, suggesting that the original series was more family-oriented and not as sexualized. [18] He called for fans of the television series to boycott the film "unless they clean it up before the August 5th release date."

Some have countered that the original series also contained sexual themes, primarily Catherine Bach's (Daisy Duke) much-displayed "short shorts" (which have become so ubiquitous in American culture that skimpy blue jean cutoff shorts are now often simply called "Daisy Dukes"). In a film review, a New York Daily News entertainment columnist said the movie's sex humor is "cruder" than the TV series, but that it is "nearly identical to the TV series in... its ogling of the posterior of cousin Daisy Duke." [19]

Although initially he commented that he enjoyed the new style of relationship between the movie versions of Bo and Luke, John Schneider, who played Bo Duke in the original series, was later asked if he saw the film and said: "My gosh... it was terrible! It wasn't Dukes. It was true to whatever it was; I just don't know what that was!" [20]

John Schneider has said that when he arrived at the premiere, Johnny Knoxville came up to him and apologized for how bad the film was. Schneider has also questioned why TV channels show the film but are not prepared to rerun the original series.[ citation needed ]

Differences from source material

Soundtrack

Jessica Simpson recorded her own version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (and added her own lyrics) for the soundtrack to the film. Performed from the point of view of her character in the movie, Simpson's cover was co-produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and was released as the soundtrack's first single in 2005. It became Simpson's fifth top-20 single in the United States and its music video drew some controversy because of its sexual imagery. [21] Both the original Ram Jam version of "Black Betty", and the Sylvia Massy produced remake by Spiderbait appear in the film. AC/DC's "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" and "Shoot to Thrill" are also played. [22]

Unrated cut

An unrated cut restored changes made to get a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. The unrated cut was released on DVD, and included rated and unrated bonus features, including unrated deleted scenes and blooper scenes. This edition was not rated by the MPAA, and contained additional nudity, language, and violent driving stunts. [23]

Prequel

A prequel to the film, titled The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning , was released to television on March 4, 2007, and released to DVD on March 13, 2007.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Dukes of Hazzard</i> American action-comedy television series (1979–1985)

The Dukes of Hazzard is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of 147 episodes. It was consistently among the top-rated television series in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

<i>The Dukes</i> (TV series) 1983 Saturday morning animated series

The Dukes is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series based on the live-action television series The Dukes of Hazzard which aired on CBS from February 5 to October 29, 1983. Hanna-Barbera Productions produced the series in association with Warner Bros. Television, producer of the original series. 20 episodes were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daisy Duke</span> Fictional character

Daisy Duke is a fictional character, played by Catherine Bach, from the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. She is the cousin of Bo and Luke, the protagonists of the show, and the three live on a farm on the outskirts of Hazzard County with their Uncle Jesse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Best</span> American actor, musician, artist (1926–2015)

Jewel Franklin Guy, known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. During a career that spanned more than 60 years, Best was known for his high-pitched, exasperated voice, who performed not only in feature films, but also in scores of television series, his appearances were almost all on Western programs, as well as appearing on various country music programs and talk shows. He played Captain Thorne Sherman in both films: The Killer Shrews (1959) and its spin-off, Return of the Killer Shrews (2012). Television audiences, however, perhaps most closely associate Best with his starring role as the bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the action-comedy series The Dukes of Hazzard, which originally aired on CBS between 1979 and 1985. He reprised the role in 1997 and 2000 for the made-for-television movies The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! and The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000).

Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, known as Boss Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the commissioner of Hazzard County, and the county's political boss and the main antagonist of the show. Boss Hogg almost always wore an all-white suit with a white cowboy hat and regularly smoked cigars. His namesake is Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America. The role of Boss Hogg was played by Sorrell Booke, who performed frequently on radio, stage, television, and film prior to his role in The Dukes of Hazzard. The character was played by Burt Reynolds in the 2005 film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Duke</span> Fictional character

Beauregard "Bo" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which ran from 1979 to 1985. He was played by John Schneider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Duke</span> Fictional character

Lucas K. "Luke" Duke is a fictional character in The Dukes of Hazzard, an American comedy television series which ran from 1979 to 1985. Played by Tom Wopat in the original TV series, Luke is main protagonist of the show, he is dark-haired, older cousin to the character Bo Duke. He is often the one who comes up with plans to get the Duke family out of trouble. He performs more of the physical stunts, while his cousin Bo does most of the driving. Both Duke boys are known for their signature "hood slide" across the General Lee, their 1969 Dodge Charger. Luke acted hypocritically on occasion, most prominently in season 1 episode 6 "Swamp Molly".

Jerry Elijah Rushing was an American best known for his years as a bootlegger or "moonrunner".

The Boar's Nest is a fictional local restaurant and tavern appearing in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard and its various spinoff films and other productions, and the movie Moonrunners.

<i>The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!</i> 1997 American TV series or program

The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! is a 1997 American made-for-television action-adventure film, reuniting the surviving cast members of the 1979–1985 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which originally aired on CBS on April 25, 1997. The film was directed by Lewis Teague, written by series creator Gy Waldron, and produced by Ira Marvin and Skip Ward.

<i>Moonrunners</i> 1975 film by Gy Waldron

Moonrunners is a 1975 action comedy film starring James Mitchum, about a Southern family who runs bootleg liquor. It was reworked four years later into the popular long-running television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and the two productions share some similarities. Mitchum had co-starred with his father, Robert Mitchum, in the similar drive-in favorite Thunder Road 18 years earlier, which also focused upon moonshine-running bootleggers using fast cars to elude federal agents. Moonrunners, a B movie, was filmed in 1973 and awaited release for over a year. Its soundtrack reflects the outlaw music boom of the 1970s during which the film was released.

<i>The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning</i> 2007 television film directed by Robert Berlinger

The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning is a 2007 American made-for-television buddy comedy film and a prequel to the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard. An edited version of the film originally aired on ABC Family channel on March 4, 2007, and the 'R'-rated and unrated versions were released on DVD March 13.

The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood is a 2000 American made-for-television action-adventure comedy film based on the 1979–1985 television series The Dukes of Hazzard which aired on CBS on May 19, 2000.

Theme from <i>The Dukes of Hazzard</i> (Good Ol Boys) 1980 single by Waylon Jennings

The "Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Waylon Jennings. It was released in August 1980 as the second single from the album Music Man. Recognizable to fans as the theme to the CBS comedy adventure television series The Dukes of Hazzard, the song became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1980.

<i>The Dukes of Hazzard</i> (video game) 1984 video game

The Dukes of Hazzard is a 1984 racing video game developed and published by Coleco for their ColecoVision game console and Coleco Adam computer. Elite Systems released a different game with the same title for the ZX Spectrum computer on February 23, 1985. Both versions are based on the television series of the same name.

<i>General Lee</i> (car) Fictional car of the Dukes of Hazzard series

The General Lee is an orange 1969 Dodge Charger driven in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard by the characters the Duke boys, Bo and Luke, along with cousins Coy and Vance. It is known for its signature horn, its police chases, stunts—especially its long jumps—and for having its doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out through the windows. The car appears in every episode but one. The car's name is a reference to Robert E. Lee, general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It bears a Confederate battle flag on its roof, and also has a horn which plays the first 12 notes of the song "Dixie".

Rosco Purvis Coltrane is a fictional sheriff character who first appeared in the 1975 film Moonrunners, which inspired the creation of the American TV series The Dukes of Hazzard.

<i>The Dukes of Hazzard II: Daisy Dukes It Out</i> 2000 video game

The Dukes of Hazzard II: Daisy Dukes It Out is a racing video game developed by Sinister Games and published by SouthPeak Interactive in North America and Ubi Soft in Europe for the PlayStation in 2000. It is based on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which aired from 1979 to 1985; and is a sequel to the 1999 racing video game The Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home, also developed by Sinister Games.

Cooter's Place, also known simply as Cooter's, is the collective name of three museums in the United States, exhibiting memorabilia from the American action comedy TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. The museums are named after Cooter Davenport, one of the main characters in the show.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)". The Numbers. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Jacqui Maxwell during "The Dukes Of Hazzard" Los Angeles Premiere -..." Getty Images. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  3. ↑ "Dukes of Hazzard cameo for Foyt IV". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 3 August 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Johnny Knoxville interview for Dukes Of Hazzard". Moviehole.net. 2007-12-28. Archived from the original on December 28, 2007. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  5. ↑ "WarnerBros.com | Principal Photography Commences On "The Dukes Of Hazzard," Starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott And Jessica Simpson For Warner Bros. Pictures And Village Roadshow Pictures | Press Releases". www.warnerbros.com. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  6. ↑ Pais, Arthur J. (5 August 2005). "Daisy Duke will ride again". Rediff.com .
  7. ↑ "Top August Opening Weekends at the Box Office". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  8. ↑ The Dukes of Hazzard at Rotten Tomatoes
  9. ↑ "Dukes of Hazzard, The (2005): Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  10. ↑ "DUKES OF HAZZARD, THE (2005) B+". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
  11. ↑ "Movie with Jessica Simpson". Hazzardnet.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  12. ↑ Roger Ebert Reviews The Dukes of Hazzard Archived 2005-09-10 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Ebert and Roeper's Worst of 2005". Rope Of Silicon.com.
  14. ↑ Ebert, Roger (August 11, 2005). "Ebert's Most Hated". Chicago Sun Times . Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  15. ↑ Owen Gleiberman (August 3, 2005). "The Dukes of Hazzard". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  16. ↑ Lippman, John. "The Rights Stuff". wsj.com. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  17. ↑ "'Dukes of Hazzard' Sheriff Sues Warner Bros. for Millions in Royalties". The Hollywood Reporter. 2011-08-02. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
  18. ↑ Dukes of Hazzard, Cooter's Place, archived from the original on 2005-07-16
  19. ↑ "'Dukes' is General-Lee bad.", NY Daily News, August 5, 2005, archived from the original on 2005-10-30, retrieved 1 September 2009
  20. ↑ Exclusive Interview: John Schneider, Moviehole, 2007-12-28, archived from the original on 2007-12-28
  21. ↑ "Jessica Simpson: Singles Chart History". billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  22. ↑ "Jessica Simpson kicks off People's Choice Awards". www.usatoday.com. January 5, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  23. ↑ Wurm, Gerald. "Dukes of Hazzard, The (Comparison: Theatrical Cut - Unrated Edition)". www.movie-censorship.com.
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