Talladega Nights

Ricky Bobby (WILL FERRELL) has always dreamed of driving fast — real fast — like his father, Reese Bobby (GARY COLE), who left the family to pursue his racing dreams. Early on, Ricky’s mother, Lucy Bobby (JANE LYNCH) worried that her boy was also destined to end up as a professional daredevil on wheels. Ricky Bobby first enters the racing arena as a “jackman” for slovenly driver Terry Cheveaux (ADAM McKAY) and accidentally gets his big break behind the wheel when Cheveaux makes an unscheduled pit stop during a race to gorge on a chicken sandwich. Ricky jumps into the car and … so begins the ballad of Ricky Bobby. Ricky quickly becomes one of NASCAR’s top stars, supported by his pit boys — the impressively large crew chief Lucius Washington (MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN), a trio of lovably moronic but loyal crew members, Herschell (DAVID KOECHNER), Kyle (IAN ROBERTS) and Glenn (JACK McBRAYER), as well as racing partner and boyhood best friend, Cal Naughton, Jr. (JOHN C. REILLY). They are all part of the Dennit Racing team, headed by wealthy Dennit Senior (PAT HINGLE) and his petulant son, Dennit Junior (GREG GERMANN), whose jealousy of Ricky Bobby increases with every victory. In a short time, Ricky Bobby is on top of the world. He has everything a championship NASCAR driver could ever want — a gorgeous wife, Carley (LESLIE BIBB), a lakeside mansion, two hell-raising sons, Walker (HOUSTON TUMLIN) and Texas Ranger (GRAYSON RUSSELL), huge sponsor endorsements and a string of victories from Daytona to Darlington. Ricky Bobby’s “win at all costs” approach has made him a national hero. But as he quickly realizes, in racing, as in life, you have to watch out for the curves. After a frightening crash sends Ricky Bobby to the hospital, he loses his nerve and falls on hard times. When his career and his wife are taken over by his friend Cal, Ricky Bobby turns his back on racing and takes his sons back to his small hometown to live with his mother. But Ricky just isn’t cut out for the slow life away from the race track and soon hits rock bottom. His mother reluctantly turns to the only person she can think of to help her son — his estranged father Reese Bobby. His old man still has a few old racing tricks to help Ricky conquer his fear of driving. Ricky Bobby will do anything to find a way back to the top, no matter how many speed bumps life throws his way.