Racing Stripes

January 14th, 2005







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Racing Stripes

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Racing StripesFrederik Du Chau in Racing StripesRacing StripesStill of M. Emmet Walsh in Racing StripesStill of Bruce Greenwood and Hayden Panettiere in Racing StripesRacing Stripes

Plot
An abandoned zebra (voice of Frankie Muniz) grows up believing he is a racehorse, and, with the help of his barnyard friends and a teenage girl (Hayden Panettiere), sets out to achieve his dream of racing with thoroughbreds.

Release Year: 2005

Rating: 5.2/10 (6,465 voted)

Critic's Score: 43/100

Director: Frederik Du Chau

Stars: Frankie Muniz, David Spade, Snoop Dogg

Storyline
In the middle of a raging thunderstorm, a traveling circus accidentally leaves behind some very precious cargo--a baby zebra. The gangly little foal is rescued by horse farmer Nolan Walsh, who takes him home to his young daughter Channing. Once a champion thoroughbred trainer, Walsh has given up horse training for a quiet life with Channing on their modest Kentucky farm. The little zebra, or "Stripes," as Channing calls him, is soon introduced to the farm's misfit troupe of barnyard residents, led by a cranky Shetland Pony named Tucker and Franny, a wise old goat who keeps the family in line. The group is joined by Goose, a deranged big-city pelican who's hiding out in the sticks until the heat dies down in Jersey. The un-aptly named bloodhound Lightening keeps a lazy eye on goings-on at the farm - in between naps. The Walsh farm borders the Turfway Racetrack, where highly skilled thoroughbreds compete for horse racing's top honor...

Writers: David Schmidt, Steven P. Wegner

Cast:
Bruce Greenwood - Nolan Walsh
Hayden Panettiere - Channing Walsh
Caspar Poyck - Mailman
Gary Bullock - John Cooper
Wendie Malick - Clara Dalrymple
M. Emmet Walsh - Woodzie
Thandi Puren - Reporter #1
Morne Visser - Reporter #2
Dawn Matthews - Reporter #3
Matt Stern - Reporter #4
John Lesley - Paddock Boss
Graeme Hawkins - Track Announcer
Tarryn Meaker - Anthem Singer
Frankie Muniz - Stripes (voice)
Mandy Moore - Sandy (voice)

Taglines: A tail for the whole family.



Details

Official Website: Central Partnership [Russia] | Official site [uk] |

Release Date: 14 January 2005

Filming Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Opening Weekend: $18,862,432 (USA) (16 January 2005) (3185 Screens)

Gross: $90,754,475 (Worldwide) (27 April 2008)



Technical Specs

Runtime:



Did You Know?

Trivia:
The Shetland pony, Tucker (Dustin Hoffman), had to be painted brown during filming because his real coat turned gray. Everyone was so surprised, but the animal trainers did a little touch-up with brown dye.

Goofs:
Continuity: When Sir Trenton first sees his son racing Stripes, his owner/carer has just started to undo his rug and does not appear to undo the front two straps. When he rears, the front two straps appear to be undone as the rug slips straight off his body.

Quotes:
Goose: You ever try swimming in cement horseshoes.



User Review

Predictable but enjoyable

Rating:

Yes, it's stereotypical, and no, it doesn't reach or even approach the experience of Babe, but it is a fun flick, and one I feel is worth a matinée ticket if you're at all intrigued. I have to give kudos to the filmmakers for using real zebra sounds and vocalizations for Stripes; little details like that can make or break a talking animal film for the viewers who actually know a bit about the animals featured in a film...and hey, is it really too much to ask for a zebra to make zebra noises? There is some amount of potty humor, especially concerning the flies and the Jersey gangster pelican Goose, but it wasn't as much as I had assumed from earlier reviews.

There certainly are better movies out there, but the kids will enjoy this one, and the kid in me did. It was predictable, but comfortingly so, and sometimes it's nice to just sit back, suspend disbelief, and have a non-taxing movie experience where talking, wisecracking animals deliver lessons in life, like how being different isn't a bad thing, real winners are those with the heart to try, and success is often due to the support of those around you. And I do have to admit that one scene near the end brought tears to my eyes, much to my own surprise.





Comments:

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