Talladega Nights : the Ballad of Ricky Bobby - wikipedia Talladega Nights : the Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Theatrical release poster Directed by Adam McKay Produced by Jimmy Miller Judd Apatow Written by Will Ferrell Adam McKay Starring Will Ferrell John C. Reilly Sacha Baron Cohen Gary Cole Michael Clarke Duncan Leslie Bibb Jane Lynch Amy Adams Music by Alex Wurman Cinematography Oliver Wood Edited by Brent White Production companies Relativity Media The Apatow Company Mosaic Media Group Distributed by Columbia Pictures Release date August 4, 2006 ( 2006 - 08 - 04 ) Running time 108 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $72.5 million Box office $163 million Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American sports comedy film directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell, while written by both McKay and Ferrell. Additionally, the film features John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, and Amy Adams, and appearances by Saturday Night Live alumni. NASCAR drivers Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. make cameos, as do broadcasting teams from NASCAR on Fox ( Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip ) and NASCAR on NBC ( Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Benny Parsons ). Talladega Nights was Pat Hingle 's last film before his death in 2009. Andy Hillenburg 's Fast Track Enterprises and K4 Motorsports combined to provide race cars, hauler transportation and stunt coordination. Previously, the companies had assisted in promotion for Herbie : Fully Loaded, 3 : The Dale Earnhardt Story, and other stock car racing films. Within Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, K4 Motorsports created custom wrapping for specific race cars, notably Bobby 's `` ME '' car. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Release 3.1 Critical reception 3.2 Box office 3.3 Home media 4 Real - world homage 5 References 6 External links Plot Ricky Bobby ( Will Ferrell ) is a man who grows up dreaming of going fast. While working on the pit crew of Dennit Racing driver Terry Cheveaux ( Adam McKay ), Bobby acts as a replacement driver after Terry decides to take a bathroom break while in last place. After starting in last place in place of Cheveaux, Bobby finishes third. Bobby becomes the new great in NASCAR and gains fame and fortune at Dennit Racing. While racing, he meets his future wife Carley ( Leslie Bibb ), after she flashes her breasts. Bobby persuades Dennit Racing to sponsor an additional team car and arranges to have his best friend, Cal Naughton Jr. ( John C. Reilly ), on his team. Bobby and Naughton succeed throughout competitions but are soon introduced to their new teammate, openly gay French Formula One rival Jean Girard ( Sacha Baron Cohen ). In a bar, Jean tries to force Ricky into saying `` I love crepes. '' Ricky refuses and Girard breaks Ricky 's arm as Ricky wanted him to. Girard soon outperforms both Bobby and Naughton to become Dennit Racing 's latest success story. Desperate to win, Bobby exceeds his limitations and crashes at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which included his car rolling and flipping in the air. While paramedics attempt to take him to the hospital, Bobby runs around on the track. Wearing only his helmet and underwear, Bobby insists he is on fire. During his recovery, Bobby believes he is paralyzed ; after deliberately stabbing himself in the leg, he realizes that he is not. After leaving the hospital, Bobby is eager to rejoin the NASCAR circuit. Before a race at Rockingham Speedway, Bobby completed a test drive but fear caused him to drive exceedingly slow. Bobby is fired from Dennit Racing and his pit crew now works for Girard. Brian Wavecrest acts as Bobby 's replacement for the Wonder Bread car. Desperate to remain wealthy, Carley divorces Bobby and marries Naughton. After accusing Naughton of ruining his life, Bobby ends their friendship. Ricky moves in with his mom, Lucy Bobby ( Jane Lynch ), and brings his two trash - talking sons, Walker and Texas Ranger ( Houston Tumlin and Grayson Russell ), with him while taking a job as a pizza delivery man. After colliding his car with a woman pushing a shopping cart and hitting a police officer, Bobby loses his driver 's license and has to use a bicycle and a public bus to deliver pizzas. Meanwhile, Grandma Lucy is determined to reform her two disrespectful grandsons. Bobby 's estranged father, Reese ( Gary Cole ), returns to remind Bobby how to drive, using unorthodox methods such as putting a live cougar in his car. After his father leaves him again, Bobby 's former assistant, Susan ( Amy Adams ), persuades him to return to NASCAR, since it 's in his nature to drive fast. After deciding to take Susan 's advice and race at the Talladega 500, Bobby and Susan become romantic. With the Talladega 500 on his mind, Bobby gathers a race car and pit crew. Before the race, Bobby makes amends with Carley, Girard and Naughton, while uniting with his pit crew chief and close friend, Lucius Washington ( Michael Clarke Duncan ). Bobby is forced to start in last place, after spare parts were donated to build the engine in Bobby 's new race car. At the start of the race, Bobby passes all of the drivers, except Girard. In the closing laps, Naughton uses a slingshot technique for Bobby to pass Girard. The replacement driver of Bobby 's Wonder Bread car causes a massive wreck that makes all drivers crash, except Bobby and Girard. On the final lap of the race, Bobby and Girard collide with each other and their race cars roll towards the finish line. Bobby and Girard exit their cars and run towards the finish line. In the background, `` We Belong '' by Pat Benatar is playing. Bobby wins the race but he and Girard are disqualified for exiting their cars. When Girard offers a handshake, Bobby responds by kissing him on the lips. As a result of being in third place at the time of the first major crash, Naughton is officially declared the winner of the Talladega 500, his first career victory. Bobby is one of the first to congratulate Naughton and the two reconcile their friendship. Carley asks Bobby to move back in with her and start over, but he chooses to stay with Susan instead. At the end of the event, Bobby is congratulated in the parking lot by Reese ; Bobby declares that it was no longer about winning, knowing that he has a family who loves him no matter where he finishes. In a post credits scene, Lucy is shown reading a story to Walker and Texas Ranger, both having fully been disciplined by her and are now presented as polite, respectful children. Cast Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver who only believes in winning throughout his career. He drives the No. 26 Wonder Bread car during his soar to the top of NASCAR and the No. 62 `` ME '' car at the Talladega 500. Jake Johnson as 5 - year - old Ricky. Luke Bigham as 10 - year - old Ricky. John C. Reilly as Cal Naughton Jr., Bobby 's best friend and teammate. Austin Grimm as 10 - year - old Cal. Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard, an openly gay French Formula One driver and Bobby 's archrival. Girard 's dream is to move to Stockholm and design a currency for use by dogs and cats. He is described as talented, eccentric and dominating in the Formula One circuit in a SPEED broadcast segment. While challenging Bobby, Girard drives the No. 55 Perrier car. Michael Clarke Duncan as Lucius Washington, Ricky 's crew chief and close friend. Leslie Bibb as Carley Bobby, Ricky 's wife and later Naughton 's wife after she fears Ricky will not successfully return to NASCAR. Gary Cole as Reese Bobby, Ricky 's father. Jane Lynch as Lucy Bobby, Ricky 's mother. Amy Adams as Susan, Bobby 's assistant and eventual love interest. Andy Richter as Gregory, Girard 's openly - gay partner and a world - class trainer of German shepherds. Houston Tumlin and Grayson Russell as Walker and Texas Ranger Bobby, Ricky 's two sons. Adam McKay ( the film 's director ) as Terry Cheveaux, an apathetic driver who Bobby replaces at the beginning of the film. David Koechner, Ian Roberts and Jack McBrayer as Hershell, Kyle and Glenn, Bobby 's three pit crew members. Pat Hingle as Larry Dennit Sr., original owner of Bobby 's team, Dennit Racing. After retiring, his son, Larry Dennit Jr., takes over the team halfway through Bobby 's career. Greg Germann as Larry Dennit Jr., the new owner of Dennit Racing, who is concerned only with season point totals and winning sponsors. Molly Shannon as Mrs. Dennit, the younger Dennit 's alcoholic wife. Ted Manson as Chip, Bobby 's elderly, long - suffering father - in - law. Rob Riggle as Jack Telmont, the Speed Channel commentator. Dale Earnhardt Jr. as one of Bobby 's fans. He also appears in a deleted scene at the garage in Talladega. Jamie McMurray loses to Ricky at Texas Motor Speedway when Ricky wins by driving in reverse. Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds, Fox NASCAR commentators. Dick Berggren, a Fox NASCAR field reporter, seen interviewing Ricky in pit lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bill Weber, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach Jr., NASCAR on NBC commentators. Elvis Costello and Mos Def, guests at Girard 's party. Bob Jenkins and Rick Benjamin, Speed journalists. Greg Biffle, in a Special Feature but not credited. Release Critical reception Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 71 %, from 184 reviews. The site 's critical consensus reads : `` Though it occasionally stalls, Talladega Nights ' mix of satire, clever gags, and excellent ensemble performances put it squarely in the winner 's circle. '' On Metacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of 100, from 33 critics, indicating `` generally favorable reviews. '' British magazine Total Film gave it a perfect five - star rating, with the following verdict : `` Forget the recent blips ; Ferrell is back in freewheeling form. More than just the year 's funniest film, Talladega Nights is one of the best films of the year. '' Automotive journalist Leo Parente said, `` the most accurate racing film ever, trust me, '' while emphasizing that he was not being sarcastic. Box Office Ferrell at the premiere of Talladega Nights, September 12, 2006. The film grossed $148.2 million in the U.S. and Canada and $14.8 million in other territories for a total worldwide gross of $163 million. The film grossed $47 million in its first week, earning No. 1 film at the box office. Behind The Lego Movie ( $69.1 million ), it is the second largest opening for a film starring Will Ferrell. Home media This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2015 ) The Blu - ray version was released on November 17, 2006. Standard DVD and PSP UMD were released on December 12, 2006. When viewing, the opening menu gives viewers choices for Super Speedway ( with footage of the film used as introductions for special features, scene selection, etc. ) or Short Track ( without video introductions ). The film is presented on standard DVD in four different configurations, giving consumers the choice between either theatrical or unrated versions and anamorphic widescreen ( 2.40 : 1 aspect ratio ) or pan and scan presentations. As for the audio, each standard DVD carries Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French with optional English and French subtitles. Extras for the standard DVD editions include a retrospective `` 25 Years Later '' commentary track featuring most of the main cast, deleted and extended scenes along with bonus race footage, features, interviews with Bobby, Naughton, and Carley, a gag reel, a ' line - o-rama ' feature with alternate dialogue from the film, and DVD - ROM content. The unrated disc contains additional deleted scenes ( `` Cal Calls Ricky '' and `` What 'd You Do Today ? '' ), an interview with Girard and Gregory, and commercials. The `` Unrated & Uncut '' DVD omits two scenes that were in theaters : Bobby, as a child, steals his mother 's station wagon and the happenings of Bobby 's pit crew. The scenes are not present in the deleted scenes either. The Blu - ray release is available on a dual - layer disc with the majority of features presented in high definition. These include : nine deleted / extended scenes, three interviews, gag reel, line - o-rama, bonus race footage, Bobby & Naughton 's Commercials, Bobby & Naughton 's public service announcements, Walker & Texas Ranger, Will Ferrell Returns to Talladega and a theatrical trailer. Three non-high definition extras include : Daytona 500 Spot, NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup Spot, and Sirius and NASCAR Spot. In terms of technical aspects, this edition carries the unrated cut and presents the film with a widescreen transfer at its 2.40 : 1 theatrical aspect ratio and includes Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French and an uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio track in English, along with English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean and Thai subtitles. The first one million 60GB and 20GB PlayStation 3 units included a free Blu - ray copy of the film. Real - world homage On the final lap of the 2009 Aaron 's 499 ( one of two Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway ), Carl Edwards crashed after Brad Keselowski made contact with his car on the final lap. His car turned backwards, went airborne, bounced off and crushed Ryan Newman 's hood, flew into the catch fence, and came to a stop on the track apron. At this point, his car was just beyond the pit - road exit, as Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. crossed the finish line. Edwards climbed out of his car and jogged to the finish line. He received a standing ovation from the crowd. Fox play - by - play commentator Mike Joy commented on how it was `` shades of Ricky Bobby. '' Edwards was later asked about this on Larry King Live ; he responded, `` I 'm kind of a Will Ferrell fan. He did that at the end of Talladega Nights. '' In May 2012 at the Aaron 's 499 at Talladega, Kurt Busch 's No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet was painted like Ricky Bobby 's ME car. Busch and his team were heard reciting movie lines over the team radio. Busch was running up front when contact from behind sent Busch spinning. In October 2013, Kurt Busch 's No. 78 was sponsored by Wonder Bread for the fall race at Talladega. Its paint scheme was based on Ricky 's original No. 26. During qualifying at the 2013 United States Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel and his race engineer Guillaume `` Rocky '' Rocquelin made reference to the movie over team radio when Vettel posted the fastest lap and gained pole position. The pair referenced the movie in saying `` shake and bake '' over the team radio, the same phrase used by Bobby and Naughton. References Jump up ^ `` TALLADEGA NIGHTS - THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY ( 12A ) ''. 2006 - 07 - 25. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ( 2006 ) - Box Office Mojo ''. Jump up ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415306/ Jump up ^ `` Jayski 's NASCAR Silly Season Site : NASCAR / Racing Movies ''. Jayski 's NASCAR Silly Season Site. 29 September 2005. Retrieved 9 February 2015. Jump up ^ Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ( 2006 ), Rotten Tomatoes.com Jump up ^ Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ( 2006 ), Metacritic.com Jump up ^ http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/talladega-nights-the-ballad-of-ricky-bobby, Totalfilm.com Jump up ^ Jackie Stewart / ' Weekend Of A Champion ' Film - Shakedown Trackdown Jump up ^ `` Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ''. Box Office Mojo. April 26, 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Talladega-Nights-The-Ballad-of-Ricky-Bobby-Blu-ray/215/ Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8weUponX6Y Jump up ^ `` CNN LARRY KING LIVE - Aired April 28, 2009 - Joseph Ellis loved it, he giggled and wet his pants ! 21 : 00 ET, CNN Transcripts ''. CNN. Jump up ^ Pockrass, Bob ( October 18, 2013 ). `` Kurt Busch part pitchman, part showman with Wonder bread car ''. Sporting News. Retrieved October 28, 2013. Jump up ^ Cork Gaines ( 16 November 2013 ). `` VIDEO : Sebastian Vettel Says ' Shake And Bake ! ' After Winning The Pole At the US Grand Prix - Business Insider ''. Business Insider. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby on IMDb Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby at Box Office Mojo Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby at Rotten Tomatoes Counting Down : Talladega Nights Car Auction ! ( Featuring the makes and models of the cars ) Adam McKay Films written and directed Anchorman : The Legend of Ron Burgundy ( 2004 ) Wake Up, Ron Burgundy : The Lost Movie ( 2004 ) Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ( 2006 ) Step Brothers ( 2008 ) The Other Guys ( 2010 ) Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues ( 2013 ) The Big Short ( 2015 ) Backseat ( 2018 ) Films written The Campaign ( 2012 ) Get Hard ( 2015 ) Ant - Man ( 2015 ) Related The Landlord ( 2007 short film ) Funny or Die Gary Sanchez Productions Judd Apatow Director The 40 - Year - Old Virgin ( 2005 ) Knocked Up ( 2007 ) Funny People ( 2009 ) This Is 40 ( 2012 ) Trainwreck ( 2015 ) Writer only Heavyweights ( 1995 ) Celtic Pride ( 1996 ) Fun with Dick and Jane ( 2005 ) Walk Hard : The Dewey Cox Story ( 2007 ) You Do n't Mess with the Zohan ( 2008 ) Producer only The Cable Guy ( 1996 ) Anchorman : The Legend of Ron Burgundy ( 2004 ) Wake Up, Ron Burgundy : The Lost Movie ( 2004 ) Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ( 2006 ) Superbad ( 2007 ) Drillbit Taylor ( 2008 ) Forgetting Sarah Marshall ( 2008 ) Step Brothers ( 2008 ) Pineapple Express ( 2008 ) Year One ( 2009 ) Get Him to the Greek ( 2010 ) Bridesmaids ( 2011 ) Wanderlust ( 2012 ) The Five - Year Engagement ( 2012 ) Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues ( 2013 ) Begin Again ( 2013 ) Pee - wee 's Big Holiday ( 2016 ) Popstar : Never Stop Never Stopping ( 2016 ) The Big Sick ( 2017 ) Television The Ben Stiller Show ( 1992 -- 93 ) Freaks and Geeks ( 1999 -- 2000 ) Undeclared ( 2001 -- 02 ) `` Bart 's New Friend '' ( 2015 ) Love ( 2016 -- present ) Related articles Apatow Productions Casting in films 40 Odd Years Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talladega_Nights:_The_Ballad_of_Ricky_Bobby&oldid=814566943 '' Categories : 2006 films English - language films 2000s comedy films 2000s LGBT - related films American films American LGBT - related films American sports comedy films American satirical films Films directed by Adam McKay Auto racing films Films set in Alabama Films set in North Carolina Films set in Texas Films shot in North Carolina LGBT - related sports films LGBT - related comedy films NASCAR media Apatow Productions films Relativity Media films Columbia Pictures films Films produced by Judd Apatow Screenplays by Adam McKay Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from December 2015 Articles needing additional references from January 2015 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Català Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 9 December 2017, at 16 : 15. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who plays the french guy on talladega nights
Answer: Sacha Baron Cohen