Without a Paddle (2004)

Director:

Steven Brill

Writers (WGA):

Fred Wolf (story) and
Harris Goldberg (story) ...

Release Date:

20 August 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Mystery

Tagline:

The call of the wild, the thrill of adventure. The mistake of a lifetime.

Plot:

After their friend dies, three men decide to fulfill their childhood promise by going on a camping expedition for the lost D.B. Cooper bounty, with calamitous results.

Plot Keywords:

Humor | Tree House | Dog | Hicks | Campfire Story

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Aug. 2	7:00 PM	COMEDY
Sun. Aug. 3	3:00 PM	COMEDY

Cast

Matthew Price	...	Young Tom
Andrew Hampton	...	Young Jerry
Jarred Rumbold	...	Young Dan
Carl Snell	...	Young Billy
Antony Starr	...	Billy Newwood (as Anthony Starr)
Dax Shepard	...	Tom Marshall
Matthew Lillard	...	Jerry Conlaine
Seth Green	...	Dan Mott
Nadine Bernecker	...	Angie
Danielle Cormack	...	Tony
David Stott	...	Dick Stark
Bonnie Somerville	...	Denise
Scott Adsit	...	Greasy Man
Morgan Reese Fairhead	...	Sandi
Liddy Holloway	...	Bonnie Newwood

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content, sexual material, language, crude humor and some violence.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Iceland:12 | Canada:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Huka Falls, Taupo, Waikato, New Zealand

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The last big rapid that they run before going over the waterfall is a Class 5 rapid, and the scene was performed by stunt doubles since running rapids in a canoe is dangerous and unusual.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Jerry is on Dan's cell phone with Denise, Dan and Tom walk into the scene. They step in too early, walk back out and walk in again.

Quotes:

Dan Mott: What are you doing?
Jerry Conlaine: Taking off my shoes
Dan Mott: Why?
Jerry Conlaine: Because I run faster with no shoes
Dan Mott: You can't out-run that bear!
Jerry Conlaine: I dont have to out-run the bear, I just have to out-run you!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Ghost Busters (1984)

Soundtrack:

What a Wonderful World

Better and More Clever Than I Expected

The whole rating system is kind of skewed. Some people rated this film low because it wasn't Larwrence of Arabia but then it wasn't meant to be. It's like comparing actors when they play different roles. You can only really compare them playing the same role.

Anyway I went to the film expecting a goofy stoner type of mindless entertainment. Just a laugh. But I was pleasantly surprised that not only was it funny but some deeper thought had gone into it. The plot was more substantial than I expected, there were bits of philosophy sprinkled throughout which accentuated the positive side of life, and the cast was pretty good too. I'm not sure what inspired Burt Reynolds to play his character but he did it well as did all of the players.

But mainly the movie was funnier than hell. I almost embarrassed myself I laughed so hard during the first bear sequence. The image of Mott saying 'help' as he looked back while being carried off had me laughing way too high way too long but it and some other scenes were hilarious and I couldn't help it then either.

All in all a good film for the genre. And surprisingly while I think it appeals to the stoner crowd it's cool in that it incorporates it without promoting it though it doesn't avoid it either. In fact I was struck by the fact that the bad guys were red neck smokers and the good guys were dopey beer drinkers but apparently nothing more.

Lastly the film cleverly pays homage to other films throughout. Deliverance, The Matrix, and others are covered and probably a few I missed.