| We're the Millers | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rawson Marshall Thurber |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Barry Peterson |
| Edited by | Mike Sale |
| Music by | |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $37 million[2] |
| Box office | $270 million[3] |
We're the Millers is a 2013 Americanroadblack comedy film directed byRawson Marshall Thurber and starringJennifer Aniston,Jason Sudeikis,Emma Roberts,Will Poulter,Nick Offerman,Kathryn Hahn,Molly Quinn, andEd Helms. The film's screenplay was written byBob Fisher,Steve Faber,Sean Anders, andJohn Morris, based on a story by Fisher and Faber. The plot follows a small-time pot dealer (Sudeikis) who convinces his neighbors to help him by pretending to be his family in order to smuggle drugs fromMexico into the United States.
The film was released on August 7, 2013, byNew Line Cinema throughWarner Bros. Pictures. Despite mixed reviews, it was a box office success, grossing $270 million worldwide against a $37 million budget during its theatrical run. It was nominated for fourPeople's Choice Awards, and sixMTV Movie Awards, winning two.
InDenver, low-level marijuana dealer David Clark is robbed of his money and stash, some of which he owes to his supplier and college acquaintance Brad Gurdlinger. Gurdlinger forces him to smuggle marijuana from Mexico to clear his debt. Realizing that attempting to get through customs alone would be suspicious, David hires his neighbors—a stripper stage-named Rose; local runaway Casey; and naïve, recently abandoned teenager Kenny—to pose as his wife, daughter, and son respectively, dubbing themselves the "Millers".
When the Millers reach the compound, they learn it is not "a smidge" as Gurdlinger described, but two tons. They are stopped by authorities twice, but get by on bribery and sheer luck. Due to the extra load from the marijuana on the RV, one of the radiator hoses breaks. The Fitzgeralds (consisting of father Don, mother Edie, and daughter Melissa), a family actually vacationing in an RV whom the Millers had encountered at the border, catch up to them and tow them to a repair shop. On the way, they learn that Don is aDEA agent, alarming them.
Kenny develops a crush on Melissa. After he reveals that he has never kissed a girl, Casey and Rose give him kissing lessons while David films; Melissa walks in on them and assumes they are in anincestuous relationship.
Gurdlinger misled David, as the marijuana is stolen from cartel boss Pablo Chacon. The next day, when the Millers head to the shop for the RV, Chacon and his henchman One-Eye are waiting for them. As he prepares to kill the Millers, they disclose they are not a real family and did not know they were stealing from him. Rose is given a chance to prove that she is a stripper by dancing in her underwear, and when she gets close to Chacon, she turns a steam vent onto him. The Millers then escape in the RV, with Kenny behind the wheel.
Due to Kenny's erratic driving, the RV veers off the highway and crashes. In the commotion, a tarantula that snuck aboard the RV in Mexico crawls up Kenny's leg and bites his testicles, resulting in him being hospitalized. This setback further delays the delivery of the drugs, but David renegotiates with Gurdlinger for a fee of $500,000 on the condition he arrives that night.
When Kenny is finally released from the hospital, David rushes him to the RV in a wheelchair and accidentally tips him over. In the ensuing argument, David inadvertently reveals how much he is getting paid, in comparison to how little he offered to pay each of the others. Disgusted by the revelation, Rose, Casey, and Kenny part company with him. David drives away, leaving them at the local carnival, but later regrets abandoning them and returns.
After David apologizes to the trio for not being upfront with them, they agree to rejoin him to get home. As the Millers make their way to the RV, One-Eye finds them but, before he can shoot them, Don comes out of his camper and subdues him. Chacon then comes around the corner with Melissa held at gunpoint and is about to kill them all; however, he is momentarily distracted by the 4th of July fireworks, so David and Kenny subdue him. Kenny kisses Melissa, prompting David to kiss Rose. Don arrests Chacon but lets the Millers leave.
Gurdlinger reveals that he never intended to pay David for smuggling the marijuana. When David delivers it to him, DEA agents arrive and take him into custody thanks to David's tip. Don tells David that he and any witnesses of the crime will be placed intowitness protection until Gurdlinger and Chacon's trials. Later, the Millers, now under witness protection together, are living in a suburban house with marijuana plants growing in the backyard.
The development of the movie first began in 2002.[4]New Line Cinema acquired the script in 2004[5] In March 2005,Peter Cattaneo had signed on to direct, andWill Arnett entered talks to play David Clark later in November.[6][7][8] In February 2006,Steve Buscemi was reported to join.[9] The film ended up in development hell until 2010 when a new draft was produced by Dan Fybel and Rich Rinaldi.Burr Steers and eventual rewritersSean Anders andJohn Morris were considered to replace Cattaneo.[10]Rawson Marshall Thurber signed on as director in 2011, andJason Bateman became attached as the lead two months later.[11] In April 2012, Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis joined the cast.[12] Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Ed Helms and Kathryn Hahn were added in July.[13][14]
Production began inWilmington, North Carolina, on July 23, 2012.[13] Filming also took place inNew Mexico.[15] It was presented at the 2013Traverse City Film Festival.[16]
The film was released in theaters on August 7, 2013, in theUnited States,[17] and on August 23, 2013, in theUnited Kingdom. It was released on September 18, 2013, inFrance, and was released on November 8, 2013, inSpain.
We're the Millers was released onBlu-ray andDVD on November 19, 2013, byWarner Home Video.[18][19] The DVD was released as a two-disc special edition, containing two versions of the film: the original theatrical version, and the "unrated" extended cut with 8 minutes of new material and 45 minutes of featurettes, outtakes and deleted scenes.
We're the Millers grossed over seven times its $37 million budget, earning over $150 million in North America and $119 million internationally for a worldwide total of $270 million.[17]
OnRotten Tomatoes,We're the Millers has an approval rating of 48% based on 157 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "We're the Millers squanders its potential with an uneven, lazily assembled story."[20] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[22]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Key Art Awards | Best Trailer – Audio/Visual | Warner Bros.,New Line Cinema,Trailer Park | Nominated |
| 2014 | People's Choice Awards[23] | Favorite Movie Actress | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated |
| Favorite Comedic Movie Actress | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated | ||
| Favorite On-Screen Chemistry | Jennifer Aniston andJason Sudeikis | Nominated | ||
| Favorite Comedic Movie | We're the Millers | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | BAFTA Rising Star Award | Will Poulter | Won | |
| Empire Awards | Best Male Newcomer | Will Poulter | Nominated | |
| MTV Movie Awards[24][25] | Best Female Performance | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated | |
| Best Breakthrough Performance | Will Poulter | Won | ||
| Best Shirtless Performance | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated | ||
| Best Kiss | Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Jennifer Aniston | Won | ||
| Best Song from a Movie | Will Poulter –Waterfalls | Nominated | ||
| Best Comedic Performance | Jason Sudeikis | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards[26] | Choice Movie Actress: Comedy | Emma Roberts | Won | |
| Choice Movie: Liplock | Emma Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Will Poulter | Nominated | ||
| Choice Movie: Hissy Fit | Jason Sudeikis | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Casting Society of America | Big Budget Comedy | Lisa Beach, Sarah Katzman, Lisa Mae Fincannon, Jeremy Gordon, Beth Lipari, Dana Salerno | Nominated |
On February 25, 2014,Warner Bros. Pictures andNew Line Cinema announced that a sequel toWe're the Millers was in development, titledWe're Still the Millers, withAdam Sztykiel writing the script.[27] In March 2023, while promotingMurder Mystery 2,Jennifer Aniston confirmed that the sequel was scrapped.[28]
