Cars (film)

Cars is a 2006 American animated sports comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by John Lasseter, who co-wrote it with Joe Ranft, Dan Fogelman, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin, and Jorgen Klubien, the film stars Paul Newman and Owen Wilson, alongside an ensemble voice cast consisting of Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Michael Wallis, George Carlin, Paul Dooley, Jenifer Lewis, Guido Quaroni, Michael Keaton, Katherine Helmond, John Ratzenberger and Richard Petty.
Set in a world populated entirely by anthropomorphic vehicles, the film follows a young self-obsessed racecar named Lightning McQueen who, on the way to the most important race of his life, becomes stranded in a forgotten town along U.S. Route 66 called Radiator Springs, where he learns about friendship and begins to reevaluate his priorities.
Development for Cars started in 1998, after finishing the production of A Bug's Life, with a new script titled The Yellow Car, which was about an electric car living in a gas-guzzling world with Klubien writing. It was announced that the producers agreed that it could be the next Pixar film after A Bug's Life, scheduled for a 1999 release, particularly around June 4; the idea was later scrapped in favor of Toy Story 2. Shortly after, production was resumed with major script changes. The film was inspired by Lasseter's experiences on a cross-country road trip. Randy Newman composed the film's score, while artists such as Sheryl Crow, Rascal Flatts, John Mayer and Brad Paisley contributed to the film's soundtrack. Cars ultimately served as the final film independently produced by Pixar after its purchase by Disney in January 2006.
Cars premiered on May 26, 2006, at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina and was theatrically released in the United States on June 9, to generally positive reviews and commercial success, grossing $462 million worldwide against a budget of $120 million, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2006. It received two nominations at the 79th Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature, but lost to Happy Feet. The film was dedicated to Ranft, who died in a car crash during the film's production.
The success of Cars launched a multimedia franchise, which includes two sequels: Cars 2 and Cars 3, as well as two spin-off films produced by Disneytoon Studios: Planes and Planes: Fire and Rescue.

Plot

In a world populated by anthropomorphic vehicles, the Dinoco 400 race marks the climax of the Piston Cup season. Heading into the event, retiring seven-time champion Strip "The King" Weathers, the cunning Chick Hicks, and the talented but arrogant rookie, Lightning McQueen, are all tied for the season points lead. Lightning is desperate to win and leave his unglamorous Rust-eze sponsorship for the prestigious Dinoco, and struggles with teamwork due to his self-centered attitude. At the end of the high-stakes race, Lightning squanders his lead by refusing to take a pit stop, causing his rear tires to blow out before he can win. The race ends in a three-way tie, setting the stage for a decisive race at the Los Angeles International Speedway in one week's time. After the race, Lightning rushes through the night on the interstate to reach California inside his transport truck Mack. A mishap culminates in Lightning being stranded alone in the rundown desert town of Radiator Springs, Arizona. He inadvertently damages the main road, and is sentenced to a community service assignment: repaving the road under the supervision of the town's judge, Doc Hudson, who is prejudiced against Lightning for being a race car.
Lightning repaves the road shoddily in a rush to leave. Doc challenges him to a race for his freedom, on the condition that he starts over from scratch if he loses. The overconfident Lightning, having never raced on a dirt road before, spins out on a turn and crashes into a cactus patch, with Doc having set up the race to dampen his ego. Over time, Lightning warms up to and befriends the town's residents, especially Mater, a rusty tow truck, and Sally, who dreams of reviving Radiator Springs. As he bonds with the locals, Lightning learns of Radiator Springs' heyday and subsequent economic decline; the town was once a bustling attraction for drivers on Route 66, before the construction of the interstate bypassed them and caused them to lose all of their business traffic. Lightning also discovers that the bitter Doc, reticent about his past, used to race as the legendary Hudson Hornet until a disastrous crash ended his career. Lightning is dumbfounded that Doc sees his three Piston Cup trophies as meaningless.
Lightning finishes repairing the road and decides to spend an extra day in Radiator Springs helping the local businesses, but Doc alerts the media to Lightning's location, leading them and Mack to descend on the town and force him to leave in time for the race. Doc regrets his actions after seeing the residents saddened by the departure. At the race, a distracted Lightning initially struggles, but is reinvigorated by the surprise arrival of his friends from Radiator Springs, who act as his pit crew. With Doc taking over from Mack as crew chief, Lightning stages a remarkable comeback. Chick, refusing to finish last, employs a PIT maneuver that intentionally damages the King, rendering him unable to continue. Reminded of Doc's career-ending wreck, Lightning halts just before the finish line and turns back to push the King across, allowing Chick to win the Piston Cup while ensuring the King's safe finish.
The crowd and media condemn Chick's victory and praise Lightning's integrity and sportsmanship. Lightning is offered the Dinoco sponsorship, but declines out of newfound loyalty to Rust-eze. Returning to Radiator Springs, he reunites with Sally and declares his intention to establish his racing headquarters there, revitalizing the town.

Voice cast

Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, a red fictional 2006 racecar who is described by John Lasseter in the Los Angeles Times as "a hybrid between a stock car and a more curvaceous Le Mans endurance race car".
Paul Newman as Doc Hudson, a navy-blue 1951 Hudson Hornet who is later revealed to be the legendary Fabulous Hudson Hornet
Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera, a sky-blue 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera
Larry the Cable Guy as Tow Mater, a rusty blue tow truck inspired by a 1951 International Harvester L-170 "boom" truck and a mid-1950s Chevrolet Task Force
Tony Shalhoub as Luigi, a yellow 1959 Fiat 500
Cheech Marin as Ramone, a custom 1959 Chevrolet Impala Lowrider who has different colors in each sequence of the film
Michael Wallis as Sheriff, a 1949 Mercury Eight Coupe
George Carlin as Fillmore, an aquamarine 1963 Volkswagen Type 2
Paul Dooley as Sarge, a 1941 Willys jeep in the style of U.S. military usage
Jenifer Lewis as Flo, an aquamarine fictional 1957 General Motors Motorama show car
Guido Quaroni as Guido, a fictional blue forklift, who resembles a BMW Isetta at the front and only speaks Italian
Richard Petty as Strip "The King" Weathers, a blue 1970 Plymouth Superbird stock car
Michael Keaton as Chick Hicks, a green race car described by Pixar as a generic 1980s stock car who is Lightning McQueen's rival
Katherine Helmond as Lizzie, a black 1923 Ford Model T
John Ratzenberger as Mack, a custom red 1985 Mack Super-Liner
Joe Ranft as Red, an untalkative 1960s-style, red and silver fire engine, and Jerry Recycled Batteries, a grumpy red cab over Peterbilt who Lightning mistakes for Mack while he is lost. These were Ranft's last two voice roles before his death in August 2005.
Jeremy Piven / Jeremy Clarkson as Harv, Lightning McQueen's agent who is never seen on-screen
Bob Costas as Bob Cutlass, a gray 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora and announcer for the Piston Cup races
Darrell Waltrip as Darrell Cartrip, a gray, red, yellow, and blue 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Piston Cup racing announcer
Humpy Wheeler as Tex Dinoco, a gold 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and owner of Dinoco
Lynda Petty as Lynda Weathers, a Chrysler Town and Country station wagon and Strip Weathers' wife
Dale Earnhardt Jr. as "Junior" #8, a generic stock car
Michael Schumacher as Michael Schumacher Ferrari, a red Ferrari F430
Tom and Ray Magliozzi as Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze, a 1963 Dodge Dart and a 1967 Dodge A100 who are the owners of Rust-eze
Richard Kind and Edie McClurg as Van and Minny, a forest green 2004 Saturn Relay and a violet 1996 Chrysler Town and Country
Lindsey Collins and Elissa Knight as Mia and Tia, the red identical twin 1992 Mazda MX-5 sisters
Mario Andretti as Mario Andretti #11, a 1967 Ford Fairlane
Sarah Clark as Kori Turbowitz, a turquoise sports car resembling a 1997 Ford Puma and race announcer
Jay Leno as Jay Limo, a blue Lincoln Town Car who appears in a cameo
Jonas Rivera as Boost, a violet Nissan Silvia who is the leader of the Tuner Gang
E.J. Holowicki as DJ, a blue Scion XB and member of the Tuner Gang
Adrian Ochoa as Wingo, a green and purple Mitsubishi Eclipse and member of the Tuner Gang
Lou Romano as Snot Rod, an orange Plymouth Barracuda and member of the Tuner Gang who sneezes often
Mike "No Name" Nelson as Not Chuck, a red forklift of Lightning McQueen's former racing team

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Dave Foley and John Ratzenberger reprise their vocal roles from previous Pixar films during an end-credits sequence featuring automobile spoofs of Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and A Bug's Life. Cars was the final Pixar film worked on by Joe Ranft, who died in a crash a year before the film's release. The film was the second to be dedicated to his memory, after Corpse Bride. The memorial showed the roles he had done in the other films directed by John Lasseter during the credits. It was also Paul Newman's last non-documentary film role before his retirement in 2007 and death in 2008.