| The Country Bears | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Hastings |
| Written by | Mark Perez |
| Based on | Walt Disney'sCountry Bear Jamboree |
| Produced by | Andrew Gunn Jeffrey Chernov |
| Starring | Christopher Walken Daryl "Chill" Mitchell Diedrich Bader Alex Rocco Haley Joel Osment |
| Cinematography | C. Mitchell Amundsen |
| Edited by | George Bowers Seth Flaum |
| Music by | Christopher Young |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Box office | $18 million[1] |
The Country Bears is a 2002 Americanmusicalroadcomedy[2] film directed byPeter Hastings, produced byWalt Disney Pictures, and based on the Disney theme park attractionCountry Bear Jamboree. The film starsChristopher Walken,Daryl Mitchell,Diedrich Bader (in a dual role),Alex Rocco, andHaley Joel Osment as the voice of Beary Barrington with the voice talents ofCandy Ford,James Gammon,Brad Garrett,Toby Huss,Kevin Michael Richardson, andStephen Root.
It was Disney's second theatrical film based on an attraction at one of itstheme parks, and the third overall film based on an attraction following thetelevision filmTower of Terror (1997) and the theatrically releasedMission to Mars (2000). The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 26, 2002. It was a critical andcommercial flop, grossing $18 million of its $35 million budget.
The Country Bears, a country rock band consisting entirely ofanthropomorphic bears, had disbanded in 1991 after years of popularity. 11 years later, Beary Barrington, a preteen bear adopted and raised by a human family, feels different. His adoptive parents tell him his family love him unconditionally and that differences lead everyone to their purposes. When Beary's adoptive older brother, Dex, tells him the truth about his background, Beary runs away and ventures out to the Country Bear Hall, the Country Bears' formerconcert hall.
Beary learns from the caretaker Big Al and the band's manager Henry Dixon Taylor that Country Bear Hall is threatened with destruction by greedy banker Reed Thimple. After many attempts to save Country Bear Hall, Beary suggests that Henry hold abenefit concert and the two set out to reunite the group with the band's bus driver and drummer Roadie. The Barringtons enlist police officers Cheets and Hamm to find Beary.
First, they recruit Fred Bedderhead, the harmonica and electric bass player, who works as a security guard on the set of pop singerKrystal's latest music video. Henry needs promotion and Beary suggests the group's former promoter Rip Holland, whom Henry claimed had "stolen" the Country Bears. Henry phones Rip who gladly agrees to promote the show. Fred mentions atalent show history where they defeated an armpit musician named Benny Bogswaggle, who flew into an angry meltdown and struck Zeb Zoober, the band's fiddler with a wooden chair. Thimple approaches Big Al and learns about the Country Bears' plan and about Holland promoting the show.
Next, they approach Zeb, who has spent years drinking honey and owes a $500 bar tab. Zeb wants to return but must pay his debt. Beary places a bet to let Zeb off the hook by beating the house band in a playoff. Zeb starts his performance poorly but wins after warming up. Officer Cheets and Officer Hamm approach Big Al for directions to where Beary went. Because of miscommunication, the officers think the bears have kidnapped Beary.
Tennessee O'Neal, the one-string guitar player, is now a marriage counselor. He is very reluctant to rejoin the band because he wants to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend Trixie St. Claire, the band's keyboard player. After being chased by Officers Cheets and Hamm through a car wash, the Country Bears stop at a motel where Trixie is performing. Tennessee sings a duet with her, and she comes with the band to their reunion.
They finally head out to find Ted Bedderhead, the lead vocalist, guitarist and Fred's older brother. They learn fromElton John that Ted, who appears very wealthy, is at a wedding at the localcountry club. After Ted has the other Country Bears members leave (except Fred), Fred finds Ted and learns that he is only a wedding singer. Fred knocks out Ted and drags him onto the bus. Zeb claims Ted to be the reason for the band's disestablishment, but Ted claims he held them together. Ted says the real problem was Zeb's drinking, Tennessee's emotional outbursts, and Fred's immaturity. Beary reminds them that they claimed each other to be family in aPeople magazine. Still, Ted says it was meaningless publicity and tells him that he doesn't know anything about the real bears and that they are not a family. Beary realizes the real meaning of family and returns home, where he is happily reunited.
The Country Bears read Beary's school essay about them and realize that Beary was right. Reconciling with Beary, Ted goes over to Beary's house, then apologizes for taking his anger out on him and tells Beary how much he has helped them and they will only do the show with Beary. They learn from Roadie that Thimple kidnaps the rest of the Country Bears and steals the bus. Thimple reveals he is Benny Bogswaggle and seeks vengeance on The Country Bears for stealing his chance at fame. Beary, his family, and Ted track down and rescue the band, and they head to the concert together.
There, they discover that Thimple paid Rip not to promote the show. Big Al suddenly arrives and reveals, to everyone's surprise, that he promoted the show himself, and everyone is in a different parking lot. A surge of people rushes in. Defeated, Thimple is driven out of the building while vowing that his feud is not over. The money raised from the concert is enough to save the hall and the Country Bears perform with Beary as a new member of the band.
Cameos
Some of the puppeteers made cameos in the film:
Development began when Disney VP of ProductionBrigham Taylor took his family toDisneyland and decided the show would make a good movie.[3] Many within the company were skeptical of the concept, but Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group presidentNina Jacobson was sold on the concept and immediately pushed the film into production with the blessing of then-Disney chairmanPeter Schneider.[3] The movie was fast-tracked into production, both because of its low cost and to have releasable product on hand in the event of a possible writers' strike.[3]
The animatronic bear suits used in the film were created byJim Henson's Creature Shop.[4]
Filming took place from March 15, 2001, to August 21, 2001. It was filmed inFranklin, Tennessee as well as various locations in California.[5] The film was also the last film role forDaryl Mitchell before he became aparaplegic from a motorcycle accident on November 10, 2001, eight months before the film was released theatrically.
| The Country Bears | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
| Released | July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23) |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Label | Walt Disney Records |
The original music was composed byChristopher Young, and the songs were written byBrian Setzer,John Hiatt, Jimmy Tittle,Krystal Harris andBela Fleck as well asElton John.[6]
| No. | Title | Performers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let It Ride" | John Hiatt | 3:16 |
| 2. | "Where Nobody Knows My Name" | John Hiatt | 4:18 |
| 3. | "Can Love Stand the Test" | Don Henley andBonnie Raitt | 3:41 |
| 4. | "The Kid in You" | Krystal Harris | 3:24 |
| 5. | "I'm Only In It for the Honey" | Stephen Root andBrian Setzer | 2:51 |
| 6. | "Kick it Into Gear" | Jennifer Paige | 2:33 |
| 7. | "Straight to the Heart of Love" | John Hiatt | 4:40 |
| 8. | "Bear Mountain Hop" | Bela Fleck | 1:56 |
| 9. | "Just the Goin'" | John Hiatt | 1:59 |
| 10. | "Where Nobody Knows My Name (Reprise)" | E. G. Daily | 1:52 |
| 11. | "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" | The Byrds | 2:06 |
| 12. | "Friends" | Elton John | 2:25 |
| 13. | "Bearly Home (Score)" | Christopher Young | 2:43 |
| 14. | "Nylon Hymn (Score)" | Christopher Young | 3:41 |
The film was released onVHS andDVD on December 17, 2002. The film was filmed in 1.85:1 widescreen. All copies present the film in 1.33:1 fullscreen.[7][8] This DVD release isTHX certified, featuring a music video, an audio commentary, a documentary and other bonus materials.[9]
Budgeted atUS$35 million,The Country Bears only made $5.3 million in its opening weekend, ranking in sixth place behindAustin Powers in Goldmember,Road to Perdition,Stuart Little 2,Men in Black II andK-19: The Widowmaker.[10] It grossed $16,990,825 in the US and an additional $1,021,272 overseas. The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 26, 2002.
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film received a rating of 29% based on 85 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The site's critic consensus states: "Despite all the celebrities on hand, this spin-off from a theme park attraction still feels tired and hokey."[11] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 37 out of 100, based on 21 critics, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews".[12] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.[13]
A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times gave the film a score of two out of five, explaining that "the plot combinesThe Blues Brothers andAlmost Famous (but with bears, and a G rating), with an excruciating dollop of Disney sentimentality mixed in for good measure."[14] Film criticRoger Ebert gave the film a two out of four stars and said, "the formidable technical skills inThe Country Bears must not be allowed to distract from the film's terminal inanity."[15] Rob Blackwelder ofSPLICEDwire gave it a one-and-a-half out of four rating, calling it "an outdated,Chuck E. Cheese-qualityDisneyland attraction...turn it into a trite, cliche-packed embarrassment of a feature film."[16] Emma Cochrane ofEmpire gave the film a two out of five stars and said, "Too American, too country, too much like a slick, band extension cash-in,Country Bears hovers between cult video hit and utter rubbish, never being compellingly either."[17]
Christopher Walken was nominated for aGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his performance in the film, but lost toHayden Christensen forStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.[18]
On October 5, 2001, the first trailer released was attached toMax Keeble's Big Move in theaters everywhere.
Prior to the film's release, a sequel was announced to be in development. However, it was never produced.[3]
