Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

2006
PG-13
1h 48m

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

204K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:29

Buddy Comedy Motorsport Satire Comedy Sport

Number one NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladd... Read allNumber one NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.Number one NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

204K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,069

357

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 8 wins & 9 nominations

Trivia
Cal, Ricky, and Girard were all introduced during driver introductions at the 2005 UAW Ford 500 at Talladega. Ricky and Cal were cheered, but when Girard was introduced as a driver from France driving the Perrier car, the entire crowd started booing without any prompting.

Goofs
In one of the races, Ricky Bobby has a "Fig Newton" sticker on his windshield, taking up practically the entire windshield. During his crash sequence, there is no sticker on his windshield.

Quotes
Ricky Bobby: If you ain't first, you're last.

Crazy credits
After the credits, there is a scene where "Walker" and "Texas Ranger" are reading with Ricky Bobby's mom and discussing symbolism in William Faulkner's "The Bear".

Alternate versions
In the DVD version of the film the scene where young Ricky steals his mother's station wagon (as seen in the theatrical version) is missing.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby/Little Miss Sunshine/Shadowboxer/Miami Vice/The Night Listener (2006)

Soundtracks
King of the Road
Written and Performed by Roger Miller
Published by Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
Courtesy of Mercury Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User reviews519

Review

Featured review

7/10

Shake and Bake, Baby!

Will Ferrell and John C Reilly at their best. Arguably the two's greatest collaboration in the fierce, fast and extremely funny Talladega Nights, which teaches us all, in life, if you ain't first... you're last.

Ricky, a NASCAR racing sensation, is the number one racer in the world. After Jean beats him in a race and becomes the top racer, Ricky tries to regain his dominance.

The full title adding 'The Ballad of Ricky Bobby' - Talladega Nights referencing the city of Alabama and its famous Superspeedway, a landmark of NASCAR racing and a site where champions are made. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (whom also directs) write the film; the script is hilarious, unforgettable scenes are overrun by unforgettable lines in what will have you attempting to ask someone what is the "capital of North Carolina" in a rich Eastern American accent - the writing matches the enthusiasm of all the cast, a signature role for Jack McBrayer and David Koechner as well as Sacha Baron Cohen and Amy Adams showing their versatility in acting alongside Ferrell and Reilly who seemingly bounce off one another and the vibrancy on screen appears almost improvised.

The storyline is lacking any severe quality, but ultimately, it has no right to, the film advertises a comedy and it successfully makes an audience laugh while also keeping them engrossed in the picture. The anti-climax of Gary Cole's return to Jane Lynch and the grandkids, as well as Amy Adams' rise to prominence prove comforting and sentimental moves that even surprise us viewers, but what doesn't, is that McKay and Ferrell strike a beauty - one of their finest, one of a kind.

108 minutes of sensational entertainment.