| The Hangover | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Todd Phillips |
| Produced by | Todd Phillips Daniel Goldberg |
| Written by | Jon Lucas Scott Moore Todd Phillips (uncredited) Jeremy Garelick (uncredited) |
| Starring | Bradley Cooper Ed Helms Zach Galifianakis Heather Graham Justin Bartha Jeffrey Tambor |
| Music by | Christophe Beck |
| Cinematography | Lawrence Sher |
| Editing by | Debra Neil-Fisher |
| Studio | Legendary Pictures |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | June 5, 2009 |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million[1] |
| Gross revenue | $467,322,503[2] |
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, and produced by Todd Phillips and Daniel Goldberg. The film was produced by Legendary Pictures for Warner Bros. Pictures. It stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Mike Tyson and Heather Graham.
The plot follows four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, only to wake up the next morning not remembering a thing and missing the groom, whose wedding is scheduled to occur the next day. The film was inspired by the filmmakers' real-life misadventures, and was released in North America on June 5, 2009, to critical praise and box office success, and going on to win awards including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy .
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Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to be married to Tracy (Sasha Barrese). His friends — Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and soon-to-be brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis) — take him to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Tracy's father (Jeffrey Tambor) lends them his car, a vintage Mercedes convertible, for the trip. The four get a villa at Caesars Palace hotel and casino, then sneak onto the roof and toast to the year ahead. The next morning, the three groomsmen wake up in the suite with no memory of the previous night and soon realize that Doug is missing. Clues abound: the suite is in severe disorder, a tiger is in the bathroom, a baby is in the closet, Stu is missing a tooth and has an ATM receipt for $800, one of the suite's mattresses is impaled on a statue outside, Phil is wearing a hospital bracelet, and a valet brings them a stolen police cruiser they dropped off the night before, and a chicken is wandering around the room.
While retracing their steps, a doctor at the hospital informs them that they had traces of roofies in their blood explaining their memory loss, and that they came from a wedding. They find the chapel, and learn that Stu, despite planning to propose to his controlling girlfriend Melissa (Rachael Harris), married an escort named Jade (Heather Graham), who turns out to be the mother of the baby in the closet. In the parking lot, they escape an attack by two Asian gangsters who beat on the police car yelling "Where is he?". Confused, the men visit Jade's apartment and return the baby, but are taken by surprise by the police, the cruiser's original owners, who arrest them for stealing their car. Phil negotiates their release in exchange for the three groomsmen "volunteering" as targets for a humiliating taser demonstration. They then retrieve the miraculously-unharmed Mercedes, which had been abandoned in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard, from an impound lot and discover a fully naked Asian man (Ken Jeong) in the trunk. The man attacks them with a crowbar and runs away, and Alan admits to spiking their drinks the night before with what he thought was ecstasy, but realizes the drug dealer must have sold him roofies instead. They return to the hotel and find former boxing champion Mike Tyson in their room, looking for his stolen tiger. Tyson knocks out Alan and orders them to return the pet to his mansion. They drug the tiger with roofies and transport it in the Mercedes, but before they reach Tyson's mansion, it wakes up and destroys the car's interior, forcing them to get out and push the car the rest of the way. After the tiger is returned, Tyson plays security footage of the groomsmen's activities from the night before in an effort to help them locate Doug.
Resuming their search, the three are confronted by the thugs, who, as it turns out, are led by the Asian they found in the trunk of their car, an Asian gangster named Leslie Chow. According to Chow, the groomsmen have $80,000 of his money, which they accidentally took the night before. Chow demands it back in exchange for Doug, whom he has kidnapped. Unable to find the money, Alan uses his knowledge of card counting to win it playing blackjack similar in style to Rain Man. The money is repaid, but Chow had kidnapped a different man named Doug, who turns out to be the drug dealer who sold Alan the roofies. After a conversation with Doug the drug dealer, Stu remembers that hotel windows do not open in Las Vegas (mostly for the exact reason that they're in this mess), and therefore the mattress on the statue must have been thrown from the roof, where they had most likely locked out Doug as a prank. Rushing back to the roof, they find him, weary and severely sunburned from being stuck there for a day and a half, with fewer than four hours before the wedding. Before leaving, Stu meets with Jade and the pair agree that they cannot remain married, but promise to meet the following weekend to see what develops between them. Jade also reveals that Stu had pulled out his own tooth on a bet from Alan declaring, "I bet Stu isn't a good enough dentist that he could pull his own tooth out". As they rush home and make it to the wedding, Doug reveals that he found Chow's $80,000 worth of casino chips in his jacket pocket on the roof. Doug marries Tracy, Phil happily returns to his wife and son, and Stu proudly breaks up with Melissa. As the reception ends, Alan reveals Stu's digital camera he discovered in the back seat of the Mercedes chronicling the events they were unable to remember, and the four agree to look at the pictures only once before erasing the evidence.
As the credits roll, the pictures from the camera are shown.
"I think part of what's special about this movie is that none of the comedy comes from the characters being clever, like you see in a lot of sitcoms or movies, where the characters actually have a funny sense of humor. That's not the case in this movie. So as an actor, you can really play the intensity and gravity and seriousness of the moment, and just rely on the circumstances being funny. The joke is kind of the situation you’re in, or the way you’re reacting to something, as opposed to the characters just saying something witty."
The plot was reportedly inspired by a real-life event that happened to Tripp Vinson, a producer friend of The Hangover executive producer Chris Bender. Vinson had gone missing from his own Las Vegas bachelor party, blacking out and waking up "in a strip club being threatened with a very, very large bill [he] was supposed to pay".[8]
The original script written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore sold to Warner Bros. for more than $2,000,000. The story was about three pals who lose the groom at his Vegas bachelor party and then must retrace their steps to figure out what happened.[9] The script was then rewritten by Jeremy Garelick and director Todd Phillips, who added Mike Tyson and his tiger, the baby, and the police cruiser. The Writers Guild of America did not permit their work to be credited due to what Phillips described as an "insane" and "nebulous" set of rules.[8][10][11]
Fifteen days of filming occurred in Nevada.[12] The fictitious Best Little Wedding Chapel was filmed at 1236 S. Las Vegas Boulevard. A few of the driving scenes were filmed along a stretch of California Interstate 210, near the cities of Rialto and San Bernardino.[citation needed][13]
Helms said filming The Hangover was more physically demanding than any other role he had done, and that he lost eight pounds while making the film. He said the most difficult day of shooting was the scene when Mr. Chow rams his car and attacks the main characters, which Helms said required many takes and was very painful, such as when a few of the punches and kicks accidentally landed and when his knees and shins were hurt while being pulled out of a window.[7] The missing tooth was not created with prosthetics or visual effects, but is naturally occurring: Helms never had an adult incisor grow, and got a dental implant as a teenager which was removed for filming.[14]
Phillips tried to convince the actors to allow him to use a real taser until Warner Bros. lawyers stepped in.[15]
Regarding the explicit shots in the final photo slide show in which his character is seen receiving fellatio in an elevator, Galifianakis confirmed that a prosthesis was used for the scene, and that he had been more embarrassed than anyone else during the creation of the shot. "You would think that I wouldn't be the one who was embarrassed; I was extremely embarrassed. I really didn't even want it in there. I offered Todd's assistant a lot of money to convince him to take it out of the movie. I did. But it made it in there."[16]
The scenes involving animals were filmed mostly with trained animals. Trainers and safety equipment were digitally removed from the final version. Some prop animals were used, such as when the tiger was hidden under a sheet and being moved on a baggage cart. Such efforts were awarded with an "Outstanding" rating by the American Humane Association for the monitoring and treatment of the animals.[17]
Helms, Galifianakis, and Cooper were all casual acquaintances before The Hangover was filmed, which Helms said he believed helped in establishing a rapport and chemistry between their characters. Helms credited Phillips for "bringing together three guys who are really different, but really appreciate each other's humor and sensibilities." Helms also said the fact that the story of the three characters growing closer and bonding informed the friendship between the three actors: "As you spend 14 hours a day together for three months, you see a lot of sides of somebody. We went through the wringer together, and that shared experience really made us genuine buddies."[7]
Us Weekly reported that Lindsay Lohan was offered a role but ultimately turned it down, because the screenplay "had no potential."[18] The article claimed that Lohan's agent "tried hard to get Phillips to consider her, and when he finally agreed, Lindsay said she didn't like the script."
The film had a marketing budget of $40 million.[1]
The film had several cross-promotions and corporate partners. The hotel Caesars Palace which featured in the film and their corporate parent, Harrah's Casino Hotels, offered a special Hangover package deal. Drinkin Mate, Feel Better the Next Day, co-sponsored radio satellite promotions in Los Angeles and Chicago. Fast food restaurant White Castle and skincare company Peter Thomas Roth also ran promotions.[19]
The Hangover proved to be an overwhelming financial success. On its first day of release, the film drew $16,734,033 on approximately 4,500 screens at 3,269 sites, beating out the big budgeted Land of the Lost — the other major new release of the weekend — for first day take.[20] Although initial studio projections had the Disney/Pixar film Up holding on to the number one slot for a second consecutive weekend, final revised figures, bolstered by a surprisingly strong Sunday showing, ultimately had The Hangover finishing first for the weekend, with $44,979,319 from 3,269 theaters, averaging $13,759 per venue, narrowly edging out Up for the top spot, and more than doubling the take of Land of the Lost, which finished third with $18.8 million.[21] The film beat even Warner Bros. own expectations — which had anticipated it would finish third behind Up and Land of the Lost — benefiting from positive word-of-mouth and critical praise, and a generally negative buzz for Land of the Lost.[21][22] It stayed at the number one position in its second weekend grossing another $32,794,387, from 3,355 theaters for an average of $9,775 per venue, and bringing the 10-day amount to $104,768,489.
As of December 17, 2009, it has grossed $277,322,503 in the United States and Canada, making more than six times its opening as the opening weekend made up only 16.2% of the total gross. It also made an additional $190,000,000 in international markets, for a total worldwide gross of $467,322,503, making it the ninth highest grossing movie of 2009, as well as the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever in the United States (second when accounting for inflation), surpassing a record previously held by Beverly Hills Cop for almost 25 years.[2][23] Out of all R-rated movies, it is the third highest grossing ever in the U.S., behind only The Passion of the Christ and The Matrix Reloaded.[24]
The Hangover has received primarily positive reviews. It holds a 78% positive response rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 193 professional reviews, with the consensus that "with a clever script and hilarious interplay among the cast, The Hangover nails just the right tone of raunchy humor, and the non-stop laughs overshadow any flaw."[25] Film critic Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars out of four, stating "Now this is what I'm talkin' about. The Hangover is a funny movie, flat out, all the way through. Its setup is funny. Every situation is funny. Most of the dialogue is funny almost line by line."[26]
Among those who did not like the film were Richard Corliss of Time, who thought "virtually every joke either is visible long before it arrives or extends way past its expiration date" and added, "Whatever the other critics say, this is a bromance so primitive it's practically Bro-Magnon."[27] In his review in the Baltimore Sun, Michael Sragow called the film a "foul mesh of cheap cleverness and vulgarity,"[28] and Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News rated it 2½ out of 5 stars and noted, "Amusing as it is, it never feels real. That may not seem like a big deal — a lot of funny movies play by their own rules — except that The Hangover keeps doubling-down on the outlandishness."[29]
Many critics noted the weak character development, especially in its female characters.[30] Ebert, despite his praise, stated, "I won't go so far as to describe it as a character study" but that the film is more than the sum of its parts - parts that may at first seem a little generic or clichéd,[31] since many other films (such as Very Bad Things) have already explored the idea of a weekend in Vegas gone wrong. Critics also complained about misogyny[32] and stereotyping, in particular the flamboyantly gay Asian gangster.[33]
On January 17, 2010, The Hangover won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, beating out 500 Days of Summer.[32] It was also named one of the top ten movies of the year by the American Film Institute. The film won "Best Ensemble" from the Detroit Film Critics Society.[34] The screenplay was nominated for a Writers Guild of America and BAFTA award.
The score for the movie was composed by Christophe Beck. The movie featured around 20 songs, consisting of music by Kanye West, Dyslexic Speedreaders, Danzig, The Donnas, Usher, Phil Collins, The Belle Stars, T.I., Wolfmother and The Dan Band, who tend to feature in Todd Phillips movies as the inappropriate, bad-mouthed wedding band. The Dan Band also has a version of 50 Cent Hit single "Candy Shop". "Right Round" by Flo Rida is played over the closing credits.[35][36] The film uses the Kanye West song "Can't Tell Me Nothing" for which Zach Galifianakis made an alternative music video.
The Hangover was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and UMD on December 15, 2009. There is a single disc theatrical version featuring both full and wide screen option (DVD only), as well as a wide screen two-disc unrated version of the film (DVD, Blu-ray, and UMD). The unrated version is approximately eight minutes longer than the theatrical version. The unrated version is on disc one and the theatrical version, digital copy, and the different featurettes are on disc two.[37] The Hangover beat Inglourious Basterds and G-Force in first week DVD and Blu-ray sales, as well as rentals, selling more than 8.6 millions units and making it the best selling comedy ever on DVD and Blu-ray, beating the previous record held by My Big Fat Greek Wedding.[38]
Warner Bros. committed to a sequel even before the film went on general release.[39] Variety later reported in July 2009, that production on The Hangover 2 will begin in October 2010, for a Memorial Day weekend 2011 release, following the same production schedule used for the first film.[40]
Director Todd Philips dismissed rumors that Zac Efron would star in The Hangover 2.[41] Justin Bartha said he'd welcome Efron “If it gets people in the seats," adding that he would also welcome the whole male cast of Twilight and Will Smith, too.[41] Actor Ed Helms admits Efron would be a welcome addition to the cast, commenting, "I love that guy. He's actually really funny." Efron himself says he has not been contacted about the role but that he would welcome the chance to work with the cast.[41]
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| The Hangover 2 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Todd Phillips |
| Produced by | Todd Phillips |
| Written by |
Todd Phillips Scot Armstrong |
| Starring |
Bradley Cooper Ed Helms Zach Galifianakis Justin Bartha Ken Jeong |
| Studio | Legendary Pictures |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | July 4, 2011 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | The Hangover |
The Hangover 2 is an upcoming 2011 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by himself and Scot Armstrong. It is the sequel to 2009's The Hangover. It stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha and Ken Jeong, and is being produced by Legendary Pictures. Production began in October 2010 and is scheduled for a fourth of July weekend 2011 release.
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In April 2009 Warner Bros. set director Todd Phillips to write a sequel to The Hangover with Scot Armstrong. The dealmaking came two months before the first “Hangover” went out through Warner Bros. on June 5, 2009. While studios often wait to see box office results before committing to a sequel, “The Hangover” tested strongly, and a trailer brought down the house at ShoWest.[1]
Variety later reported in July 2009, that production on The Hangover 2 will begin in October 2010, for a Memorial Day 2011 release, following the same production schedule used for the first film.[2] Also in July Zach Galifianakis stated in an interview with Latino Review that the film will be set in Thailand, "Well, I think we're going to Thailand. The problem with 'Hangover 2' is that we have to up what we did which is very difficult. So we get, I think, kind of kidnapped. It has nothing to do with the bachelor party. We're definitely not doing that again but we do end up in an exotic location. That's all I know".[3]
In January 2010 director Todd Phillips dismissed rumors that Zac Efron would join the cast of The Hangover 2 though actor Ed Helms stated Efron would be a welcomed addition, commenting, "I love that guy. He's actually really funny".[4]
In March 2010 Todd Phillips denied reports that the film will take place in Mexico or Thailand stating, "I don’t know. There’s a lot of rumors. There was rumor also that it was going to Mexico or something and neither are true.[5] Also in March it was reported that Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha have all completed talks and were ready to sign deals to reprise their roles in the sequel. Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms will each reportedly be paid in the vicinity of $5 million against 4% of first dollar gross. Director/producer Todd Phillips will reportedly be paid around $10 million against 10%. Phillips was also offered escalators and bonuses that insure if the sequel does anywhere close to the original’s $467 million worldwide gross, then he would not make less than his income on the original.[6]
In June, 2010, before accepting the Guy Movie of the Year award on the Spike Guys Choice Awards, director Todd Phillips announced that there will be a Hangover 2 and are hoping to begin filming around October 15, 2010 for a July 4, 2011 weekend release.[7]
In July 2010 it was confirmed that film will indeed be set in Thailand and earlier comments made Todd Phillips denying such reports was a deliberate case of misdirection.[8] The following month Bradley Cooper stated he believes the rumors to be true and was looking forward to filming The Hangover 2 in Thailand.[9]
In October 2010, it was confirmed by director Todd Phillips that the film would take place in Bangkok and Los Angeles and that Galifianakis, Cooper, Helms and Jeong would be returning.[10] On October 11, 2010 it was reported that filming of The Hangover 2 had begun in Ontario, Canada along with the first images of production being released.[11]
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