Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

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Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Directed by	Steve Box Nick Park
Produced by	Claire Jennings Peter Lord Nick Park Carla Shelley David Sproxton
Written by	Nick Park (characters) Bob Baker Steve Box Mark Burton
Starring	Peter Sallis (voice) Helena Bonham Carter (voice) Ralph Fiennes (voice) Nicholas Smith (voice) Peter Kay (voice) Liz Smith (voice)
Music by	Julian Nott
Distributed by	USA Theatrical and Worldwide DVD/Video DreamWorks Distribution Non-USA Theatrical United International Pictures
Release date(s)	September 4, 2005 (Australia) October 7, 2005 (USA) October 14, 2005 (UK)
Running time	85 min.
Language	English
Budget	$30,000,000 US (est.)
IMDb profile

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 2005 Academy Award-winning stop-motion animated film, the first feature-length Wallace and Gromit film. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations, and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The film was directed by Nick Park and Steve Box and shot entirely in Britain.

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is in part a parody of the horror genre, and contains many images that parody or pay homage to specific horror films. The directors have often referred to the film as the world's "first vegetarian horror". Peter Sallis (the voice of Wallace) is joined in the film by Ralph Fiennes (as Lord Victor Quartermaine), Helena Bonham Carter (as Lady Campanula Tottington), Peter Kay (as PC Mackintosh), Nicholas Smith (as Rev. Clement Hedges), and Liz Smith (as Mrs. Mulch). Gromit remains silent, communicating only through body language.

Nick Park told an interviewer that after separate test screenings with British and American children, the film was altered to "tone down some of the British accents and make them speak more clearly so the American audiences could understand it all better [1]."

The vehicle Wallace drives in the film is an Austin A35 van. In collaboration with Aardman in the spring of 2005, a road-going replica of the model was created by brothers Mark and David Armé, founders of the International Austin A30/A35 Register, for promotional purposes. In a 500 man hour customisation, an original 1964 van received a full body restoration before being dented and distressed to perfectly replicate the model van used in the film. The official colour of the van is Preston Green, named in honour of Nick Park's home town. The name was chosen by the Art Director and Mark Armé.

[edit] Summary

In Wigan, Lancashire where Wallace and Gromit live, the annual Giant Vegetable Competition is approaching. The winner of the competition will win the Golden Carrot Award. All are eager to protect their giant crops from damage and thievery by rabbits until the contest, and the duo are cashing in by running a vegetable security and humane pest control business, "Anti-Pesto". However, they are faced with two problems: the first is Wallace's weight problem and the second is the space for the captured rabbits. Wallace comes up with a terrific idea — use his brain manipulation-o-matic to brainwash the rabbits, allowing them to run freely without harming everyone's gardens. While performing the operation, he presses the wrong switch and something goes terribly wrong, leaving them with a semi-intelligent rabbit who starts to behave like Wallace and who Wallace names "Hutch". Soon the town is threatened by the "Were-Rabbit", a giant monster which eats vegetables of any size. Anti-Pesto enters into a rivalry with Lord Victor Quartermaine to capture the Were-Rabbit — and to capture Campanula Tottington's heart.

After a hectic nighttime chase, Gromit discovers that the Were-Rabbit is in fact Wallace, suffering from the effects of the accident with the brain alteration-o-matic. Victor corners Wallace during night, but the inventor falls into the path of moonlight, and transforms. Victor, having identified the rabbit, goes to Reverend Hedges, and gains access to 24-carat gold bullets, which are the only thing that can kill a Were-Rabbit (or so the Reverend and Victor believe).

During the final showdown, Victor and his dog Phillip capture Gromit, who subsequently escapes and decides to make the ultimate sacrifice by using the marrow he had been growing for the competition as bait for Wallace, who, in his rabbit form, bursts in upon the vegetable contest, causing a panic. Victor tries to shoot what is apparently the monster - but Gromit is one step ahead of him. The rampaging rabbit ascends the rooftops, holding a screaming Lady Tottington in his hand. Discovering it is Wallace, she tells him to run. Meanwhile, in a mid-air dogfight in toy airplanes, Philip chases after Gromit. Gromit forces his foe out of the air in a fiery crash and explosion - but Philip manages to hold on to Gromit's plane and the two grapple, before Philip is dropped into a bouncy castle.

Atop Tottington Hall, Gromit's toy biplane circles Wallace, who clings onto the antennae of the top of the building for dear life. Victor fires a shot, but Wallace is saved when Gromit's plane falls into the path of the trophy improvised as a bullet by Victor. Gromit and Wallace high-five, for what, in a few seconds later, looks like the last time. The money in Gromit's biplane runs out. Wallace, loyal to a fault, jumps from the top, grabs the plane, holds it to his chest, and crashes into a tent below. Victor gloats, but is knocked unconscious by Lady Tottington with the heavy Golden Carrot Award. He falls into the tent too, where Wallace lies dying of his injuries. Gromit dresses Victor up as the monster, and throws him into the midst of an angry mob.

Gromit and Tottington tend to Wallace, who seconds later, breathes his last, and morphs back into his old self. Gromit, the rabbits, and Tottington are saddened by their loss, but Gromit is able to revive his chum with a slice of Stinking Bishop cheese. Gromit's marrow wins the competition, and Lady Tottington turns Tottington Hall into a wildlife refuge, where all the rabbits, including Hutch, can live in peace.

[edit] New Characters

[edit] Lord Victor Quartermaine

Lord Victor Quartermaine is an upper-class bounder who is fond of hunting; he is rarely seen without his rifle and his hunting dog Philip. Hates Anti-Pesto. He wears a toupee and is voiced by Ralph Fiennes. He is the villain of the movie.

[edit] Phillip

Phillip is Victor's hunting dog. Hates Anti-Pesto. He and Victor will do anything to stop the Were-Rabbit, although he is bright enough to know that the Were-Rabbit is beyond his hunting skills, and that Gromit, closer to his own size, is a better prospect as the target of premeditated violence.

[edit] Lady Campanula "Totty" Tottington

Lady Tottington is a wealthy noblewoman with a keen interest in both vegetable growing and fluffy animals. For 500 years, her family has hosted an annual vegetable competition. Lady Tottington asks Wallace to call her "Totty", and develops a romantic interest in him. She is voiced by Helena Bonham Carter.

[edit] PC Albert Mackintosh

PC Mackintosh is the village policeman who judges the Giant Vegetable Contest, although, with the havoc it creates every year he would rather it didn't happen at all.

[edit] The Reverend Clement Hedges

Reverend Hedges is the local vicar. He has everything needed to kill the Were-Rabbit, having at one point been "attacked" by the beast. He is voiced by Nicholas Smith.

[edit] Mr. Reg and Mrs. Suzanne Mulch

Mr. and Mrs. Mulch are clients of Wallace and Gromit's Anti-Pesto. Mrs. Mulch has a constant fixation on her gigantic pumpkin. She is a much more prominent character than her husband - who talks little, and his teeth fall out! Mrs. Mulch is voiced by Liz Smith.

[edit] Mr. Clive Growbag

Mr. Growbag is an elderly resident of Wallace and Gromit's neighbourhood. He constantly recalls memories of incidents from previous Vegetable Competitions - comparing them to what may happen to this one forecoming.

[edit] Hutch the Rabbit

Hutch is originally just another captive rabbit, Hutch receives special treatment, and his name, after an attempt to brainwash him and his fellows goes wrong. Hutch is voiced by Peter Sallis, the same person who voiced Wallace.

Wallace believes Hutch to be the Were-Rabbit, but soon it is revealed that he is a "Were-Wallace" who exhibits a little of Wallace's physical appearance, and all of Wallace’s talents and personality-quirks (especially his love for cheese); however, he is simply following animal instincts that mimic a human, and lacks the ability to focus, prioritise, assess a situation or even the knowledge that he’s not actually Wallace. He does, however, prove to be a competent engineer, rewiring the damaged "Mind-Manipulation-O-Matic".

[edit] Release and acclaim

It was released in the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong on October 14, 2005 to almost universally rave reviews, including "A" ratings from Roger Ebert and Ty Burr. The DVD edition of the film was released on February 7, 2006 (USA) and February 20th, 2006 (UK). On rottentomatoes.com the film won 2 Golden Tomato awards for "Best Wide Overall Release" and "Best Animation". The film received an outstanding 95% from the website.

In Australia, while critical reation was also good, many other people felt that the movie was sending out the wrong message about rabbits (ie. they're innocent, cute and fun) to children . In Australia, rabbits are an enormous pest which threaten the extinction of several native Australian species, most notably the bilby.

The animated short The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper was shown before the film during the theatrical release. The short is included as a bonus feature on the Madagascar DVD.

[edit] Cultural References

• The opening scene shows framed photos of Wallace and Gromit, one photo depicts Gromit graduating from "Dogwarts University", a play on Hogwarts School from the Harry Potter series.

• The relationship between Lady Tottington and Wallace references Lady Chatterley's Lover, in which an upper-class woman becomes romantically involved with her gamekeeper.

• The gnome statue's head turns to follow movement and his eyes blink like the spy statues in The Prisoner.

• Reverend Hedges' book is "The Observer's Book of Monsters". Observer's Books are a series of pocket-sized hardback books popular with hobbyists and collectors, published in the UK by F. Warne since the 1930s and covering a wide range of subjects from Astronomy to Wild Plants. The author of Reverend Hedges' book is Claude Savagely, a pun on 'clawed savagely'.

• Every phrase Hutch says is an exact quote of Wallace's, from one film or another, apart from the quote involving the cheese Monterey Jack, "Smashing Wensleydale" and "Lovely cheese, Gromit!".

• In one scene where Wallace transforms, his hand grows longer whilst his fingers grow shorter. This is a parody of An American Werewolf in London. Another jab at the movie is when the Were-rabbit stalks the Vicar in the church, deliberately similar to a scene set in the London Underground.^[1]

• Wallace's "Mind-Manipulation-O-Matic" machine, and its disastrous effects, of course parodies Frankenstein and every other mad scientist laboratory movie.

• Wallace is shown reading a copy of Ay-Up! magazine. "Ay-up" is northern English for Hello.^[2] The strapline "the magazine with its pulses on society"

• An homage is made to Gerry Anderson's puppet series Thunderbirds. The eyes in the portraits of the Anti-Pesto clients flash just like those of the portraits of the International Rescue Team. The scene in which Wallace and Gromit are taken down to the anti-pesto van is also very similar to the way various members of International Rescue are taken to the various Thunderbird machines, and, as in A Close Shave, the pond in the front garden flips over to allow them to leave.^[3]

• Gromit tunes the car radio to a station playing "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel (of Watership Down fame). He promptly turns it off in disbelief by using the "mutt" button rather than a "mute" button.^[4]

• Inside the car is a Wigan A–Z.

• During the greenhouse scene, "Venus" from Gustav Holst's The Planets plays. Gromit plays a 33 record of "The Plants" Suite.^[5]

• The 45 rpm single in front of the above shows the record label as "P.E.A"

• The fridge is a Smug instead of a Smeg; the drill is a Botch instead of a Bosch.

• Books in Wallace's collection include East of Edam, Fromage to Eternity^[6], Waiting for Gouda, The Hunt For Red Leicester, How Green Was My Cheese, Brighton Roquefort, Grated Expectations, Swiss Cheese Family Robinson, and Brie Encounter.^[7]

• A large carrot sign advertises "Harvey's" vegetable shop, a reference to the film Harvey, about a man who befriends an invisible giant rabbit.^[8]

• There is a barber shop named A Close Shave, which commemorates the earlier Nick Park short.^[9]

• A closed-down antiques shop has the sign of Rare Bits. Rarebit (pronounced like "rabbit") is slang for cheese on toast.^[10]

• When Gromit tries to make the giant lady-rabbit puppet "more alluring", the music called The Stripper, popular for use with "sexy-but-actually-comical-instead" routines (Monty Python for example), is played.

• The plaque on the piano says "Harryhausen", a tribute to Ray Harryhausen, classic stop-motion animator. Incidentally, a Harryhausen piano also appears in Corpse Bride.

• The movie avoids the cartoon cliché of using Limburger cheese by introducing Stinking Bishop cheese instead.

• After the were-rabbit grabs Lady Tottington, it stomps on a villager. The villager lets out a Wilhelm scream.

• In the confrontation scene in the observatory, Totty calls out,"Run, rabbit, run!" This is a line from the popular war-time song "Run Rabbit Run" (the final verse of which is reproduced in the song "Breathe" by Pink Floyd from the album Dark Side of the Moon).

• While the Were-Rabbit is atop Tottington Hall, a hunk of stone falls toward the mob below, just as in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

• Movie posters around town lampoon various movies with vegan counterparts. A poster for a film says Spartichoke, a take-off of Spartacus.^[11] Another poster seen about town advertises The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Bean, a take-off homage to the 1962 drama The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.^[12] Another poster advertises Carrot on a Hot Tin Roof, a reference to the Tennessee Williams play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.^[13]

• At one point Wallace says, "What's up, Dog?" to Gromit, whilst having rabbit ears and holding a carrot, in homage to Bugs Bunny.^[14]

• Lord Victor Quartermaine is named after Allan Quatermain, the tweed-wearing, rifle-toting character in King Solomon's Mines and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It also references the mispronuciation in the movie version.

• The Vicar uses two cucumbers to form a cross against the Were-rabbit, a subtle vegan homage to Peter Cushing's usage of two candlesticks in the 1958 Dracula movie. ^[15]

• At the Tottington Hall Fair, a hot dog stand has a sign that says Hot Dogs, and Cats and Burger. This is a reference to DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg.^[16]

• The penguin Feathers McGraw from the short The Wrong Trousers makes a cameo appearance in the film..^[17]

• PC Mackintosh name references Mackintosh raincoats, famously worn by Police Constables. Furthermore, in a deleted scene found on the DVD version, PC Mackintosh whistles Run Rabbit Run while on duty. This song was written for Noel Gay's show 'The little Dog Laughed' which opened in October 1939, which could be a reference to Philip.

• When Wallace and Totty were visitting her garden, she said Victor was not interested in her "produces" while standing behind and caressing a pair of melons (Austin Powers style).

• During the airplane dogfight, Philip is piloting a toy replica of the type of plane Manfred von Richthofen flew, complete with the red colouring.

• In an example of life imitating art, reports of a very large rabbit in Fenton, Northumberland made international press in April of 2006. The rabbit, according to eye-witnesses, has misshapen ears and leaves behind footprints the size of a deer's hooves. It appears to be strong enough to uproot leeks and turnips, and demolished a market stall’s worth of Japanese onions, parsnips and spring carrots. (Source [2])

• The advertising posters for the film had to be changed for use on the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, as there is a local tradition there which regards mention of the word 'rabbit' to be taboo. To ensure the islanders were not offended, the signs were changed to read 'There's something bunny going on'.

• A Disney Adventures article previewing the film reported that Tom Kenny (known to the world as SpongeBob SquarePants) would have a voice role. This claim was never substatiated.

• Monsters in Reverend Hedges' book have comical Latin names: for example, the Loch Ness Monster is "Touristus trapus".

• Werewolves are killed when they are shot with a silver bullet; the were-rabbit is correspondingly dispatched by a 24 "carrot" gold bullet.

• "Totty", Lady Tottington's nickname, is a British slang word for an attractive woman.

• The dogs engage in an "aerial" dogfight with aeroplanes detached from one of the fête's rides, the ride happens to be called 'Dogfight'. The Roundel insignia is properly credited to the RAF in credits. Gromit's plane appears to be an RAF fighter.

• The way Wallace names Hutch mirrors the naming of Shaun the Sheep.
• Victor challenges Wallace to a boxing match under Queensberry rules, which would prohibit "rabbit punches."

• Gromit hides Hutch in a blue parka, which is similar to the one shown in Aardman Animations' crude humor series, Angry Kid

• In the scene where Wallace grabs Lady Tottington and climbs up to the top of Tottington Hall. Gromit's toy biplane circles them as Wallace (in rabbit form) clings to the antenna of Tottington Hall, which is an obvious reference to King Kong and the scene which they climb to the top of the Empire State building (which has an antenna) and are fired upon by biplanes.

[edit] Miscellanea

• The film's initial release was two weeks after that of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, marking the first time that two stop-motion animated films were in simultaneous wide theatrical release. Interestingly, both films feature the voice of Helena Bonham Carter in a lead role.
• The car's licence plate says "HOP 2 IT". Early concept sketches had the plates read out "VERM1N"^[18] and WALI1 (Wallace 1).^[19]
• The Tottington family motto (Liber Stercus Pro Totus) translated, is Manure Liberates Us All. ^[20]
• Nick Park and Steve Box have quick cameos in the film as portraits of vicars on the Vicar's wall.^[21]
• In the town meeting after the first strike of the Were-Rabbit, Totty has a Bible lectern behind her and a lamp above her head, giving her angel wings and a halo. Victor appears to have two devil horns via a parishioner's pitchfork. She is also standing in front of a stand churches have to hold hymn numbers. The only hymn number displayed on it is '13', very appropriate as many believe this to be unlucky, and the town had just received a whole night of vegetable carnage.
• Many of Lady Tottington's outfits make her look like a vegetable or flower.
• Totty defends Wallace by applying "pansy spray" to Victor. Victor then shouts "My eyes!" and whimpers in a girly fashion.
• The box Gromit holds up to cover the naked Wallace has a sticker saying "may contain nuts".
• During the rooftop chase, Victor is left hanging from a spire with his trousers down, at which point the Reverend exclaims "Beware the Moon!!", a reference both to classic werewolf movies but also the slang phrase "Mooning" used to describe exposing the buttocks in public.
• The end credits conclude with a custom "No animals were harmed during the making of..." message, and then one of the movie's rabbits accidentally hits his head against the message.
• When Lady Tottington shows Wallace the giant carrot, he moans loudly and Lady Tottington is giggling and saying, "Oh Wallace!" Meanwhile, Victor is picking flowers outside when he hears the noise, possibly thinking that they were making love.
• When Wallace is going into the tunnel to get back rabbit lady has rabbit's shadow
• When Gromit is in the car waiting for Wallace to retrieve the female were-rabbit doll, he hears a noise from the were-rabbit and leans out of the car door. His shadow can be seen on the bridge behind him. Yet when he gets back in the car, the shadow remains. It wasn't Gromit's floppy ear shadow, it was the were-rabbit's.

[edit] Awards

The film has won a number of awards in both Britain and North America, the most significant of which are listed here.

[edit] Academy Awards

• Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards

[edit] Annies

The film performed very well at the Annie Awards, an animation-specific award show, where out of 26 awards it was nominated for 16 - winning 10:

Wins

• Best Animated Effects (for Jason Wen)
• Best Animated Feature
• Best Character Animation (for Claire Billet)
• Best Character Design in an Animated Feature Production (for Nick Park)
• Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production (for Nick Park and Steve Box)
• Best Music in an Animated Feature Production (for Julian Nott)
• Best Production Design in an Animated Feature Production (for Phil Lewis)
• Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production (for Bob Persichetti)
• Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (for Peter Sallis as the voice of Wallace.)
• Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production (for Steve Box, Nick Park and Mark Burton)

Nominations

• for Best Character Animation (for Jay Grace)
• for Best Character Animation (for Christopher Sadler)
• for Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production (for Michael Salter)
• for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (for Helena Bonham Carter as the voice of Lady Campanula Tottington.)
• for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (for Ralph Fiennes as the voice of Victor Quartermaine.)
• for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (for Nicholas Smith as the voice of Reverend Clement Hedges.)

[edit] Others

Elsewhere, the film won the following seven awards:

The film failed to win the following three awards which it was nominated for:

Awards shown here are those detailed by the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

[edit] DVD

Widescreen edition February 7, 2006

[edit] References

All noted references marks come from the book The Art of "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" by Andy Lane & Paul Simpson. ISBN 1-84576-215-0

1. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 73
2. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 124
3. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 34
4. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 138
5. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 46
6. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 52
7. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 130
8. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 74
9. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 24
10. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 87
11. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 78
12. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 67
13. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 25
14. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 38
15. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 68
16. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 99
17. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 154
18. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 115
19. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 34
20. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 94
21. ^ The Art of Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were-Rabbit Pg. 9

[edit] See also

• List of animated feature films
• List of stop-motion films

[edit] External links

Wikinews has news related to:

2006 Oscars handed out at Kodak Theatre

• Official UK site
• Official U.S. site
• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit at the Internet Movie Database
• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit at Rotten Tomatoes
• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit at Metacritic
• Wallace & Gromit's Van
• International Austin A30/A35 Register
• Curse of the Were-Rabbit ending spoiler (with a very intruding pop-up window)
• Slant Magazine Film Review by Keith Uhlich
• Movie Review Xdafied.com.au