Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is an American comedy film which was released on July 9, 2004. It was written by Will Ferrell
and Adam McKay. The film made $28,416,365 its opening weekend, and $90,540,221 worldwide in
its total theatrical run.[1]
The film is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News television-program format and
real-life Southern California anchor Harold Greene. It portrays a San Diego TV station where one female reporter (Applegate) struggles to become the first
"Anchorwoman".
The film, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, was
released straight to DVD in 2004. It includes scenes with the original plot. The "alternate film" was never released in theaters
due to negative responses from test audiences, a common complaint being the inclusion of a terrorism-related subplot.
Characters
Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy: A five-time (local) Emmy award-winning journalist, he is the main anchor for the KVWN Channel Four News Team from
1964 to 1977. Always confident and well-dressed, he is nevertheless
ignorant, egotistical, and not very intelligent but also remains the rock for the entire group. He develops an infatuation with
newcomer Veronica Corningstone, initially having trouble wooing her with tried and true measures that allegedly won him many
bimbo-type women in the past. He has a great fondness for a good glass of scotch whisky, poetry and his best friend/pet dog Baxter, and plays a mean jazz flute. He refers to his
fists as Jack Johnson and Tom O'Leary, calls his arms "guns", and is most
definitely not afraid to resort to fisticuffs.
Christina Applegate as Veronica Corningstone: Is hired for Channel
Four from Asheville, North Carolina to comply with newly instituted
"diversity standards". Corningstone has a strong ambition to become a network anchor
and desires to be taken seriously in the male-dominated newsroom culture. Burgundy develops an infatuation for her, culminating
in a love affair, which provides most of the conflict in the movie. At the end of the movie she becomes co-anchor with Ron for
the first world-wide news network.
Paul Rudd as Brian Fantana: He's the stylish one of the group and is a
lustful field reporter for the Channel Four News Team. He is arrogant and narcissistic and absurdly overestimates his personal
qualities. People call him "The Bri-Man". Adam McKay comments on the DVD that though Fantana fancies himself as something of a
ladies' man, he has in fact never slept with a woman. At the end of the film, it is explained that he goes on to host the
Fox Network's Intercourse Island. Fantana considers himself the stylish
one of the group, and he has a nickname for his penis, "the Octagon". He also has nicknamed his testes, "James Westphal" and "Dr.
Kenneth Noisewater".
Steve Carell as Brick Tamland: Is the mentally-challenged weatherman for
Channel Four News. He has a habit of stating unrequested or irrelevant information. Tamland is not bright, but good hearted and
loyal. At one point in the movie, Brick wonders what love is and upon questioning he admits to loving several objects in the room
such as carpet and lamp. During the battle scene, Brick starts with a hand grenade and eventually ends up killing a man with a
trident. After the battle, Ron advises Brick that he is "probably wanted for murder" and to "find a safe house or a relative
close by" where he can "lay low for a while". He is polite and rarely late, and enjoys a nice pair of slacks and eating ice cream. He says that later a doctor will tell him his
I.Q. is 48, making him technically mentally retarded, but he still manages to become
one of President Bush's top advisors.
David Koechner as Champion 'Champ' Kind: Is the sportscaster for the
Channel Four News Team who seems to have hidden feelings for Ron Burgundy (Despite stating that Burgundy "Sounds like a gay" in a
demeaning fashion when talking about Corningstone's feelings). These feelings and his homosexuality are more overt in the
alternate film, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie. He
is the most chauvinistic member of the news team. At the end of the film, it is revealed that Kind, whose signature catchphrase
is "Whammy!", ends up becoming an NFL commentator, but gets fired after being
accused of sexual harassment by Terry Bradshaw.
Ron: Brick, where'd you get a hand grenade?
Brick: I don't know.
Brian, Ron and Champ stare at Brick's hand grenade before the anchorman rumble.
Fred Willard as Ed Harken: Is the news director of the Channel Four News
station. His youngest son, Chris, who does not appear in this film but does appear in Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, is apparently very ill-behaved. It is
revealed that Chris goes to a Catholic School and has shot a bow and arrow into a crowd while on LSD, was caught
reading German pornography in school, and took the marching band hostage with a gun. Ed's assistant is Garth Holladay.
Chris Parnell as Garth Holladay: Is Ed's assistant at the Channel Four
News station. Ron Burgundy was his hero, before he used his "poop-mouth" language during a news broadcast. He also gains little
to no respect from the Channel 4 News team: when Ed Harken asks him to look after the guys after they got the #1 ratings again,
he replies that they don't listen to him.
Vince Vaughn as Wes Mantooth (uncredited): Is lead anchor of the competing
KQHS Channel Nine Evening News Team, Burgundy's chief rival & son of Dorothy Mantooth. Mantooth is consistently irritated by
his being second in the ratings, causing him to ultimately initiate an anchorman battle against Burgundy and three other news
teams. He ultimately draws up Burgundy on a ladder from a bear pit, explaining that while he hates him, he nonetheless respects
him as a journalist.
Luke Wilson as Frank Vitchard: Is a competing news anchor whose station,
Channel 2, is third in the ratings. During the movie, he gets one arm chopped off in the anchorman battle by the lead anchor of
the Public news team, and his other arm ripped off by a kodiak bear (Which he deems "ri-goddamn-diculous"). At the panda birth
scene, Vitchard is seen reporting for Channel 9 News, which may have been a goof by the filmmakers.
Baxter: Is Burgundy's dog, gentleman, and soulmate. Burgundy describes Baxter as "so wise. Like a miniature
Buddha, covered with hair." He has the uncanny ability to communicate with his master in English,
in a scene Baxter barks at Ron, and Ron replies "you know I dont speak Spanish, in English please.". Later in the movie Baxter is
punted off a bridge during a encounter with a biker (Motorcycle Rider)and Ron, Baxter comes back at then end of the movie and
saves Ron and Veronica from the bears at the zoo by speaking to them about their cousin and telling them he will speak of thier
kindness.
Trivia
- Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Danny Trejo and Tim
Robbins have cameo roles. In addition, Stiller's father, Jerry Stiller, can be seen
in the background of Rocky's Bar Grill and Fine Dining, where Ed Harken calls seeking Ron Burgundy after Veronica disappears into
the bear pen near the end of the film.
- The character Ron Burgundy was featured in a short piece on the unrated DVD that imagined him auditioning for a spot on
ESPN's SportsCenter when the network was just
beginning. In the scene, Burgundy is seen remarking that an all sports channel was as foolish as an all music channel and that
SportsCenter would be a financial disaster.
- A deleted scene showed the birth of the panda. The zookeeper let Ron pick out the name. Ron chose "Beegu Blang Bong." A man
who spoke Mandarin in the crowd said that Beegu Blang Bong meant "Shit waffle." So Ron decided to name him Doug or Glenn and let
the crowd decide.
- The music during the news team battle was the same as the battle music from Spartacus.
- This movie contains more Frat Pack members than any other, with six making appearances,
including Steve Carell, who is usually considered to be the seventh and newest member. The
only member not making an appearance is Owen Wilson, who was originally considered for the
role of Public Television Anchor, but couldn't do it due to other commitments.
- During an interview before the release of Talladega Nights:
The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Ferrell said Anchorman and Talladega Nights are the first two installments of
his Mediocre American Man Trilogy. Ferrell and the director of both
movies, Adam McKay, have stated that the last installment will be rated R, unlike the previous two installments. Ideas have
ranged from Ferrell playing a CEO to him playing an astronaut, but McKay has said that the new idea that they are leaning to is
even better.
- This film is number 100 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".
- During the end credits, while outtakes from the film are being shown, an outtake from Smokey and the Bandit II is shown, most likely a reference to the fact that the
Smokey and the Bandit films were among the first to feature outtakes during
their end credits.
- The film was originally rated R by the MPAA, but was later edited to be released under a PG-13 rating.
However, there is a DVD version that is unrated, uncut, and "uncalled for", which featured more graphic language and deleted
scenes that involves more suggestive content.
- Wilhelm scream: in the fight sequence between the news groups, when Champ throws
another man incredibly far into a car window.
- A 2-by-2 Rubik's Cube can be seen on Brian's desk while he is on the phone with Ron
during the "glass case of emotion" scene.
- The 'jazz flute' sequence in Tino's sounds very similar to the flute-work of Ian
Anderson (of Jethro Tull Fame), and there is a single bar of 'Aqualung' played, followed by Burgundy yelling "Hey, Aqualung!".
Unrated version
In the unrated version of Anchorman, there are some scenes that were not shown in the theaters that are on the unrated DVD.
They are:
- A scene where Ron imagines him and Veronica married and them having sex in front of their kids.
- An alternate conversation after the party, where Champ Kind talks about shitting a squirrel. Then Brick Tamland tells Champ
that he ate his chocolate squirrel.
- The extended version of Ron being dragged out of the station into an angry mob after saying the word fuck on the news. He says "fuck" many more times in this extended version.
- Ron goes to Tino's (the restaurant where Ron took Veronica out and played jazz flute) after the "fuck" incident and the owner
of the restaurant forces him to eat "cat poop" before Ron can order anything off the menu. Ron eats some of the cat feces but is
sobbing so loudly, that Tino agrees to bring him a steak if he would stop disturbing other restaurant patrons.
- The scene that Ron has an erection in the office in front of Veronica is extended in the unrated version with Ron "walking it
off."
Ron Burgundy in 2007
On August 17, 2007 during the final broadcast of
the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN radio, Will
Ferrell called the show in character as Ron to wish Dan
Patrick well in future endeavors. During the brief appearance, he repeatedly referred to Patrick as Dan Patrickson.
He told Dan that he was currently living in a trailer in the parking lot of SeaWorld. When Dan asked how Champ Kind was, Ron stated that Champ was on house
arrest, but still doing sports segments for Channel 4 via his condo in La Jolla (or Lah Joe-la as Ron referred to it).
He went on to reveal that he was related to 1974 Cy Young
Award winner Mike
Marshall through marriage. At which point Dan asked how his marriage to Veronica was,
which Ron said was going through some difficult times. Ron went on to say Baxter was in France
and that he had recently been fired from Channel 4 for calling an Asian co-worker 'his
little China doll'. Ron seemingly grew depressed after revealing this information and was attacked by a German Shepherd Dog (as evidenced by barking and his pleas for
help from a giggling Dan Patrick) before disconnecting the call.
References
See also
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External links
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