Ricky Gervais Movies
Born in Reading, England, Ricky Gervais worked in the music industry as a radio DJ, band manager, and music supervisor before getting into comedy. As a writer, he provided scripts for the U.K. television series Bruiser and The Sketch Show. As an actor, he was seen quite a bit on The 11 O'Clock Show and provided the voice of the Penguin in the animated show Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe. In 2000, he had his own show called Meet Ricky Gervais. On the big screen, Gervais appeared as the bouncer in the U.K. comedy Dog Eat Dog. He's most known, however, as the writer/director/star of the hit BBC comedy series The Office. He plays David Brent, regional manager of the Wernham Hogg paper company in the London industrial suburb of Slough. A brilliant observation of the contemporary workplace, the show has won a variety of awards over in Britain. Gervais received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2003. Projects for 2004 include voice work on the animated film Valiant and producing an Americanized version of The Office with director Greg Daniels. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide- 2001
A wildly popular British comedy series shot in mockumentary style, The Office detailed the daily struggles of the bored cubicle-dwellers at Wernham Hogg -- a paper supply company located in the quiet English town of Slough. Their boss, attention-craving lower middle manager David Brent (Ricky Gervais), possessed a tacky and tasteless sense of humor which proved a constant source of irritation to all within earshot. Throughout the first season of the series, tireless joker Brent played the constant clown even as his office faced massive cutbacks and the employees nervously pondered the prospect of unemployment. Later, when the team's worst fears began to come true, Brent dismissed their malaise while enthusiastically gloating over his own promotion. At the onset of the second season, the Slough branch of Wernham Hogg began preparing for the inevitable merger with the nearby Swinton branch, a consolidation that would find Brent under the leadership of new boss Neil Godwin (Patrick Baladi) -- a handsome and driven leader who had previously been Brent's equivalent at the Swinton branch. When Brent's awkward welcoming speech manages to offend just about every one of the serious-minded staff of the newly arrived Swinton team -- black employee Oliver (Howard Sadler) and disabled Brenda (Julie Fernandez) in particular -- David is summarily reprimanded by Wernham Hogg heavy Jennifer Taylor-Clarke (Stirling Gallacher). As David begins to ponder the prospect that his position is fast becoming obsolete due to the competent leadership of Godwin, pretty receptionist Dawn (Lucy Davis) does her best to endure the constant barrage of sexist comments as Tim (Martin Freeman) finds the flame of his longtime torch for her somewhat doused by the arrival of Swinton transplant Rachel (Stacey Roca). It's also during this time that the once casually irritating brownnosing of office suck-up Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) becomes absolutely intolerable to the put upon fellow co-workers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2001
David Brent (Ricky Gervais) introduces the documentary crew to the office receptionist, Dawn (Lucy Davis), snidely joking, "Every bloke in the office has woken up at the crack of Dawn." Tim (Martin Freeman) starts to describe his job as a sales rep, before trailing off. "I'm boring myself, talking about it." David jokingly fires Gareth (Mackenzie Crook), the sales "team leader" who went out drinking with him the night before. Jennifer Taylor Clark (Stirling Gallacher) shows up from the head office and warns David that the company is merging his branch with another, and there will be redundancies. David chooses not to worry his underlings with this information. Ricky (Oliver Chris) shows up from the temp agency, and David shows him around. Gareth complains to David that Tim has submerged his stapler in jelly again. Gareth is very anal about his office supplies, and has made the mistake of telling Tim that he doesn't like jelly. "I don't trust the way it moves," he says. Gareth explains to the crew that he's from the Regimental Army. "You can't muck about there," he says. "It's one of the rules." Ricky breaks David up by suggesting that Tim be put in "custard-y." Later, when Tim puts up a pile of boxes to separate his desk from Gareth's, Gareth complains that it's "misuse of company files." With rumors of redundancies flying, David calls a staff meeting to set the record straight. Gareth insists that, because he's team leader, David should whisper the news to him first. Tim asks Dawn out for a drink, but is spurned when her fiancé, Lee (Joel Beckett), shows up. David tells the film crew he's "a friend first and a boss second...probably an entertainer third," before pretending to fire a distraught Dawn for stealing Post-it notes. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
David (Ricky Gervais) fires the same forklift operator (Neil Fitzmaurice) he hired at the beginning of the first episode, which somehow leads to a discussion of the difference between midgets and dwarves. Malcolm (Robin Hooper) wonders why David has hired an assistant, Karen (Nicola Cotter), when the company is laying people off. David decides to try to make Tim (Martin Freeman) "feel good about himself," so he'll stay on, but Tim's reasoning ends up making Karen question her decision to join the company. Tim and Dawn (Lucy Davis) are still painfully awkward around each other. Dawn tells the documentary crew she secretly hopes she'll get laid off because she feels like she's "treading water." Jennifer (Stirling Gallacher) comes down from the head office with some surprising news for David. She's being promoted to partner, and the board of directors wants David to replace her. If he decides to take the job, his branch will be downsized. After their meeting, the staff, fearful of losing their jobs, demands to know what's going on. David decides to tell them that there's bad news, and good news. After telling them that their office is being downsized, and that those who aren't sacked will be transferred to another branch, he's surprised to find that they aren't especially happy about his promotion. Malcolm has to point out that instead of bad news and good news, he really gave them "bad news and irrelevant news." But at a glum office party that night, David tells them all something that will alter everyone's future plans. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Tim (Martin Freeman) tells Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) that he's leaving the firm to go back to school and study psychology. Gareth tests Tim's skill by asking him, "What am I thinking right now?" Tim makes a couple of good guesses, but it turns out to be, "Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?" David (Ricky Gervais) is upset with Donna (Sally Bretton) when she shows up late for work, especially as she never came home the night before. His consternation grows when Donna makes it clear that she spent the night with a man. David interviews candidates for a new position as his assistant, despite the fact that he's been told to cut staff. David defends this action, saying, "Who's to say that hiring staff won't save us money in the long run?" and complains that "I'm doing my own stapling." He quickly decides to hire Karen (Nicola Cotter), a pretty blond, and asks her where she'll be going to celebrate, because he may turn up there with his friends. Gareth gives Donna a private seminar on "Hidden Dangers in the Workplace." Tim, having spent the day trying to convince people that he was only asking Dawn (Lucy Davis) out as a friend, decides to spend the evening out carousing with David, Gareth, and Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson). They go to a sleazy nightclub called Chasers, which Gareth says is "a fun place, but it's full of loose women." At the club, they run into Karen, who spurns David's feeble advances, and Donna, who publicly displays her newfound affection for Ricky (Oliver Chris), much to David's chagrin. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Welcome to Wernham Hogg, a suburban paper company where "life is stationery." Critics and fans alike have lauded this hilarious, biting look at everyday office life, told in the mockumentary style of cult comedy classics such as This is Spinal Tap and The Larry Sanders Show. The show revolves around David Brent, (an instant classic character widely compared to Basil Fawlty of Fawlty Towers) the oblivious general manager who instigates petty office rivalries. The wince-worthy Brent still considers himself "a friend first and a boss second...probably an entertainer third."
- Starring:
- Ricky Gervais
- 2001
It's Tim's (Martin Freeman) 30th birthday, so he shows up to work early, in the goofy radio hat his mother bought for him. David (Ricky Gervais) is excited because the quiz is tonight, and he and his pal Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson), sales rep extraordinaire, intend to dominate, as they have in years past. But David fears a threat when he learns that Ricky (Oliver Chris) was once a contestant on "Blockbusters," a television quiz show. Lee (Joel Beckett) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) present Tim with a giant inflatable penis. Lee talks about his plans for the future with Dawn. He figures they'll move in with his mum, and after having a few kids, Dawn might get a part-time cleaning job. "Got to dream a dream," sighs Dawn, and when Tim chuckles at this, Lee takes offense. David explains to the film crew, "There are things I would never laugh at. The handicapped," he elaborates. "Because there's nothing funny about them. Or any deformity." Dawn tries to organize drinks for Tim's birthday, but David is worried that it will interfere with the quiz. Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) is the quizmaster, which guarantees no shortage of questions about warfare. When Ricky and Tim team up to beat David and Finch, it leads to drunken recriminations, another challenge, and one employee's humiliation. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Lee (Joel Beckett) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) have an argument, and Dawn is considering calling off their engagement. Tim (Martin Freeman) tries to reassure her that things will work out, while Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) helpfully tells Dawn that she has another potential suitor in a warehouse worker he refers to as "Monkey Alan." "He fancies you," Gareth tells her, "even if no one else does." Rowan (Vincent Franklyn), a facilitator, comes in to assist with some company training exercises, but his efforts are thwarted by David's (Ricky Gervais) meddling. First the team watches a video on customer service called "Who Cares, Wins," hosted by Peter Purves. Then David mucks up a role-playing exercise. Rowan asks them each to share their "ultimate fantasy," starting things off by mentioning that he'd like to have his own island. David's ultimate fantasy is "to live forever," and Gareth, arriving late and perhaps misunderstanding the exercise, answers, "Two lesbians, probably. Sisters. I'm just watching." When Tim is asked for his input, he replies, "I never thought I'd say this, but could I hear more from Gareth, please." When Keith (Ewan Macintosh) mentions that his real interest is music, it prompts David to pull out his old guitar, and most of the rest of the day is spent listening to him play his unique music, including a number about "free love on the Free Love Freeway." Eventually, Tim reaches the breaking point, decides to quit, and makes a decision involving his friendship with Dawn that will come back to haunt him. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Pretty Donna (Sally Bretton) arrives in the office. David (Ricky Gervais) explains to everyone that she's the daughter of good friends of his, and staying at his flat, so "hands off." Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) offers to show her the ropes, and orders Tim (Martin Freeman) to move so she can use his desk. Tim does not recognize Gareth's authority. Noticing that Gareth is carrying his mobile in a shoulder holster, Tim spends the day calling Gareth repeatedly with a one-word obscene message. While showing Donna the office e-mail system, David opens up a doctored photo. It's his head on the body of a nude woman who is "servicing" two men. "I'm angry, not because I'm in it," explains David, "but because it degrades women...which I hate." He argues with Gareth about who hates sexism more. David assigns Gareth to discreetly investigate and find out who's responsible for the photo. Gareth uses the conference room as his office, and the interrogations begin. Jennifer Taylor Clark (Stirling Gallacher) shows up to find out that, to keep up morale, David has told his people there would be no redundancies. "Surely it's going to be worse for morale in the long run when there are redundancies and you've told people that there won't be," she explains. "They won't remember," he replies weakly. David eventually feels compelled to tell Jennifer that he's fired "Julie Anderton," who worked in the warehouse. A visit to the warehouse finds no record of such a person, but Jennifer does happen upon a group of workers watching a tape of two dogs rutting. Gareth's investigation inevitably leads to Tim, but it turns out that someone closer to David is to blame for the photo. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, creators of the worldwide BBC hit The Office, return with this dry comedy about a pair of down-on-their-luck movie extras. Gervais stars as Andy Millman, an actor whose ambitions hardly live up to his day-to-day life as a background player. Wry and resigned, Andy attempts to procure higher-profile film gigs by doggedly pursuing his clueless agent (portrayed by Merchant) and befriending the celebrities he meets on set. Ashley Jensen rounds out the cast as Maggie Jacobs, Andy's best friend and fellow extra, whose political incorrectness flies in the face of her good intentions. Each half-hour episode of Extras features at least one big-name actor playing a humorous variation on his or her real self, from Ben Stiller, who bullies his cast and crew while directing a film about armed conflict in the Balkans, to Kate Winslet, who hopes to nab an Oscar by playing a nun on the run from the Nazis. After premiering July 21, 2005, on the BBC, Extras began its American run on the HBO premium cable network. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2005
On the set of a very serious film about atrocities in Bonia, directed by Ben Stiller, Maggie (Ashley Jensen) expresses an interest in Goran (Boris Boskovic), the on-set advisor whose tragic story is being told in the film. Andy (Ricky Gervais) helpfully warns her, "Never get involved with a man whose wife has been murdered." Luckily for Maggie, she's told that her brutal death in the film counts as a "supplemental performance," for which she is due additional pay, and when she goes to the production office to look into it (fake bullet hole still oozing on her forehead), she meets Jon (Steve Jackson). Maggie and Andy are invited to a birthday celebration by Jackie (Liza Sadovy), and while neither wants to go, only Andy is quick enough on his feet to come up with a plausible excuse. But Maggie is delighted when she learns that Jon will also be there, and Andy decides to go after all when Jon tells him that Martin (Jay Villiers), one of the film's producers, will also be in attendance. Andy is desperate to be given a line in the film, and plans to ingratiate himself in any way he can. He also approaches Goran, unfortunately interrupting the man while he is looking at photos of his dead family. Undeterred, he later gives Goran a book of coupons to thank him for asking Stiller about getting him a line. He tells the perplexed Goran that he might not remember promising to do so because "you were crying about your dead family." This was the premiere episode of the program's run on the BBC, but was the second episode shown on HBO. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Boris Boskovic, (more)
- 2005
This episode of Extras, the first aired on HBO, opens on the set of a WWII melodrama. Kate Winslet stars as a saintly nun protecting a group of Jews, among them Maggie (Ashley Jensen), while Andy (Ricky Gervais) plays a Nazi soldier. Suzanne (Charlotte Palmer), another extra, mentions to Andy that he looks "quite dapper" in his uniform, to which he responds, "You should see me with a white sheet over my head setting fire to a cross." In response to Maggie's concerns about "all these people walking around pretending to be nuns," Andy professes his own atheism. Maggie's on-set romance with prop guy Mike (John Kirk), meanwhile, is challenged by his propensity for phone sex, which leaves Maggie at a loss, as she embarrassedly confesses to Andy. Winslet overhears their conversation and interjects, suggesting Maggie start out with something "light" like, "I'd love it if you stuck your Willy Wonka between my Oompa-Loompas." Winslet later tells the startled extras that she's doing this film, not to "keep the message alive about the Holocaust," as Andy suggests, but because doing a film about the Holocaust virtually guarantees her an Oscar. Suzanne's sister, Fran (Francesca Martinez), who has cerebral palsy, visits the set, and when Fran asks Andy, who is smitten with Suzanne, about his religious beliefs, he claims to be a Catholic, which gets him into a spot when Suzanne invites him to a "get-together with some friends" that turns out to be a religious meeting. Andy also has a pointless meeting with his agent (Stephen Merchant), who lets him know that "nothing's come in." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Winslet, Kevin Moore, (more)
- 2005
Andy's (Ricky Gervais) incompetent agent (Stephen Merchant) seems to think the reason Andy's not getting any offers is his shape. "If you insist on remaining a blob, could you at least get a tan?" he helpfully suggests. He does land Andy a role as a gay genie in a doomed stage production of Aladdin, starring down-on-his-luck British television comedian Les Dennis (the former host of Family Fortunes, the British version of Family Feud). Les introduces Andy to his pretty young blonde fiancée, Simone (Nicky Ladanowski). Later, he tells Andy, "It's about time I had a bit of luck," laments having reached the point where he has to share a dressing room with Andy, and confesses that he considered suicide during his recent stint on Celebrity Big Brother. During rehearsals, Andy spies Simone backstage making out with a stagehand, and on opening night, when Les tells Andy he's decided to break up with her, Andy ill-advisedly mentions what he's seen. When Maggie (Ashley Jensen) drops in for a visit, she recognizes an old schoolmate in the production. Lizzie (Rebecca Gethings) turns out to be the daughter of the musical's foppish choreographer/director, Bunny (Gerard Kelly), who proves to be an exacting and overbearing stage parent. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Williamson
- 2005
Andy (Ricky Gervais) and Maggie (Ashley Jensen) are extras on the set of a very serious Patrick Stewart film. Andy's nemesis, Greg (Shaun Pye), is also there, and he has a line, much to Andy's chagrin. Andy drops by Patrick Stewart's trailer in a desperate effort to further his career. Stewart understands the challenge faced by struggling actors and is quite welcoming. When Andy tells Stewart about his sitcom script, Stewart goes into great detail about the screenplay he's working on, about a man (to be played by Stewart) who can control the world with his mind, and mainly uses that power to make women's clothes fall off. Later, Andy's agent (Stephen Merchant) calls him in, and tells him that the BBC is interested in his sitcom. The agent tries to get Andy to consider his client Shaun Williamson, now working as a handyman at the agency, for the lead role, instead of Andy playing it himself as intended. Despite the agent's ineptitude, Andy's meeting with producer Iain (Guy Henry) and flamboyantly gay script editor Damon (Martin Savage) goes quite well, and Andy starts working with Damon to tighten up the pilot script. First, of course, he has to drop by the set to tell Maggie the good news, and rub it in the faces of his fellow extras, particularly Greg. While Damon is out on a coffee break, Maggie visits, and Andy jokingly complains about his writing partner. "No one needs to be that gay." Maggie runs into Damon on her way out, and suggests he "might want to tone it down a bit," which leads to all kinds of problems. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Stewart
- 2005
Andy (Ricky Gervais) is an extra in a period film that stars Ross Kemp from EastEnders. His efforts to get more camera time, let alone a line, seem to be fruitless, as usual. "Cut it before the fat bloke gets his face in the shot," is typical of the things one hears on one of his sets. Andy takes some razzing from fellow struggling actor Greg (Shaun Pye), who is working on a film with Vinnie Jones (Snatch) on the same lot. Greg, much to Andy's chagrin, has a line. Andy attempts to talk to Kemp about getting a line in the TV program they're shooting, but Kemp seems obsessed with talking about what a "hard man" he is, claiming to have been in the SAS (though he doesn't seem to know what the acronym stands for). "You best not get into a fight with me," he warns Andy. "Sure, Andy mutters to himself, "or a conversation." When Kemp finds out that Jones is shooting a film across the way, he's disgusted, and dismisses Jones as "a bloody footballer," disparaging his acting talent and his presumed toughness. Later Andy bickers with Greg again, and relays Kemp's comments, inadvertently bringing on a showdown between the two stars. Andy also visits his inept agent (Stephen Merchant), and learns that he also represents Shaun Williamson, also formerly of EastEnders, who is now doing odd jobs. Meanwhile, Maggie (Ashley Jensen) engages in her usual pursuit of on-set romance, this time with Mark (Raymond Coulthard), though she's a bit intimidated by his apparent intellect, explaining that he "reads the big papers." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emma Thornett, Peter Sullivan, (more)
- 2005
Andy (Ricky Gervais) and Maggie (Ashley Jensen) are extras in a Samuel L. Jackson movie. Maggie's on-set crush this time is Dan (Michael Wildman), a black actor with a small role in the film. When Dan tells Maggie that there aren't a lot of roles available for black actors, she suggests he try Crimewatch. "They always need black actors for the crime re-enactments" Maggie tells him, before realizing how she sounds, and adding, "Or white actors." Maggie continues to pursue Dan, though she worries that he thinks she's a racist. She asks Andy, "What if I subconsciously am a little bit racist?" Andy helpfully administers what he claims is some kind of "official" racism test. When tested, Maggie would rather come home to Johnny Depp than OJ Simpson, among other indicators of her alleged racist proclivities. Andy tells her she's scored a "hate rating of 9.8, one more than Hitler." Andy's own hatred of awkward social situations comes into play when another extra (Steve Speirs) tries to befriend him. The dullard tells Andy several tragic tales of friends who have lost eyes or limbs. But when he recommends Andy for a small speaking role in the film, Andy tells him he owes him one, and the other extra asks Andy to take him out for a meal in return. Andy decides to do "the only honorable thing," and "add him to the long list of people that I have to avoid for the rest of my life." This proves easier said than done. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Grace Kingslene, David Ricardo-Pearce, (more)
Most of the six episodes in the first season of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Extras follow a similar plot arc: bitter day player Andy (Gervais) trades barbs with his friend and colleague Maggie (Scottish actress Ashley Jensen), lobbies unsuccessfully for his agent (Merchant) to find him a proper acting gig, ingratiates himself with one of the big-name actors on whose films he's working, and finds himself stymied by either Maggie's verbal diarrhea or his own prickly personality. Within these narrow confines, however, Gervais and Merchant find just as much comic material as they did in the quotidian workplace of their breakout hit, The Office. The two shows definitely share an aesthetic, from their dry comedic sensibility to the laugh-track-free style that underscores their long, uncomfortable silences. Unlike the ensemble-style The Office, however, Extras focuses on just three core characters and a revolving cast of guest stars, including the celebrities who lend their names to the episode titles. Hollywood stars Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, and Patrick Stewart all spoof their public personae with glee, as do U.K. personalities Ross Kemp and Les Dennis. Written and directed jointly by Gervais and Merchant, Extras is a joint production of the BBC, where it ran in its native England, and HBO, where it appeared in America. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricky Gervais, Ashley Jensen, (more)
- 2005
The NBC sitcom The Office was based on the British comedy series of the same name, co-created by Ricky Gervais, who in the original series had also starred as David Brent, terminally disingenuous office manager of Wernham Hogg Paper Merchants (Slough Branch). The American version top-billed Steve Carell as Michael Scott, regional manager in a branch office of the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. Forever trying to put a "happy face" on office conditions where he worked, Michael was cursed with two fatal flaws: he thought he was funny and cool, and worse yet, he thought he was actually competent. Michael's employees included laid-back, sarcastic sales rep Jim Halpert (John Krasinski); Jim's cubicle-mate and mortal enemy, ineffectual but power-hungry Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson); engaged receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), whom Jim secretly has a crush on; and office temp Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak), who quietly observes the office hijinks from the sidelines. Filmed in a faux documentary style, The Office began its first season (actually a six-episode trial run) on March 24, 2005. ~ All Movie Guide
The American TV version of the award-winning British sitcom The Office opens by establishing its faux documentary format, as Michael Scott (Steve Carell), regional manager of a branch office of Dunder-Mifflin Paper, jumps through hoops to convince the filmmakers that he presides over a happy, well-running ship. This is but one of Michael's many pathetic self-delusions: he also thinks he's the epitome of "cool," he's convinced that everything he says is a laugh riot, and even worse, he actually labors under the misapprehension that he is qualified for his job. Meanwhile, Dunder Mifflin's employees inadvertently but efficiently put the lie to Michael's self-serving prevarications: sales rep Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) continually cooks up methods to undermine his hated cube-mate, the obnoxious know-it-all Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson); receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) continually deals with Michael's insensitivities and flubs; and office temp Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) acts mostly as an observer of the insanity around him. Some of the episodes in The Office's six-episode trial run carried over general plot ideas from the earlier British series, particularly the threat of wholesale downsizing that weaves through the various plots and subplots; however, only the pilot was a direct adaptation of one of the U.K. version's episodes. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Carell, John Krasinski, (more)
Inspired by the true-life story of carrier pigeons who were trained to carry vital information for the Allied forces across the English Channel during World War II, this computer-animated adventure comedy focuses on Valiant (voice of Ewan McGregor), a wood pigeon who has volunteered to do his part for England during the war. While Valiant believes in the cause, he's not exactly a quick study in his training under a no-nonsense sergeant (voice of Jim Broadbent), and his new pal Bugsy (voice of Ricky Gervais), a vermin-carrying former denizen of Trafalgar Square, fares even worse in the courage department. However, when one of the key British birds, Mercury (voice of John Cleese), is captured by notorious Nazi falcon Von Talon (voice of Tim Curry), Valiant and his crew must spring into action to keep the lines of communication open in time for D-day. Along the way, Valiant also finds time to romance avian nurse Victoria (voice of Olivia Williams) and French resistance agent Charles De Girl (voice of Sharon Horgan). Produced at the British Ealing Studios, Valiant also features the voice talents of John Hurt, Rik Mayall, and Hugh Laurie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais, (more)
Mockumentary mastermind Christopher Guest turns his satirical eye away from dog shows, small-town theater, and folk music to offer a hilarious take on Hollywood award season in this comedy focusing on trio of actors whose lives are turned upside down when they discover that their performances in an independent film are generating a sizable buzz in the entertainment industry. Jay Berman (Guest) is in the process of directing his first feature film -- an intimate family drama set in the 1940s and detailing the tempestuous reunion of an estranged Jewish family that is reluctantly drawn together to celebrate Purim at the behest of their dying matriarch. The cast soon comes down with an infectious case of award fever when rumors on the Internet claim that "Purim" stars Marilyn Hack (Catherine O' Hara), Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), and Callie Webb (Parker Posey) may be delivering Oscar-caliber performances. When "Hollywood Now" co-anchors Chuck Porter (Fred Willard) and Cindy Martin (Jane Lynch) perpetuate the buzz on national television, the entire film crew starts to see stars in their eyes. Subsequently convinced that they have a sleeper hit on their hands, unit publicist Corey Taft (John Michael Higgins), talent agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy), and producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) immediately cave to requests from Sunfish Classics president Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais) to alter the film so that it may appeal to a larger audience. Now, while "Purim" screenwriters Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) and Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) are forced to watch helplessly as their original screenplay is plundered in order to cash in on the positive buzz, awards season draws near and the production takes a most unexpected turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, (more)
The new night watchman at New York's Museum of Natural History finds that the job comes with more responsibility than he ever dreamed in this wild fantasy comedy directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke. Larry Daley (Stiller) is a kind-hearted dreamer who always knew that he was destined for greatness, he just never quite knew how. None of his ideas or inventions has panned out, so with a heavy heart, he takes a regular job as a lowly graveyard-shift security guard at the Museum of Natural History in order to provide a more stable life for himself and his ten-year-old son. His first night on the job, however, he finds that guardianship of the museum is far from stable -- at nightfall, an Egyptian spell brings the artifacts and wax figures to life! With Attila the Hun charging to war through the hallways, the diorama miniatures embroiled in a deadly feud, and a two-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex nagging to play fetch, Larry has half a mind to turn tail and run. On top of cleaning up after two million years of historical chaos every night, he also has to make sure that not a single museum piece leaves the building -- from the bratty Capuchin monkey in the African exhibit, to the life-sized Neanderthal in the prehistoric display -- because if morning light falls on an escaped artifact, it will turn to dust. Larry turns to a wax replica of President Roosevelt (Williams) for a little advice on keeping things in tact, but Teddy seems to think that a man of Larry's greatness needs little help. Larry isn't sure if the former commander in chief is right; this is hardly what he signed up for, but he can't pass up the chance to care for a museum where history really does come to life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, (more)
- 2006
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, creators of the British version of The Office, penned this episode, in which Michael discovers that a new employee is an ex-con. Michael ultimately gets rattled when his staff begins equating the office with prison. Meanwhile, Andy (Ed Helms) receives tips on how to woo Pam from an unlikely source -- Jim. ~ Dean Maurer, All Movie Guide
