THE MOVIE PAGES presents CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS CWACOMeatballs.htm

What Do The Critics Say?

"Mischievously expanding on Judi and Ron Barrett's popular book, writerdirectors Phil Lord and Chris Miller introduce us to a depressed fishing town called Swallow. Their hero is Flint Lockwood, an accident-prone inventor who baffles his blue-collar dad and infuriates the local police officer. So what could be better than an endless supply of jellybeans and ice cream? Only a multiplex permanently stocked with smart, sweetly silly family films like this one."
Elizabeth Weitzman NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
"It's not only a super cute adventure, perfectly appropriate for kids of all ages, but the vocal talent is a bountiful buffet, to say the least."
Staci Layne Wilson BUZZINE MAGAZINE
"I'm a sucker for a good kids' flick and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs really delivers the goods."
Robin Clifford REELING REVIEWS
"Food has never been funnier than it is in the spirited, animated family film Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Great-looking, smart and laugh-aloud funny a lot of the time. Chances are you'll eat it up."
Tom Long DETROIT NEWS
"Meatballs, steaks, spaghetti, ice cream and candy are falling from the sky. You just described my version of heaven."
Willie Waffle WILLIEWAFFLE MOVIES
"A mouth-wateringly magnificent comedy that's as good as any toon made in the last five years."
David Edwards UK DAILY MIRROR

"If you give a sweet and popular children's book from 1978 to animators raised on The Simpsons and The Ren and Stimpy Show, the result will be something like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It's still sweet and fun but also more anarchic, political and hard-edged, not to mention a bit hallucinogenic, especially when you are wearing the latest 3D glasses. Watching a hurricane of spaghetti whirl across the purple sky in three dimensions is more than a little trippy."
Paul Byrnes ENTERTAINMENT SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
"When I dismiss many children's movies as being insipid and low-brow, I mean they actually insult their young audiences. Not this one. I saw this show in 3-D, which of course costs a little more for the experience. There's nothing like seeing burgers coming at you from the sky! But I'm willing to bet that it's every bit as much fun in 2-D if you want to save a little money."
Linda Cook QUAD CITY TIMES
"Silly and surprisingly funny, Meatballs is light on its feet and quick-witted, with a bonus self-awareness that most family flicks confuse with irony."
Matt Paris METROFLIX
"When it rains hamburgers and other appetizers Sam feeds us pun-lover delights like: "We all love a meteor shower but you've never seen a meatier shower than this." More mouthwatering puns, sight gags and jokes follow as Flint programs different meals and different desserts for different days. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The title alone tickles the taste buds."
Gary Wolcott MR MOVIES

The Inside Story Sony Pictures Animation’s "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" began life in 1978 as a children’s book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett, which now has over a million copies in print. With its charming, visually inventive style, absurdist sense of humor, and fantastic premise: a town where food falls from the sky!; it seemed a foregone conclusion that the book would be adapted into an animated movie. But no one was quite able to do it until writer-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller came along and found inspiration from a seemingly obvious source: the book itself. "It’s a hilarious book and great inspiration," says the 2007 ShoWest Animation Director of the Year, Miller, who notes that it was their favorite book as kids. "The film we wrote starts with the book’s overall structure: there’s a town where food falls like rain, but that turns out to have great problems for the people; and builds from there. We get to find out the origins of how the town came to be Chewandswallow and follow an ensemble of unique characters through this crazy adventure." "We thought, wow, that would be a great action movie," says Lord ("Clone High"). "All of the events in the film would be very, very silly, but the characters would take them all very, very seriously." And you’d take it seriously, too, if a giant spaghetti tornado threatened your town, as it does to Chewandswallow. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" represents the ultimate in food fun and mayhem. "I always had the feeling that this would make a great animated movie, and it turns out, Sony Pictures Animation did, too," says Judi Barrett whose work includes, "Never Take a Shark to the Dentist" and the sequel to "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs": "Pickles to Pittsburgh". "Though it needed stretching and development in length, characters, and plot, they saw all its wonderful possibilities. If you’re a fan of the book you’ll certainly recognize some of your very favorite and memorable iconic images in the movie. The end results are extraordinary: in fact, they’re mind-boggling." One of the changes the filmmakers chose for the film is the look of the story itself. As delightfully whimsical as Ron Barrett’s original cross-hatch illustrations are, the filmmakers felt that a feature-length film required a different approach. For inspiration, they found illustrations by Miroslav Sasek, whose 1950s series of books (including "This is Paris", "This is London", "This is New York", etc) feature a graphic, modern illustrative style. The filmmakers also drew inspiration from the Muppets, whose exaggerated and often silly gestures informed how they wanted their own characters to move. "The idea for the film was so silly, we felt that we needed the look to be silly," says Miller. "Animation often requires exaggerated poses to convey the emotion of the scene, so we went with a look: big eyes, big mouths, big expressions; that gave the film an emotionally heightened feeling." Still, it seemed natural to the filmmakers to tip their hats to the book by recreating some of its most memorable images: a giant Jell-O mold, a giant pancake settling over a school, a sandwich sailing ship, and several other images made their way into the film as the writer-directors built a new story around them. In creating their new story for the film, the filmmakers would also invent a new cast of characters. At the center of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is Flint Lockwood, the wannabe inventor who yearns to invent something that will make people happy. Flint’s town is unhappy. Since the sardine-canning factory closed down, all they have to eat are the gross leftover sardines. So Flint invents something to solve that problem: a machine that turns water into food.

Since childhood, Flint Lockwood has dreamed of inventing something that would make a difference in people’s lives. Unfortunately, all of his absurd inventions have ended in trouble for him, his parents, and his hometown of Swallow Falls. But this ceaseless optimist has never given up on his lifelong goal. Bill Hader, a regular on "Saturday Night Live" who recently had a memorable turn as General Custer in "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian", voices Flint. "Bill’s got a deep, rich, action-hero voice, but he’s also able to get across that Flint is a geeky guy who doesn’t know how to talk to girls. Only Bill could show both sides of Flint, the hero and the vulnerability," says Lord. "Bill is known for his amazing vocal range," Miller adds, "but what was so special about his performance was that he was able to be really funny and at the same time really sincere." Hader understood what made the character tick. "Like everybody, Flint just wants to be liked. He’s a bit socially awkward, so he thinks he needs to do something big; invent something that will make everybody happy. He thinks that he has to prove himself, but what he doesn’t realize is that people like him just for who he is." Sam Sparks is a cute, young, enthusiastic intern at the Weather News Network, who dreams of becoming a professional TV weather reporter. She gets her big break when she witnesses and exclusively reports on, one of the greatest weather stories of all time: a cheeseburger rain! As Flint’s food machine creates more and more delicious food weather, Sam’s career skyrockets to worldwide fame. Anna Faris ("Waiting") is the voice of Sam Sparks. "Anna is lovely, winning, and charming," says Lord. "Not only does she make the character appealing, cute, and fun, but Anna can deliver a joke really well. She’s got an amazing voice." "When she was a kid, Sam was passionate about science and very smart, and she got teased for it," says Miller. "So she covered it up. She’s very beautiful, so it was easy for her to do, to push it down and pretend to be ditzy, so the mocking would stop." The problem is, Sam can’t hide her excitement about weather, which comes out in energized bursts. Through Flint, Sam learns to embrace her true self. "She’s afraid to be who she really is," says Faris, who was cast as Lashawn Malone in "Brokeback Mountain". "But she’s passionate about weather and science, and when she meets Flint, her job becomes her dream job. She’s suddenly in heaven, and that brings her out of her shell." The chemistry between Hader and Faris was evident. "They did some recording sessions together," says producer Pam Marsden ("Dinosaur"). "It was a lot of fun to watch them." Tim Lockwood is Flint’s old-fashioned, technophobic, reserved dad. He loves his son and tries to be a supportive father, but only knows how to communicate using fishing metaphors, which make no sense to Flint. When Flint’s amazing food machine turns him into the town hero, Tim is worried that things will end in disaster, like Flint’s previous inventions. Only when Flint loses faith in himself does Tim rise to the occasion and find a way to show his son how much he loves and appreciates him. 2005 Golden Boot Award winner James Caan provided the voice for Tim. "I wanted to make Tim a monotone guy who: goes about his business, he’s got his shop and the sardines and that’s it. Y’know, we all fall into patterns and habits; you do ‘em long enough and they’re hard to break. So I can see how Tim and Flint fell into their relationship." Flint’s best (and only) friend and most trusted (and only) colleague is his pet monkey, Steve. Three time Young Artist Award winner Neil Patrick Harris voices Steve.

Flint, convinced that mankind would be improved if humans could understand the deep, wise thoughts of animals, invented the Monkey Thought Translator. Unfortunately, just about the only thought that goes through Steve’s tiny monkey-brain is "Hungry! Hungry! Hungry! Hungry!" Yes, it’s true: they got Neil Patrick Harris ("Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay") to play a freekin monkey. "It was the only solution: get a first-class actor to say one-syllable words. And there’s no one better than Neil Patrick Harris," says Lord. Could casting him have had something to do with Harris’s relationship with the filmmakers following their stint on TV'S hit series "How I Met Your Mother?" "Possibly. But unlikely," says Miller. "Steve is Flint’s right-hand monkey. Flint builds a thought translator that Steve wears around his neck, but since Steve’s A, a monkey, and B, not so sharp, he doesn’t have a lot to say. He says the same eight things over and over!" Harris, who played Douglas 'Doogie' Howser in ninety episodes of TV'S "Doogie Howser, M.D.", kidded. "I’m a method actor. I wanted to know, how does a mentally deficient monkey say, 'hungry?' Dumb? Straight? Empty? Loud? Nobody had any real answers to my questions." Mayor Shelbourne, the self-absorbed mayor of Flint’s small town of Swallow Falls, knows a good thing when he sees it." "I always enjoy playing complete blowhards," says 2005 International Fantasy Film Award winner Campbell. "The guys who think they’re smarter than they are, or better than they are, or more handsome than they are. They’re always bound to take a fall. Usually, it’s an idiot who gets to be a little bit less of an idiot by the end. But the mayor, he’s just an even bigger idiot at the end." And how to play such a role? "He’s got a bit of showman, a bit of car salesman," Campbell, who plays Sam Axe in "Burn Notice" explained. "Actually, the visual of me recording the role must have been strange. I had just blown out my hamstring in an accident, so my first session I was sitting in a chair with a big block of ice underneath my leg, stuffing tissue paper in my mouth to sound fat." 'Baby' Brent is the biggest celebrity in Swallow Falls. When he was a baby, he posed for the label of Swallow Falls' only export: sardines. Now grown up, Brent lives off the glory gained in his infancy, even continuing to do the pose: in a diaper; for special events in town. But Brent's world comes crashing down when Flint’s becomes the new town hero. With his star tarnished, will Brent, voiced by 2007 Emmy Award winner Andy Samberg ("Saturday Night Live"), finds a new purpose in life? "Brent is a total moron. I mean that in the best possible way,"says Samberg. "He was a child actor and the mascot for the sardines they used to produce in Swallow Falls. He became their local celebrity and kind of a hero, but now he’s all grown up and he’s one of the most massive buffoons in the history of film." Earl Devereaux is the overprotective town cop who insists on everyone obeying the rules. Who else but Mr. T could play the role? Nobody, fool. Mr. T lends Earl both sides of his personality. "For the children, the 'T' stands for tender. To the bad guys and thugs, the 'T' stands for tough,” says Mr T. "I look tough and I act tough, but I’m nothing but a big teddy bear." "I’m not sure if the character embodies T or if T embodies the character," says Lord. "They’ve both got a lot of love, they’re both very intense, and they’re both real heroes." "On the other hand, T has a Mohawk and Earl is bald. So in that sense, they’re total opposites," Miller says. Cal Devereaux is voiced by Bobb'e J Thompson, whose film credits include, "Cellular" & "Role Models". Synopsis

Aspiring inventor Flint Lockwood is the socially awkward genius behind some of the most bizarre contraptions ever conceived. Despite the fact his inventions, from spray-on shoes to a monkey thought translator, have been spectacular failures that caused trouble in his small town, Flint is determined to create something that will make people happy. When his latest machine, designed to turn water into food, accidentally destroys the town square and rockets up into the clouds, he thinks his inventing career is over. Until something amazing happens: cheeseburgers start raining from the sky. His machine actually works! The food weather is an instant success, and Flint forges a fast friendship with Sam Sparks, the weathergirl who comes to town to cover what she calls "the greatest weather phenomenon in history." But when people greedily start asking for more and more food, things turn chaotic.

The Verdict "There's been a bucketload of great animated films this year and I for one don't envy the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when it comes to choosing the finalists, who will be competing for an Oscar ® in the 'Best Animated Film' category. Now another candidate for Oscar ® has hit the bigscreen and this one is no lightweight contender when it comes to the slugfest for what is the most highly prized award in the movie industry. "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" provides, pardon the pun, a smorgasbord of treats and a feast for the eyes, with its colorful characters, excellent voicing and wicked 3D imagery. Go see it! 4 1/2 STARS." Who Plays Who?

Bill Hader
Anna Faris
James Caan
Andy Samberg
Bruce Campbell
Mr. T
Bobb'e J. Thompson
Benjamin Bratt
Neil Patrick Harris
Al Roker
Lauren Graham
Will Forte
Max Neuwirth
Peter Siragusa
Angela Shelton
Neil Flynn
Liz Cackowski

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Flint Lockwood
Sam Sparks
Tim Lockwood
'Baby' Brent
Mayor Shelbourne
Earl Devereaux
Cal Deveraux
Manny
Steve
Patrick Patrickson
Fran Lockwood
Joe Towne
Young Flint
Rufus
Regina Devereaux
Weather News Network Producer
Flint's Teacher

The Production Team

Directors
Adapted from
Screenplay
Producer
Original Music
Casting
Production Designer
Art Direction

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Phil Lord & Chris Miller
the book by Judi Barrett & Ron Barrett
Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Pam Marsden
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mary Hidalgo
Justin Thompson
Michael Kurinsky