July 26, 2002
The Country Bears is a 2002 American musical road comedy film directed by Peter Hastings, produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and based on the Disney theme park attraction Country Bear Jamboree. The film stars Christopher Walken, Daryl Mitchell, Diedrich Bader (in a dual role), Alex Rocco, and Haley Joel Osment as the voice of Beary Barrington with the voice talents of Candy Ford, James Gammon, Brad Garrett, Toby Huss, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Stephen Root.
It was Disney's second theatrical film based on an attraction at one of its theme parks and the third overall film based on an attraction following the television film Tower of Terror (1997) and the theatrically released Mission to Mars (2000). The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 26, 2002. It was a critical and commercial flop, grossing $18 million of its $35 million budget.
Storyline
The Country Bears, a country rock band consisting entirely of anthropomorphic bears, had disbanded in 1991 after years of popularity. 11 years later, Beary Barrington, a preteen bear adopted and raised by a human family, feels different. His adoptive parents tell him his family love him unconditionally and that differences lead everyone to their purposes. When Beary's adoptive older brother, Dex, tells him the truth about his background, Beary runs away and ventures out to the Country Bear Hall, the Country Bears' former concert hall.
Beary learns from the caretaker Big Al and the band's manager Henry Dixon Taylor that Country Bear Hall is threatened with destruction by greedy banker Reed Thimple. After many attempts to save Country Bear Hall, Beary suggests that Henry hold a benefit concert and the two set out to reunite the group with the band's bus driver and drummer Roadie. The Barringtons enlist police officers Cheets and Hamm to find Beary.
First, they recruit Fred Bedderhead, the harmonica and electric bass player, who works as a security guard on the set of pop singer Krystal's latest music video. Henry needs promotion and Beary suggests the group's former promoter Rip Holland, whom Henry claimed had "stolen" the Country Bears. Henry phones Rip who gladly agrees to promote the show. Fred mentions a talent show history where they defeated an armpit musician named Benny Bogswaggle, who flew into an angry meltdown and struck Zeb Zoober, the band's fiddler with a wooden chair. Thimple approaches Big Al and learns about the Country Bears' plan and about Holland promoting the show.
Next, they approach Zeb, who has spent years drinking honey and owes a $500 bar tab. Zeb wants to return but must pay his debt. Beary places a bet to let Zeb off the hook by beating the house band in a playoff. Zeb starts his performance poorly but wins after warming up. Officer Cheets and Officer Hamm approach Big Al for directions to where Beary went. Because of miscommunication, the officers think the bears have kidnapped Beary.
Tennessee O'Neal, the one-string guitar player, is now a marriage counselor. He is very reluctant to rejoin the band because he wants to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend Trixie St. Claire, the band's keyboard player. After being chased by Officers Cheets and Hamm through a car wash, the Country Bears stop at a motel where Trixie is performing. Tennessee sings a duet with her, and she comes with the band to their reunion.
They finally head out to find Ted Bedderhead, the lead vocalist, guitarist and Fred's older brother. They learn from Elton John that Ted, who appears very wealthy, is at a wedding at the local country club. After Ted has the other Country Bears members leave (except Fred), Fred finds Ted and learns that he is only a wedding singer. Fred knocks out Ted and drags him onto the bus. Zeb claims Ted to be the reason for the band's disestablishment, but Ted claims he held them together. Ted says the real problem was Zeb's drinking, Tennessee's emotional outbursts, and Fred's immaturity. Beary reminds them that they claimed each other to be family in a People magazine. Still, Ted says it was meaningless publicity and tells him that he doesn't know anything about the real bears and that they are not a family. Beary realizes the real meaning of family and returns home, where he is happily reunited.
The Country Bears read Beary's school essay about them and realize that Beary was right. Reconciling with Beary, Ted goes over to Beary's house, then apologizes for taking his anger out on him and tells Beary how much he has helped them and they will only do the show with Beary. They learn from Roadie that Thimple kidnaps the rest of the Country Bears and steals the bus. Thimple reveals he is Benny Bogswaggle and seeks vengeance on The Country Bears for stealing his chance at fame. Beary, his family, and Ted track down and rescue the band, and they head to the concert together.
There, they discover that Thimple paid Rip not to promote the show. Big Al suddenly arrives and reveals, to everyone's surprise, that he promoted the show himself, and everyone is in a different parking lot. A surge of people rushes in. Defeated, Thimple is driven out of the building while vowing that his feud is not over. The money raised from the concert is enough to save the hall and the Country Bears perform with Beary as a new member of the band.
Also See
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, Bird Crow Caws CloseP PE020401
- Hollywoodedge, Crowd Med Shock PE961301/Crowd Reaction Shock PE142501
- Hollywoodedge, Fanfare Ta Da CRT044001
- Hollywoodedge, Police Wailer Siren PE080801
- Hollywoodedge, Short Rapid Hits Wsm CRT020401 (Heard once from the TV.)
- Hollywoodedge, Vibra Harp Slide Whi CRT046501 (Heard once from the TV.)
- Hollywoodedge, Wood Door OCSqueak PE180401
- Hollywoodedge, Xylophone Ascendin CRT045701 (Heard once from the TV.)
- Sound Ideas, ALARM, ELECTRONIC - GENERAL WARNING SYSTEM: SHORT CONSTANT BEEPS 03
- Sound Ideas, COW - SINGLE MOO, ANIMAL 02 (Heard in a low and a normal volume.)
- Sound Ideas, ELECTRONIC, BEEP - ELECTRONIC BEEP: SINGLE BEEPS 02
- Sound Ideas, FEEDBACK - FEEDBACK BURSTS FROM P.A. SYSTEM (3rd burst)
- Sound Ideas, TELEPHONE, CELLULAR - CELLULAR FLIP PHONE: RINGING
- Sound Ideas, TRUCK, HORN, AIR - AIR HORN, PASSES BY, DOPPLER EFFECT
- Sound Ideas, WALKIE TALKIE - TWO WAY RADIO: FEEDBACK AND SQUELCH NOISE, STATIC 01