fun mom dinner is a 2017 american comedy film directed by alethea jones , from a screenplay by julie rudd .

the film had its world premiere at the sundance film festival on january 27 , 2017 .

it was released on august 4 , 2017 by momentum pictures .

fun mom dinner

fun mom dinner – alethea jones alethea jones on her film “fun mom dinner , ” which plays in the premieres category at the 2017 sundance film festival . : )
“fun mom dinner” premiere party – 5 : 30 to 7 : 30 p . m .
it ' s . . . undeniably disappointing when a movie called fun mom dinner isn ' t , well , much fun .
fun mom dinner is in select theaters and available on digital hd and on demand on august 4 .
“fun mom dinner” is about a group of mothers whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class . they decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner , ” leading to some unexpected surprises .
“ fun mom dinner ” is set for an august 4th release . check out the trailer below :
from left , toni collette , molly shannon , katie aselton and bridget everett in “fun mom dinner . ”
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there are no featured audience reviews yet . click the link below to see what others say about fun mom dinner !
the moms ? solid . the dinner ? excellent . the fun ? diminishing .
berlin syndrome producer polly stanford and fun mom dinner director alethea jones at the australians in film sundance event in los angeles .
the release date of the movie fun mom dinner is set to august 4 , 2017 ( in theaters and on vod ) .
stars adam scott and molly shannon welcome the arrival of their film “fun mom dinner” with producer paul rudd at the acura studio .
adam levine plays a bartender in “fun mom dinner . ” which rock star would you most want to flirt with at a bar ?
four moms whose only common ground is their kids ' preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless
fun mom dinner .
“fun mom dinner” premiered in the premieres section at the 2017 sundance film festival . netflix and momentum pictures will release it later this year .
katie aselton , toni collette , bridget everett and molly shannon are starring in the ensemble comedy “fun mom dinner” with shooting starting wednesday in los angeles .
still , i look forward to whatever rudd and jones do next . after all , it’s not like you can get much worse than fun mom dinner .
these are indeed moms , and they do have dinner , but the “fun” part is in short supply .
while good company might make or break a night out , sadly it can ' t save
fun mom dinner
from being more than just fitfully funny .
salty , sweet and fun to chew over - sort of like taffy , but not so hard on the dental work - fun mom dinner is a palatable addition to that growing subgenre of bawdy , female - centric comedies .
bridget everett as melanie , left , molly shannon as jamie , katie aselton as emily and toni collette as kate in
fun mom dinner .
( momentum pictures )
these are indeed moms , and they do have dinner , but the ' fun ' part is in short supply .
now it’s time for you to see where you fit in with these women and find out which # funmomdinner mom you are ! take the fun mom dinner quiz here and let us know which character from the movie is most like you .
gettin’ rad productions is adam and naomi scott’s film and television production company with “fun mom dinner” as the company’s third feature film in as many years following “other people” and “the overnight . ”
bridget everett , molly shannon , katie aselton and toni collette in fun mom dinner by australian director alethea jones , an official selection of the premieres program at the 2017 sundance film festival .
fun mom dinner plot synopsis : “four moms , whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless ‘fun mom dinner’ . the night begins as a disaster , but the combination of alcohol , karaoke , and a cute bartender , leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men . ”
put four funny women together and not only do you get fun mom dinner , which is in select theaters and on demand this weekend , but you also get a laugh - packed interview ! on monday i had the chance to sit down with the stars of the film , toni collette , molly shannon , bridget everett , and katie aselton at the fun mom dinner press junket .
the filmmaker , who won the 20th anniversary tropfest in 2012 , is taking the film fun mom dinner , which stars australian actor toni collette and us comedian molly shannon , to the festival .
you ' ve met the mom that isn ' t like a regular mom , she ' s a cool mom . you ' ve met the self - proclaimed bad moms . now it ' s time to meet the fun moms of fun mom dinner . to celebrate the unveiling of the movie ' s poster , debuting on et , screenwriter julie rudd ( yes , her husband is paul rudd ) phoned et to introduce us to her mom crew , played by katie aselton , molly shannon , toni collette and bridget everett .
netflix and momentum pictures have nabbed north american theatrical and streaming rights to “ fun mom dinner ” out of the sundance film festival . the ensemble comedy sold for $ 5 million , according to insiders .
follows four moms whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , who decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner . ” when the night suddenly takes an unexpected turn and things . . . more
when i switched to something more lively , they lit up . below are collette , shannon , everett and aselton’s takes on the shenanigans from “fun mom dinner , ” which opens in select theaters and premieres on vod on friday .
full disclosure , right off the top : i have been to a lot of fun mom dinners . in fact , i’m usually the one who organizes them—along with
fun mom dinner is coming to select theaters and on demand august 4 . follow momentum pictures ! urltoken urltoken urltoken four moms , whose only common ground is their kids ' preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless
fun mom dinner .
the night begins as a disaster , but the combination of alcohol , karaoke , and a cute bartender , leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men .
just in case you haven’t yet seen the trailer ( or watched the movie ) , fun mom dinner shows us what happens when four moms whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner . ” the night begins as a disaster , but the combination of alcohol , karaoke , and a cute bartender ( adam levine ! ) , leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men .
while fun mom dinner is a ton of fun , it also talks about the struggles of motherhood , marriage and friendship . these four moms had a lot to share about their daily life as a mom – movie stars seriously have lots of mom guilt , struggles and uncertainty just like anyone else ! here is how each of them answered questions about life , motherhood and being a woman . but to get to know a bit about their own personalities , likes and dislikes , we asked them these questions :
a special lady deserves a special dinner . mom will love these easy and elegant dishes , complete with how - to videos , ratings , reviews , and cooking tips .
she said that “fun moms dinner” had its origins in discussions about motherhood that she had with julie yaeger rudd , paul rudd’s wife . naomi scott is married to adam scott .
four moms—whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class—arrange a “fun mom dinner” to drink wine , gossip , and bond without worrying about their kids and husbands for the night . the dinner guests include the newly - divorced jamie , “super mom” melanie , the stressed - out emily , and emily’s best friend and social outcast kate , who can’t believe she let emily talk her into a mom dinner . the night begins as a disaster , but the combination of alcohol , karaoke , and a cute bartender , leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men .
fun mom dinner / u . s . a . ( director : alethea jones , screenwriter : julie rudd ) — four women , whose kids attend the same preschool class , get together for a “fun mom dinner . ” when the night takes an unexpected turn , these unlikely new friends realize they have more in common than just marriage and motherhood . together , they reclaim a piece of the women they used to be . cast : katie aselton , toni collette , bridget everett , molly shannon , adam scott , adam levine . world premiere
bridget everett , toni collette , katie aselton and molly shannon are all smiles as they strike a pose together at the cinema society and svedka screening of their latest film fun mom dinner held at the landmark sunshine cinema on tuesday ( august 1 ) in new york city .
this mawkishly snatched moment is so earnest and unearned that i had to accept fun mom dinner is not an eyebrow - raising evisceration of comedies like bridesmaids and bad moms , but a desperate pretender that doesn’t realize stars and eagerness are no substitute for outrageous gags and actual jokes .
un ? nope , not for us . dinner ? mostly offscreen . moms ? check… though
exclusive : in yet another preemptive deal before sundance gets underway , eone’s momentum pictures has closed north american theatrical distribution and netflix got multi - territory svod rights to fun mom dinner . the total deals are worth around $ 5 million , counting several international territory deals voltage made previously .
plus , upgrade prices are available below for stageside vip dinner & show ® and green room dinner & show ® packages . call 808 - 629 - show ( 7469 ) to book !
follows four moms whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , who decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner . ” when the night suddenly takes an unexpected turn and things gets real , these unlikely new friends soon realize they have more in common than just marriage and motherhood .
it doesn’t premiere until next week , so wme , uta , and icm , all of whom were selling the film , held screenings for buyers earlier this week . “ fun mom dinner ” stars toni collette , molly shannon , adam scott , and adam levine . it’s the directing debut of alethea jones .
yes , we cut our cake before dinner . we had a huge wedding ( about 700 people ) and it was a buffet style served dinner , and we wanted people to be able to grab a piece of cake while they were up getting dinner and not have to get back up . we were worried people would scatter or leave after dinner and then we would be stuck with tons of leftover cake !
shabbat dinner & lounge – 5 : 30 p . m . to 11 : 30 p . m .
some kind of magic happens when toni collette and bridget everett share the screen in alethea jones’ “fun mom dinner . ” the duo initially face off as philosophically oppositional moms tossed together in service to the eponymous gathering , eventually finding common ground ( and fertile comedic opportunities ) . unfortunately , the rest of the film is a scattershot affair .
even here , in a movie allegedly devoted to mom time , they have to share the spotlight with dads .
“ fun mom dinner ” is the third movie of its kind this summer ― its “kind” being comedies about rowdy female friends letting loose . their titles function as two - or three - word synopses : first came the bawdy bachelorette weekend in june’s “ rough night , ” followed by last month’s hit “ girls trip . ” this weekend , “fun mom dinner” casts toni collette , molly shannon , bridget everett and katie aselton as overworked preschool mamas whose evening out results in weed - and booze - hazed antics . none are as unruly as a dead stripper or a urine - soaked zip - line through the french quarter , but one character does go swimming in a unicorn onesie .
“four moms , whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless ‘fun mom dinner’ . the night begins as a disaster , but the combination of alcohol , karaoke , and a cute bartender , leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men . ”
mom will love this lighter version of pasta carbonara—and you ' ll love how quick and easy it is to make .
four moms whose only common ground is their kids ' preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless
fun mom dinner .
the night begins as a disaster , but the combination of alcohol , karaoke , and a cute bartender , leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men .
netflix and momentum pictures have nabbed north american theatrical and streaming rights to “fun mom dinner” out of the sundance film festival . the ensemble comedy sold for $ 5 million , according to insiders . it doesn’t premiere until next week , so wme , uta , and icm , all of whom were selling the film , held screenings for buyers earlier [ … ]
sometimes a film is precisely no more and no less than the sum of its parts , and that’s just fine . so it is with “fun mom dinner , ” a cheerfully scatty , diverting adult comedy that gives four lovably funny actresses some broadly silly , dirty material to play with , tosses in some on - brand mugging from their supporting [ … ]
jones is directing from a script by julie yaeger rudd , centering on four moms whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , who decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner . ” when the night suddenly takes an unexpected turn and things gets real , these unlikely new friends soon realize they have more in common than just marriage and motherhood .
what if you combined the premises of bridesmaids and bad moms , but bled them dry of risque humor ? this bland cocktail would be fun mom dinner , a comedy whose tame take on a wild night is so humdrum it might function best as a sleep aid . and considering the cast at the core of this female - made comedy , that’s pretty shocking .
katie aselton , toni collette , bridget everett and molly shannon are starring in the ensemble comedy “fun mom dinner” with shooting starting wednesday in los angeles . the film marks the directorial debut of australian helmer alethea jones . other cast members include adam scott ( “parks and recreation” ) , rob huebel ( “transparent” ) , adam levine and paul rust . jones is [ … ]
fun mom dinner trailer # 1 ( 2017 ) : check out the new trailer starring katie aselton , toni collette , and hart denton ! be the first to watch , comment , and share indie trailers , clips , and featurettes dropping @ movieclipsindie . ► buy tickets to fun mom dinner : urltoken watch more indie trailers : ► new indie trailers playlist urltoken ► new documentary trailers playlist urltoken ► new international trailers playlist urltoken four moms whose only common ground is their kids ' preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless
fun mom dinner .
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“fun mom dinner” kicks off from an admirably grounded place , and the early part of the moms’ dinner zips right along , thanks to amusing conversation and major chemistry between the four women . everett and collette seem to relish every minute that their characters spend trading barbs that eventually give way to a flinty friendship . if nothing else , jones’ film makes the case for collette and everett to find another film together as soon as possible , if only to see what else the pair can do .
penned by julie rudd in her feature debut , “fun mom dinner” is as advertised , following four moms over the course of one very wild night out . katie aselton is the straight woman as supermom emily who is secretly struggling with her romance - free marriage to tom ( adam scott ) and her latent disappointment in leaving her legal career to become a full - time parent .
here is the synopsis : four moms , whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner . ” the night begins as a disaster , but the combination of alcohol , karaoke , and a cute bartender , leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men .
so i am exactly the target audience for “fun mom dinner , ” about a group of ladies who get together for shenanigans on a school night . i’m also a fan of the strong , comic cast , including katie aselton , toni collette , molly shannon , adam scott , rob huebel and paul rudd . but this combination of predispositions makes the movie even more of a letdown .
offering fitfully dirty fun to a game quartet of actresses , this light farce knows which side of its gluten - free bread is buttered .
intro to reception - straight into 1st dance - thank you speech to our guests - dinner served - greeted each table - toasts as dinner was wrapping up - straight into father / daughter dance - straight into cutting the cake - dancing the rest of the night .
“four moms ( toni collette , molly shannon , bridget everett , and katie aselton ) , whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class , get together for a harmless ‘fun mom dinner . ’ when the night suddenly takes an unexpected turn , these unlikely new friends realize they have more in common that just marriage and motherhood . together , they reclaim a piece of the women they used to be . ”
at our wedding we walked in and went right to the first dance . then mingled then right before dinner we did the uncle niece dance
off - screen , collette , shannon , everett and aselton are mounds of fun . i met them in new york this week , where they were saddled with nonstop interviews . seated around a conference table at a luxe manhattan hotel , the women swapped stories about appearing with various real housewives on “watch what happens live , ” railed against t . j . miller’s recent huffpost interview , wondered how josef fritzl’s wife didn’t know what he was doing in their basement , compared “fun mom dinner” to “wonder woman” and emphasized how tired they are of the typical “women in hollywood” questions .
while good company might make or break a night out , sadly it can ' t save
fun mom dinner
from being more than just fitfully funny . this raunchy , female - driven comedy should be able to rely on the strength of its cast , but even the collective talents of katie aselton , toni collette , molly shannon and bridget everett aren ' t enough to make the movie worth a babysitter ' s hourly rate .
elsewhere , a subplot involving the left - behind dads stays both amusing and real , with parenting disasters that include screaming babies and an ill - timed locked door . rudd’s script doesn’t shy from the more unpleasant aspects of parenthood , but a bent towards cheap laughs diminishes even its wisest touches . when “fun mom dinner” avoids opting into silly gags and strange plot movements that only mine for passing laughs , it works , and works well .
now i have to look up chileqiulles and see what they are , lol . the movie sounds fun ( hence the name , i know ) . 😉
while emily and her family are new to the local fancy - pants private school , emily has a connection in kate ( collette ) , her high school best friend who is dealing with her own parenting issues . when emily is asked out to a “fun mom dinner” by the overinvolved melanie ( everett ) and the single and social media - obsessed jamie ( molly shannon ) , she jumps at the chance to do something different . wacky hijinks ensue .
the dinner honors connie britton , jay duplass , laura prepon , barbara kopple , kelly preston , and more notable talent at the kia supper suite .
but jones and rudd make the mistake of cutting that tension too quickly . it could have been a source of comic conflict for a while . instead , the ladies quickly connect over way too many glasses of wine ( and other substances ) over a long night of barhopping . “fun mom dinner” cuts back and forth between their adventures and the comparatively tame night their husbands—andrew and tom , specifically—are having as they watch the kids and bond in the backyard over stolen halloween candy .
but “fun mom dinner” is a meal of savory appetizers , not hearty cuisine — it works ( or occasionally doesn’t ) on a moment - to - moment basis , and some of those moments are pretty damn tasty . if you find nothing to smile at in collette and aselton launching into a drunken , full - lunged karaoke rendition of nena’s “99 luftballons , ” or a gurning shannon taking one failed attempt after another at a sexy tinder selfie , or paul rudd ( the writer’s husband ) turning up as an hipster artisan marijuana dealer ( “we call this one the ruth bader ganja , because it gives you a supreme high” ) , then it’s safe to say “fun mom dinner , ” with its sitcom timing and antiseptic score , isn’t your jam . for everyone else , it should slip down as easily as a screw - top bottle of supermarket red . unlike the red , however , there’ll be nothing to remind you of it in the morning .
the plot kind of make it sound like a rehash of mom’s night out but with an older cast . well , am willing to give it a try .
i really wanted it to be kind of a love letter to moms ,
rudd told et .
because i , as a mom , just found myself with this amazing group of mom friends that i met and i was surprised by how important they became in my life and how understood they made me feel .
psst . have you heard ? on big screens across the nation women are behaving badly , really badly . and now , bringing up the rear of this summer raunch parade led by “snatched , ” “rough night” and “girls trip , ” comes the rather tame “fun mom dinner . ” these mothers just want a night off for boozy shenanigans and some smoking in the girls’ room , which , of course , leads to harmless karaoke antics , mild flirtations , an instagram faux pas and pot - induced paranoia .
the julie rudd - scripted picture marks the directing debut of alethea jones , and it stars katie aselton , toni collette , bridget everett , molly shannon , adam scott and adam levine . the logline : four women , whose kids attend the same preschool class , get together for a “fun mom dinner . ” when the night takes an unexpected turn , these unlikely new friends realize they have more in common than just marriage and motherhood . together , they reclaim a piece of the women they used to be .
promised to be a great dinner party benefitting operation smile , the chefdance series invites guests , companies , and premier chefs to their perfect marriage of food and film in an exclusive setting at the memorial building on main street . invited attendees are to enjoy a menu prepared by chef cat cora . the dinner series runs jan . 20 through
your mom’s on the b team ? that stinks ! good for you for standing up for your mom . but you also need to step back and think of the bride . is there a money problem ? is it an issue of space ? you can’t know unless you ask , but do you really want to become part of the problem on her special day ? i’d swallow this one . put your arm around your mom and say “let’s write this off as bride anxiety” and go out together for a nice lunch .
introduction ; first dance ; toasts ; dinner ; father / daughter dance ; mother / son dance ; general dancing ; cake cutting ; bouquet toss ; garter toss ; more dancing .
some movies can pull off the gender swap beautifully : “ bridesmaids , ” “ bad moms ” and the recent smash “ girls trip ” are prime examples of hard - r comedies that also deftly blended substance and heart . others , like “ snatched ” and “ rough night , ” strained to shock us and ultimately felt desperate and empty . “fun mom dinner” unfortunately falls into the latter category . it’s about both fellatio jokes and falling in love all over again , but it’s so rushed and the characters are so underdeveloped that the film feels frustratingly slight .
seven years ago , my brother died . his wife is getting remarried , and my mother insists someone from our family attend the wedding . mom’s too emotional to go but wants me to instead . i said no — i was never close to the wife , and there are no kids . mom is making me feel guilty . what’s the etiquette here ? — wedding wary
jamie likes to plan “fun mom dinners” from time to time : “lots of wine , no kids , ” she promises perkily . when she and melanie invite emily to join them , emily naturally invites along her longtime pal , kate , even though she’s too cool for such joiner activities . actually , emily tricks kate into coming , which makes things tense from the get - go .
fun mom dinner
means well , with its messages about the stress of trying for parental perfection , forging an identity beyond motherhood and creating female friendships . but first - time feature director alethea jones and screenwriter julie rudd have made a film that meanders as its characters do , and its aimlessness doesn ' t serve these women or the plot well . whether the problem lies with the script or the editing , the movie leaves out key moments that would serve as connective tissue , uniting these fast friends and their narrative beyond a string of giggle - inducing line deliveries .
julie rudd : i wanted to take the experiences of being a mom and have it more front and center in a comedy than it had been prior to bad moms , for sure . i think moms had been a stereotypical side joke in the comedies about guys , so i thought it would be fun to make a movie about moms , where the moms are having some fun . it was also important to me that they felt like real people and they felt like real moms and they were the right age to be the moms that they were . and i think that we pulled it off !
skinless , boneless chicken breasts are pounded thin , rolled around fresh spears of asparagus with mozzarella cheese , and baked for an easy spring dinner that ' s ready in less than an hour .
following the screening of the film , director kogonada toasts with stars haley lu richardson , parker posey , michelle forbes , rory culkin , and john cho over dinner at the kia supper suite .
serve your caprese salad on toothpicks for a fun , easy appetizer . it takes just a few minutes to thread mozzarella balls , cherry tomatoes , and fresh basil leaves onto the picks and drizzle with olive oil .
the kia supper suite hosts a cast dinner with elle fanning , michelle monaghan , blake jenner , logan lerman , christina brucato , margaret qualley , kyle chandler , tim blake nelson , and nathan lane .
by the film’s second half , however , its early promise has devolved . the story becomes reliant on unlikely twists including a trip to a pot dispensary that seems to exist only for surface - level laughs and an unfortunate visit to a bar run by adam levine , who takes a quick shine to emily . abandoning its relatable chuckles and insights in order to deliver sequences involving everett and colette plunging into the ocean ( seriously , get these two a buddy cop comedy right now ) , shannon meeting cute with an uncomfortable paul rust and a flat - out insane party with text - obsessed teens , “fun mom dinner” ends its once - promising start with a whimper .
while these four women become great friends in fun mom dinner , it’s obvious they became friends in making the movie and i’m thinking there had to be as many laughs during filming as there are on the screen itself because all of them are so funny ! i have been a molly shannon fan forever , beginning with her snl years , and if you haven’t yet seen bridget everett’s videos on youtube , they are hilarious ( but definitely nsfw and you want to be sure your kids aren’t looking over your shoulder while you watch . ) and while those two are primarily known for being funny women , toni collette and katie aselton showed how funny they can be as well !
my best friend is getting married , and i’m one of her bridesmaids . she’s planning to invite my parents to the wedding—not with the first set of invitations but with a second set , after some of the initial invitees say they can’t attend . in the ten years the bride and i have been friends , my mom has been a close and caring supporter . i am truly hurt , and i’m sure my mom will be too . am i overreacting ? –daughter first
the lodge is open to members as well as other invited press and industry execs for a fun apres ski party at the main street lodge , sponsored by a new networking app called plexus . specialty cocktails will be provided by high west distillery .
while such individual antics are lame , “fun mom dinner” also makes the repeated mistake of banging us over the head with its running gags and needlessly spelling everything out , making the movie feel longer than its 81 minutes . it’s not enough to have the foursome giggle over vajazzling during their night out on the town ; the ladies also describe this intimate art form in detail before gawking at ( and showing us ) a graphic instagram photo of it . it’s not enough to have them ooh and ahh over the hunky jake ryan character in “ sixteen candles ” ( because truly , who wouldn’t ? ) ; they also over - explain his allure , which should be clear to the viewers this movie is geared toward .
the annual benefit kicks off the first day of the festival with director jeff orlowski set as keynote speaker . the private cocktail reception and dinner follows the premiere of 45th vice president al gore ‘s “an inconvenient sequel” at the eccles theatre .
beatriz at dinner / u . s . a . ( director : miguel arteta , screenwriter : mike white ) — beatriz , an immigrant from a poor town in mexico , has drawn on her innate kindness to build a career as a health practitioner . doug strutt is a cutthroat , self - satisfied billionaire . when these two opposites meet at a dinner party , their worlds collide and neither will ever be the same . cast : salma hayek , john lithgow . world premiere
intro , first dance , mingle , eat , toasts as everyone was finishing up dinner . general dancing ( there was no father / daughter etc dances ) . . . cake cutting , garter removal ( garter was an afterthought , so it was very late ) .
shabbat tent returns to the festival with its very shabbat lounge . in addition to hosting its annual home - cooked dinner with challah , wine , and traditional cuisine , the after - party features desserts and a musical havdallah . the event takes place at the caledonian from jan . 20 - 21 .
i think this is what we are doing . . . intro to reception , cake cutting , toast , special thanks by the groom , dinner , first dance , father / daughter , mother / son , bridal party dance , anniversery dance , garter removal , garter toss , bouquet toss , then the dollar dance .
for emily on the other hand , who misses her shelved law career and whose relationship with her husband ( a reliably adorable adam scott ) is at a sexless impasse , no new social opportunity is unwelcome . so when jamie and melanie invite her into their two - person circle of regular “fun mom dinners , ” she gladly accepts — tricking kate into coming along with her for a night while the men haphazardly mind the kids . ( in one of the more pointed jabs at gender inequality in rudd’s otherwise breezy script , emily and her husband squabble when he refers to his evening’s work as “babysitting” — parents don’t babysit their own children , she tartly counters . )
toni collette and molly shannon lead a feisty mom group that includes bridget everett ( “patti cake $ ” ) and katie aselton ( “the gift” ) . the rest of the cast is like a who’s who of indie comedy : adam scott , rob huebel , paul rudd , paul rust , and john early round it out . there’s even a bartending adam levine thrown in there . in this short glimpse , we see collette playing against type as kate , the mom who thinks she’s too good for the group festivities . the actresses have great chemistry ; with shannon as the friendly one , everett as the sassy one , and aselton as the amiable one caught in the middle .
her nemesis is melanie ( comedian bridget everett ) , the intensely involved and just plain intense school volunteer who runs the drop - off lane like a tight ship . ( every parent has met this person at some point . ) melanie’s best friend is shannon’s jamie , a divorced , single mom who tends to overshare on social media to project the image that everything is awesome . the newcomer to school is aselton’s emily , a childhood friend of kate’s . a former lawyer , emily is now adjusting to life as a stay - at - home mom and suffering through a sexless marriage to tom ( scott ) , who describes watching the couple’s two kids for the night as “babysitting . ”
you know , when you ' re a mom , you don ' t have a lot of time . sometimes the simple things become really exciting , like going into a rite aid or a walgreens , going in for one thing and then it ' s like ,
oh my god , there ' s a million things in here !
i love that as seen on tv section , and i thought , how hysterical would it be if these moms had a moment where they go into a walgreens and when they walk out , we realize that they all had that mom moment where they bought things they absolutely did not need ? and she did that with the unicorn onesie !
really liked this movie . its just fun and cute , nice humor . all the time watching i was smiling . i think the creators didn ' t even want it to be
realistic
, its a comedy and a comedy makes you laugh / smile - i like that . so for those looking for something silly and sweet - this is a go .
perhaps we’re meant to think their night out isn’t outrageous , or even enviably fun , and just pathetic . when they go to a seemingly hip bar , and adam levine shows up as temptation in skinny jeans , maybe we are supposed to scoff at the on - the - nose nature of it all . when he surprises the fun moms with a karaoke jam , maybe we’re expected to be incredulous when they have no problem belting out “99 luftballons” in german . maybe lead - weight jokes like “we’re sticking together like sister wives” and saying they’ll get “supremely high” on marijuana called “ruth bader ganja” , isn’t intended to be funny . which would be good , because they play like lame dad jokes , landing with a groan instead of a laugh .
the kia supper suite dining experience features “bushwick” directors jonathan milott and cary murnion along with dave bautista and brittany snow ; “kuso” director flying lotus in addition to star hannibal buress ; as well as “xx” directors roxanne benjamin and sofia carrillo with star melanie lynskey . presented by maestro dobel tequila , the gourmet dinner party is prepared by chef john murcko at his newly opened restaurant , firewood .
with a cast like this—and supporting appearances from rob huebel , paul rust , david wain , and paul rudd—this should be an outrageous fun , goosing our mundane concepts of parents , reveling in the wild nights that still might be possible . but the script from julie yaeger rudd ( yes , paul rudd’s wife ) never gives these ready - to - cut loose moms anything all that exciting to do . the mom squad shares a joint in a restaurant bathroom , then runs out on the bill after accidentally setting off the sprinkler system . it’s a timid start , but hey maybe something spicy will happen next . or maybe they’ll go to walgreen’s because someone has a gift card and a hankering for cheetos . ( it’s the latter , played like a baller moment with slo - mo and silly swagger . )
my fiancé and i are planning our wedding . he supports my wish for the rehearsal dinner and reception to be vegan . but my future mother - in - law is going nonstop about how people won’t like it . she is trying to take control of the catering . how can i keep my relationship with her and still stand up for my beliefs about saving animals ? — bewildered bride
meanwhile , scott and huebel are stranded in a completely benign b - plot of husbands left behind on the fun . so naturally they’re screwing up at parenthood , questioning whether they deserve their women , and accidentally handling human feces . this thread is so underwritten it feels like an afterthought of , “oh , but what about the men , i guess ? ” and so scott is stranded to look flustered over a caterwauling infant , and huebel does his yelling schtick over and over .
rock out with the whole family this summer with our super “child free luau” special ! enjoy a luau dinner in the heart of waikiki . then , sit back and let rock - a - hula ® take you on a multi - sensory hawaiian journey through time ! kids will love the performances by our fire knife dancer and legends tribute artists including michael jackson and katy perry ! each child , ages 3 - 11 , goes free with a paying adult !
these four moms seem to have little in common , save for the fact that their kids all attend preschool together . nevertheless , they decide to go out to a restaurant for dinner , hoping for a girls ' night out to escape the pressures of modern motherhood . fueled by wine and perhaps some less legal substances , the group wanders around the city afterwards and gets into a variety of strange and raunchy situations , all while their husbands struggle to control the little ones back at home .
welcome to the land of extended families . it’s compromise time . you’ve made your point about saving the animals ; she’s rejected it . let momma carnivore set the menu for the rehearsal dinner ( the traditional responsibility of the groom’s family ) , and you plan the reception ( the bride’s traditional responsibility ) . one note about hostessing and the vegan thing : the food better taste good . folks are tolerant of others’ food beliefs until they are obliged to sample three courses of variously spiced cardboard .
● playdates / u . s . a . ( writers : giles andrew , dan marshall , creators : giles andrew , dan marshall , alex bourne ) — uprooted from their midwestern life , bennett , a new stay - at - home dad , and julie , a working mom , are forced to take their kids on playdates inside the elitist parenting culture of silicon beach . cast : paul scheer , carla gallo , miles fisher , craig frank , gemma brooke allen , landon gordon . world premiere
here is what we did . . . intro to reception , cake cutting , a little meet and greet , dinner , toasts , grand march - leads into first dance , other special dances , garter / bouquet was about an hour into a 4 hour dance . it is completely up to you though ! it ' s your day , the guests are on your schedule ! just make sure to give your timeline to your photographer so they can be in the right place to take the pics !
not at all ! i ' m not in the least bit worried . i was thrilled to see how well bad moms did and to feel like my hunch maybe was right , that there is an appetite for this and that women wanted to see something like this . so , for me , it ' s all good . we are very different . we ' re a very small , little indie movie . i think this movie , it ' s sort of tender at moments and soulful at moments . i think there is enough mom movie material to go around and i think it ' s fun , in the wake of something like bad moms , [ to have ] a different take on it . so , i ' m not worried at all . i ' m kind of excited , because i think maybe people will go in with that expectation and maybe they ' ll say , like ,
wow , this was funny , too , but this was also something else . i really saw myself in a real way up there on the screen .
shaking the pressure to be that women that everyone looks at and says , “how does she do it ? ” i feel like we do that to ourselves a lot . you can’t do everything all at the same time . it’s okay . it makes you a more accessible , more human to say it’s “okay , i’m going to fail sometimes . i’m going to fall a little short , but that doesn’t mean i’m a bad mom or a bad wife or a bad friend . it just means i can’t ace it all of the time . ”
these gals don’t start out as reunited pals , though — they only know one another through their children’s school . there’s bad blood between kate ( toni collette ) , who’s too cool for the dreaded mom circle , and melanie ( bridget everett ) , a brash taskmaster with strong feelings about traffic safety . they stand down after a few puffs of a peace pipe in the form of a marijuana vaporizer pen and some encouragement from the recently divorced jamie ( molly shannon ) , a social media oversharer , and the new - to - the - school emily ( katie aselton ) , whose marriage is in a rut .
at some point , emily stopped being “emily” — high - powered lawyer , strong woman , sexual being — and became , simply , “mom . ” it’s like , her kids and husband are great , but there’s got to be more to life than diapers , playdates , and fingerpaint , right ? right ? ! ? when some of the other moms at school propose a chardonnay - soaked night out , emily is in . she even drags her reluctant friend kate along for the ride . but what starts as gossip and tapas quickly turns into a night that these ladies will never forget ( even though they’re all super duper high ) .
( sundance film festival ) hide
i completely agree ! i loved her on togetherness and that role , emily , she is the new mom in town . she ' s new to this school , so she ' s interested in meeting some friends , but she has trepidation about , what are all these moms going to be like ? so , in many ways , we enter the story through her perspective and katie aselton , i don ' t know - - she just has such a real quality . she has a little toughness , but also a tenderness . she is so many things , and so to have her be that anchor in the middle is great . i think a lot of women will see a piece of themselves in her .
molly shannon could do anything and could have played any part in this movie . just having her around , she ' s so funny - - she ' s such an amazing comedian - - and playing jamie , this divorced mom , i think she brought a real tenderness to the part that is so nice to see her do . and to be sort of a little shy . in a way , it was against what you ' d think molly would be in this movie , and i always like when somebody surprises me . her character is recently divorced , so she ' s at that moment where she is thinking about maybe getting out there and starting to date again , but of course she ' s afraid and it ' s all new to her .
set in an unspecified corner of suburban los angeles , the kind of neighborhood where the families own suvs , have big lots and are mostly white , the story revolves around four families whose kids all go to the same cozy elementary school . harried mother - of - two emily ( katie aselton ) was a high - powered lawyer before she met husband tom ( adam scott ) . however , now they’ve grown so distant and exhausted by parenthood , he can barely bring himself to kiss her on the mouth as he leaves in the morning . and that’s before her toddler throws the contents of his diaper in her face . dope - smoking mom - of - four - boys kate ( toni collette ) , on the other hand , emily’s best friend since college , has found a way to keep the love alive with her husband andrew ( rob huebel ) , thanks mostly to her willingness to dispense fellatio during commercial breaks and not giving a shit who she offends with her smart - ass ways .
i have so many ! i mean , the whole thing is such a dream come true for me . i have loved movies my entire life . my sister and i , when we were kids , would have our own little movie festivals like , this week we ' re going to watch a bunch of jack lemmon movies . next week , we ' re going to do bette davis . watching the oscars as a kid was such a big deal in my house . so , for me to walk on the set of a movie and think ,
this is a movie that i wrote ,
it ' s like a fairy tale . it ' s my little girl dreams coming true . and doing it with naomi scott , who is one of my closest friends , and to have fun with our husbands doing it , and just for it to have gotten into sundance - - i mean , there ' s been 70 pinch - me moments . i ' m red and bruised all over from all the pinch - me moments i ' ve had .


caravan of courage : an ewok adventure ( originally broadcast as the ewok adventure ) is a 1984 american television film based in the star wars universe .

it is the first of two spin-off films featuring the ewoks from return of the jedi .

the film , which is set on the moon of endor some time after the ewoks animated series but before the events of return of the jedi , focuses on the struggles of a brother and sister trying to locate their parents who have been kidnapped by a monster known as the gorax .

caravan of courage : an ewok adventure

this is the trailer for the 1984 ewok adventure also called the caravan of courage .
caravan of courage is the ewok adventure star wars would rather you ' d forget .
george lucas ( 1984 ) . caravan of courage : an ewok adventure ( tv movie ) . lucasfilm .
caravan of courage : an ewok adventure and the battle for endor are currently out of print , but can be found on amazon and youtube .
star wars ewok adventures : caravan of courage / battle for endor
2004 dvd .
star wars ewok adventures : caravan of courage / the battle for endor ( dvd , . . .
holoka , chris ( november 25 , 2014 ) . 30th anniversary for caravan of courage : an ewok adventure . theforce . net . retrieved on november 26 , 2014 .
george lucas’ earliest documented crime was caravan of courage : an ewok adventure , though it is for his subsequent acts of gross criminality against cinema that he has become best known .
the film that george lucas chose next ( as producer and writer ) was an ewok adventure ( renamed to caravan of courage : an ewok adventure for overseas theatrical release ) . thus began the spate of petty crime that would turn into unbridled evil over the next twenty years .
while watching the first star wars ewok movie ; caravan of courage : an ewok adventure i noticed that one of the main characters was called mace . this of course made me think of mace windu from episodes i - iii .
at least
caravan of courage
is better than the star wars holiday special .
a . caravan of courage score composed by peter bernstein and conducted by harry rabinowitz .
it was a somewhat awkward encounter because he had a poster for previous star wars offshoot caravan of courage : an ewok adventure stuck on his wall and didn’t want lucas to see it .
star wars galaxies : an empire divided ( 2 . mmorpg . in the game , the player has the opportunity to encounter the gorax and the gorax species , as seen in the ewok adventure . release . in its overseas theatrical release , it was rechristened caravan of courage : an ewok adventure .
features : presented in its original 1 . available subtitles : english . available audio tracks : english ( dolby digital 2 . surround ) dvd includes both caravan of courage ( aka the ewok adventure ) and the battle for endor . caravan of courage : an ewok adventure was one of four films to be juried - awarded emmys for outstanding special visual effects at the 3 .
goldberg , lee ( december 1984 ) . the ewok adventure . starlog 89 .
wicket the ewok first appeared in
return of the jedi
and later went on to star in
caravan of courage .
the ewok adventures , now known as caravan of courage : an ewok adventure , was released on november 25 , 1984 . the tv movie ' s popularity with younger audiences led to emmy nominations and a sequel in 1985 ( ewok adventures : the battle for endor ) .
title caravan of courage - an ewok adventure year 1984 distributor ( s ) 20th century fox film co . ltd classified date ( s ) 14 / 11 / 1984 approved footage 8703 + 12 bbfc reference aff021724
the ewok adventure ( 1984 ) . nytimes . com . retrieved on december 24 , 2013 .
goldberg , lee ( january 1985 ) . john korty : director of the ewok adventure . starlog 90 .
cranna is the only actor who participated in both the ewok films and animated series ; he voiced widdle in caravan of courage , and teebo in the second season of ewoks .
the ewok adventure ( 1984 ) aka caravan of courage . star wars tv movie spinoff . stars : aubree miller , warwick davis . director - john korty . moria - the science - fiction , horror and fantasy film review .
chances of resurrection ? if you know where to look ( we don’t ) , you can apparently find this whole game online . if you’re really desperate for some furry spin - off action , there was also a tv movie entitled caravan of courage : an ewok adventure in 1984 .
for those old enough to remember , today marks the 30th anniversary of the first televised ewok movie — yes , the first — there were two – called the ewok adventure ( or caravan of courage ) . airing in the us on the evening of november 25 , 1984 ( and subsequently screened theatrically in select theaters abroad at christmas ) , it was followed in 1985 by battle for endor , which continued the adventures of cindel towani , the young girl marooned on endor in the first ewok adventure ( the original title before caravan of courage was added ) .
episode 56 : an ewok adventure with eric walker . skywalking through neverland . urltoken ( november 25 , 2014 ) . retrieved on november 29 , 2014 .
star wars ewok adventures caravan of courage / the battle for endor . double feature ( dvd , 2004 ) . • rare titles and out of print releases ! fine print • from my collection !
star wars ewok adventures : caravan of courage / the battle for endor ( double feature ) on dvd . case & artwork are in great shape . the battle for endor ( 1985 ) .
taking off right where the last one ( caravan of courage : an ewok adventure ( 1984 ) left off , this is somewhat darker in tone from opening . where as the first film spent its time rescuing our little heroine , cindel’s ( aubree miller ) parents from an ogre , they are quickly dispatched along with her older brother and hero of the last film , mace , leaving her orphaned and on the run from an evil band of marauders along with ewok , wicket .
an original french poster made to promote the television special the ewok adventures : caravan of courage . this poster was designed by artist drew struzan and features characters and events from the film . showing minimal signs of wear , this poster is in overall great condition .
ewoks was the official soundtrack album to the films caravan of courage : an ewok adventure ( 1984 ) and ewoks : the battle for endor ( 1985 ) . the album was released on lp by varése sarabande and lucasfilm ltd . on december 8 , 1986 . only about half an hour of music from the two films was presented due to lp capacity limitations . for caravan of courage , the music was composed by peter bernstein and conducted by harry rabinowitz , whereas bernstein both composed and conducted the score for the battle for endor .
this is the star wars : ewok adventures dvd from 2004 containing both made - for - tv ewok movies ,
caravan of courage ( 1984 )
and
the battle for endor ( 1985 )
on a double - sided dvd . in great shape .
i loved caravan of courage . had it on vhs . watched it to hell and back . can ' t remember a single fucking thing about it .
chekhov ' s gun : the gifts the shaman ewok gives the caravan before they leave come in handy several times on the trip .
caravan of courage : an ewok adventure ( originally released as the ewok adventure ) is a 1984 made - for - tv movie directed by john korty from a script by bob carrau and story by george lucas . it focuses on a family of humans who have been shipwrecked on the forest moon of endor . after the parents are kidnapped by the gorax , their children team up with the ewoks in a quest to rescue them . the film was followed by 1985 ' s ewoks : the battle for endor .
if you loved the worst aspects of return of the jedi then you ' ll love the ewok adventures caravan of courage and battle for endor . gareth and andy round off their star wars season by looking back at these two furry tv movies .
rogue one marks an unusual development in the star wars cinematic universe , a stand - alone story that isn’t about the skywalker family . this new installment in the saga isn’t wholly unprecedented , however : in 1984 , lucasfilm cobbled together caravan of courage : an ewok adventure , a live - action tv movie starring everyone’s least favorite return of the jedi side characters . a sequel , the battle for endor , arrived soon after .
in 1984 , lucas gifted the world with
the ewok adventure ,
now known more popularly as
caravan of courage : an ewok adventure .
the made - for - tv film is the story of a brother and sister stranded on endor , lost without their parents on the forest moon . the movie did manage to snag a prime - time emmy for outstanding special visual effects , but rightfully lost out in the outstanding children ' s program category to a special episode of american playhouse about a world war ii orphan .
with the second death star destroyed and the empire in shambles , the star wars franchise had nowhere left to go in the ' 80s - except to television . this dvd presents the two star wars made - for - tv movies , “the ewok adventure : caravan of courage” and “ewoks : the battle for endor” .
on november 23 , 2004 , lucasfilm and 20th century fox released the film on dvd—this time with its theatrical title of caravan of courage : an ewok adventure . the dvd presents the film in its original 1 . 33 : 1 aspect ratio with a dolby digital 2 . 0 english audio track and english subtitles . the release was billed as star wars : ewok adventures , a
double feature
of caravan of courage and its sequel , ewoks : the battle for endor . the disc itself is double - sided , featuring one film on each side . it featured no extras , only the films themselves . [ 28 ]
up for sale is the dvd star wars ewok aventures - caravan of courage and the battle for endor . the dvd is in excellent shape with no nicks and scratches . the dvd case and artwork are also in excellent . . .
( star wars ewok adventures dvd . includes 2 features . 1 ) caravan of courage and 2 ) the battle for endor . cd and case are in excellent condition . don ' t miss out on this rare and oop dvd .
these three films , in order of release , are the star wars holiday special ( 1978 ) , the caravan of courage ( 1984 ) and the battle for endor ( 1985 ) .
1 . one of the early working titles for the ewok adventure was “the ewok holiday special” — no big surprise this was changed after fan and critical response to 1978’s star wars holiday special was less than , uh , cheerful .
in the mid - 1980s , two made - for - tv movies based on the star wars franchise were created : the ewok adventure ( 1984 ) , later retitled caravan of courage : an ewok adventure , and ewoks : the battle for endor ( 1985 ) . they star a young child , cindel , whose family has crash - landed on endor , and wicket , the ewok who befriended leia in return of the jedi . the success of these movies led to an animated series , ewoks , which ran for two seasons . the main character , cindel , got a cameo much later in an expanded universe novel as a reporter , and teek was featured in the safety video for star tours when rex was still the pilot .
caravan of courage : an ewok story came out in 1984 , one year after return of the jedi , and it brought back everyone’s favorite star wars character : wicket the ewok . the movie focuses on characters in the star wars universe that audiences generally agreed were the least interesting part of the original trilogy : the ewoks . it was somehow successful enough to lead to another tv ewok film , ewoks : the battle for endor , one year later .
caravan of courage
is a great reminder about just how creepy the ewok faces look . they are also brutal warriors , willing to brandish knives at children and ruthlessly battle creatures 10 times their size . some of them wear skulls on their heads .
an uncharted - style adventure game charting many of his finest exploits , maybe including a few familiar ones , would have been a dream for han fans .
technically speaking this disc has already been released . however , the current release features the first film in its overseas incarnation called
caravan of courage ,
it would be nice if a future release also contained the american tv version called
the ewok adventure .
not to mention some material on the making of these films would be welcome !
those cuddly courageous ewoks from return of the jedi are back in their own adventure . see more »
the ewok adventure debuted on abc on november 25 , 1984 as the
abc sunday night movie
. [ 23 ] [ 2 ] some radio stations broadcast a simultaneous audio track in order to create a stereo experience for viewers . [ 24 ] it received the second - highest ratings that year for an abc movie . [ 2 ] it later aired on the disney channel . [ 25 ] the film was also given a theatrical release in europe under the title caravan of courage : an ewok adventure . [ 13 ] for the ending credits of the french edition of the film , the peter bernstein score was substituted with an original song by french singer dorothée . [ 26 ]
the clan : the ewok tribe appears to be a variation of this trope .
to mark the release of rogue one and to spread public awareness about the existence of this remarkable film , slate ’s joshua keating and jacob brogan revisited caravan of courage for the first time since their childhoods .
lucas conceived of the idea of an ewoks hour long television special , but was extremely hesitant to let the production be handled by anyone outside of lucasfilm . lucas had had his fingers burned on the critically disastrous star wars holiday special some years earlier when he let someone else handle his baby . he determined that he had enough of a story to make an ewok adventure into a two hour tv movie ; an ewok adventure , and intended to ensure that this time he had total control over the production , an idea that today would scare the hell out of anyone , but in 1984 probably sounded awesome .
you are bidding on the rare star wars ewok adventure two movie dvd . this is a must see for any star wars fan . two movies in one .
now that disney has their money grubbing hands on star wars , a terrifying number of spin - offs are in the works , but we would all be remiss to forget that turning secondary characters into headliners started in a time far , far away ( 1984 ) with caravan of courage : an ewok adventure . that is unless you count the star wars christmas special , but the less we say about that the better .
beginning in 1984 , random house released a series of tie - in children ' s books that continued the adventures of the ewoks from the film , many of which also used the subtitle
an ewok adventure .
in 1985 , two children ' s book adaptations were released : random house ' s the ewoks and the lost children and buena vista records ' s book - and - record the ewok adventure . in 1986 , lucasfilm released an official soundtrack , which included selections from peter bernstein ' s scores for both ewok films . [ 27 ]
cnet ' s amanda kooser watches the cheesy 1984 movie
caravan of courage
again so you don ' t have to . and she ' ll never see ewoks the same way again .
you ' ll live the adventure . . . you ' ll love it ' s heroes .
wicket was featured as a main character in the television movies caravan of courage : an ewok adventure in 1984 and ewoks : the battle for endor in 1985 . in both movies , wicket was played by davis and voiced by darryl henriques . wicket was also a main character in the animated television series star wars : ewoks from 1985–1986 , with jim henshaw voicing wicket in the first season and denny delk voicing wicket in the second .
just one year later , to accompany the record breaking showing of the ewok adventure ( 467 , a . k . a . caravan of courage here in the uk ) , buena vista rolled out the read - along adventure adaptation ( in the states only , not in the uk ) followed in 1985 by ewoks : the battle for endor ( 470 ) . filled with hard - to - find images , these two adaptations of the television movies are among the very best of the releases and tough to locate .
“everyone loves the underdog , don’t they ? to look at an ewok , you’d assume…you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover . to look at , they were little and cute and furry , but they were big in spirit and courage and got on with the job in hand , and people liked that . it’s a combination of things . they’re quite mystical , there’s a little bit of magic in caravan of courage . they’re in touch with that earthy stuff .
wicket was featured as a main character in the television movies caravan of courage : an ewok adventure in 1984 and ewoks : the battle for endor in 1985 . in both movies , wicket was played by davis and voiced by darryl henriques . wicket was also a main character in the animated television series star wars : ewoks from 1985 - 1986 , with jim henshaw voicing wicket in the first season and denny delk voicing wicket in the second .
there ' s a ton of incomprehensible ewok dialogue . there ' s an ewok hang glider that looks like the wright brothers built it during a fever dream . there ' s a naughty goat . there ' s a daring rescue followed by even more ewok grunting . and that ' s just the beginning .
i was willing to put my young star wars idealism on the line and watch
caravan of courage
as an adult . i ' m doing this for you , so you don ' t have to . i don ' t remember if i saw
caravan of courage
when it first aired , so i ' m coming into this fresh . i want to see if my childhood passion for all things ewok has stood the test of time and to give myself a small refresher on the star wars universe before
the force awakens
opens next week .
not to worry — there are still a few bits of trivia to chew on from the first ewok adventure , which we recently dug out of the old lucasfilm production and marketing files . here are nine :
3 . four - year - old aubree miller , who played cindel towani , was a local actress from nearby sebastopol , california . the ewok adventure was her first movie role .
keating : for all his flaws as a storyteller , i find lucas’ genuine love of ewoks kind of endearing . i watched this movie a day after rogue one , which in my view fails by thinking that violence and humorlessness are the same thing as seriousness . i was considering mounting an extreme slatepitch arguing that caravan of courage is better than rogue one . i can’t do that . rogue one is a competently directed movie starring world - class actors , and caravan of courage is hot garbage . but i ultimately find caravan of courage ’s approach to the star wars universe more appealing . better that than the way the new movies treat it as some kind of religious text . basically , what i’m saying is : rogue one needed more ewoks .
6 . the ewok actors all wore baby - blue pajamas under their costumes .
what happened ? under a shroud of mystery , parker brothers ( the game’s developers ) only opted to release death star battle , and left their other return of the jedi tie - in ewok adventure on the shelf .
keating : caravan of courage takes place some time before jedi . that doesn’t really make any sense since the ewoks have learned some english by the end of the movie , which they definitely don’t know by the time the rebels show up .
like most things in this universe , caravan of courage : an ewok adventure is at least marginally better than the star wars holiday special . but it’s still pretty terrible . this made - for - tv movie is about the towani family , who crash - land on the forest moon of endor and run into the dead - eyed murder bears called the ewoks . when the human parents are kidnapped by an evil beast called the gorax , it’s up to their annoying ragamuffin kids to team up with those murder bears , trudge across the landscape , and eventually save the day .
a grown - up wicket remembers four adventures from his youth in the ewok village .
i was watching the first star wars ewok movie
- my sincerest condolences .
return of the ewok is a campy , weird , and fascinating piece of marketing for the final installment of the trilogy . understandably it does not have an official release , only being viewable via bootlegs .
pirani , adam ( december 1985 ) . warwick davis : return of the ewok . starlog 101 .
wicket would return the following year in a sequel to caravan of courage : ewok adventure , helping cindel and new allies noa ( wilfred brimley ) and teek defeat king terak and his sanyassan marauders in the 1985 tv movie ewoks : the battle for endor . this film strengthened the bonds between wicket and cindel , with wicket rescuing his family and learning to speak some galactic basic ( which he may have forgotten in return of the jedi ) . [ 9 ]
streeter , michael . eric walker : ewok adventurer . retrieved on october 31 , 2013 .
oh boy , here comes wicket the ewok a . k . a arnold drummond with fur
caravan of courage is pretty dull but it ' s also very transparently made for babies . i haven ' t seen the second one in many years but that opening battle that kills off almost all of the cast from the first movie is some hardcore shit .
ewok adventure was developed around the time of return of the jedi for the atari 2600 , with dropping rocks on imperials ( causing them to explode ) from the comfort of your glider taking up most of the game play . the end goal is taking down an imperial base , we’ve learned . up there is clip from the game which has emerged online .
while the caravan of courage ultimately feels like a childhood coming of age story that fits comfortably in the star wars mythos , the battle for endor takes a few decidedly odd turns . this film sees most of same actors all reprise their roles from the caravan of courage , and begins in a peaceful time in the ewok village where the towani family is preparing to leave on their newly - repaired starcruiser . however the story quickly takes a dramatic turn leaving the towani parents and mace all dead when the village is attacked by sanyassan marauders led by a witch named charal . cindel and wicket are kidnapped along with several covered wagons full of ewok prisoners . managing to escape through a hole in the floor of the prison wagon , cindel and wicket separate from the group and begin their own adventure . they flee from the sanyassan marauders through the forest , eventually escaping their pursuers .
warwick davis ( wicket the ewok ) - some heart warming moments from a star wars event .
o ' connor , john j . ( november 23 , 1984 ) . tv weekend ; ' the ewok adventure , ' sunday movie on abc . wikipedia : the new york times . retrieved on january 5 , 2016 .
write something about yourself . no need to be fancy , just an overview .
with the swift turnaround of movies from screen to home video formats and downloads it’s likely that the days of the read - along adventure are over , but like 7″ records , cassettes , and 8 - tracks , they’re a part of the fabric of star wars . the media may be retired , but the adventure is far from over .
the ewok movies proved an opportunity for ilm to hone a technique from 2 . a space odyssey . the technique , used in photographing matte paintings , is called latent image matte painting .
wicket next featured in a starring role in the 1984 tv film caravan of courage : an ewok adventure ( chronologically set before return of the jedi ) . in the film , he accompanies stranded brother and sister mace and cindel towani as he and his band of ewoks help find and rescue mace and cindel ' s missing parents from the giant gorax . in the movie , wicket is revealed to be the son of deej and shodu , and has two older brothers , weechee and widdle . [ 7 ] the film , its sequel , and the animated series are no longer considered to be official star wars canon after disney acquired lucasfilm . [ 8 ]
der wolf feart raid an eine der t antiquariat ; disneyana . single choice test lesetext
2 . the ewok adventure was shot entirely in marin county , home of skywalker ranch . much of the action was shot five miles from skywalker in a public parkland called roy’s redwoods — a space which contains 300 - year - old sequoias , the oldest in the area .
“people who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or an exercise of power are barbarians . ”
this movie is the vapor of the star wars franchise . nothing about caravan of courage is notable , and only half - remembered notions about a little speed freak that looks like snarf from thundercats poke out of your memory a week after watching it . it’s not painful to sit through . it’s just a very bad movie .
i can ' t make this decision for you .
caravan of courage
is a must - see for star wars completists . if you saw it as a child , it might be best to just leave it at that and cherish your hazy , fading , rosy - hued memories of the movie .
4 . if the narrator of the ewok adventure sounds familiar , you probably remember him from another holiday special , albeit one much more famous – 1964’s rudolph , the red - nosed reindeer , narrated by burl ives ( who played sam the snowman in the special ) .
the main thing that stands out about caravan of courage is just how disgustingly cutesy and saccharine sweet it is . there should be a warning for diabetics on each scene featuring wicket bonding with the girl cindel . in fact just watching any of these scenes is enough to make you want to vomit your organs out of your nose .
admittedly , the ewok adventure movies aren’t remembered for much these days , apart from a couple mentionable footnotes — caravan of courage introduced the saga’s first mace , mace towani , older brother to cindel — and battle for endor starred wilford brimley , the only bespectacled star wars character filmed in live action to date . ( okay , saul dann from the star wars holiday special donned specs in a couple shots , which i seemed to block from memory — can you blame me ? ) since there was little merchandising associated with the ewok movies , and the dvd release of the movies several years back was accompanied by muted fanfare , these movies are easily overshadowed by the rest of the star wars experience .
courage , loyalty and love are the strongest forces in the universe .
if burl ives said it , it must be true .
to us , that sounds like an ingenious cross - medium marketing ploy and , potentially , a whole lot of fun . selling high and buying low would earn rewards , while the threat of imperial entanglements added an element of danger to proceedings .
in 2004 , the movies were released on a double - feature dvd under the title star wars ewok adventures .
good god i was remember of the ewoks cartoon from when i was a kid but never knew these live action ewok movies existed .
9 . joe johnston , who famously was the chief concept designer on the original star wars trilogy , was also production designer on the ewok adventure . he not only created the overall look of the ewoks with george lucas , he also penned a children’s book on the woodland furballs : the adventures of teebo .
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nah . . . just kidding . it ' s the making of star wars caravan of courage an ewok adventure . tell lucasfilm and disney you want the movies released for a whole new generation on blu - ray and dvd ! sign the petition ! tell them you want it released with all the extras like the making of , deleted scenes and commentaries . disclaimer : all names and related items of star wars and disney are registered trademarked and copyright lucasfilm ltd and the walt disney company and their respective trademark and copyright holders , all rights reserved . this intended for entertainment and information purposes only . all original content is the intellectual property of walker media group , all rights reserved . no part of this video may be repurposed , reproduced , redistributed or rebroadcasted without the written permission of walker media group .
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was an executive producer of the box office bomb howard the duck . he disowned the film shortly after its release .
i always liked battle for endor as a kid , and i don ' t remember anything about caravan of courage . to me though the fairy tale aspect fits in perfectly with an eu story , since star wars is a fantasy tale to begin with . like with rogue one now , they ' re pointless and inconsequential to the main story , but get to do something different with the star wars universe .
as you may expect , caravan of courage is aiming for the younger crowd . if you thought the ewok scenes in return of the jedi were insufferable , get ready for an overdose of lucas’ idea of pre - jar jar cute sidekicks . quite a bit of the movie is spent watching these guys do silly things . at the very least , though , the performers are good for what they’re doing . warwick davis , the child actor who famously portrayed the main ewok in return of the jedi , returns as wicket , and he’s clearly into the role , but it’s really hard to find fault in what is ultimately a pantomime performance . the other actors in the ewok costumes are just as good as can be expected , and i guess when you put them next to the two human leads in this film , they do actually manage to come off as somewhat charming creatures .
wicket w . warrick is a fictional character from the star wars franchise , first introduced and portrayed by warwick davis in the 1983 film return of the jedi . he subsequently appeared in two made - for - television movies , an animated series , and promotional media for star wars from 1983 to 1986 . wicket is a diminutive teddy bear - like creature known as an ewok , living on the forest moon of endor and eventually participating in the battle of endor as an ally of the rebel alliance .
the hell with rogue one , han solo , obi - wan kenobi - an epic ewok trilogy on the scale of the hobbit and lord of the rings directed by mel gibson with their dialogue completely in ewokese and no humans . that is what i want .
as well as the 2015 special edition of insider , james burns and i also had the opportunity to catch up with warwick on the 19th episode of radio 1138 , which celebrated the 30th anniversary of caravan of courage and his participation in the force awakens . just like eric and aubree , warwick had great memories of his time on the production and explained just why he thinks the ewoks were so massively popular .
these two ewok adventures recount the years before the battle of endor . in ' caravan of courage ' , when the towani family crash their starcruiser onto the planet endor , the children , cindel and mace , are separated from their parents , who have been kidnapped by the evil monster gorax . now they must rescue their parents , but first they endeavour to befriend the shy , resourceful ewoks , whose aid will prove integral to their operation . in ' the battle for endor ' , the group must defend the ewok community from the invasion of a foreign enemy . cindel and the ewok wicket escape into the forest , where they meet a couple of people who , like them , have been stranded on the forest moon planet after an accident in their star cruiser . together the group does battle with the invaders , and tries to find a way off endor .
what ' s fun about
caravan of courage
is the opportunity to settle into life on endor and enjoy sights like a llama , shaggy ponies and a ferret in the ewok village . if you thought endor was just a big forest , you ' d be wrong . there ' s a desert landscape full of acid pools and dry lakes . what ' s not so great is the pervasive cheesiness , sight gags , slow pacing , stilted acting and silly plot .
caravan of courage is a basic story . on the forest moon of endor , the starcruiser of the towani family lies wrecked . the towani family ( catarine , jeremitt , mace , and cindel ) are stranded . when catarine and jeremitt are taken by a giant mouse - faced monster ( the gorax ) , the children are found by the an ewok and they all make friends and eventually go on a quest to rescue the parents from the mouse - faced monster . the film debuted as a holiday television special , airing on abc on november 25 , 1984 and was released overseas in the cinema .
brogan : the ewoks’ language acquisition in this film may be its most unlikely element : they learn to speak with such ease that the linguist from arrival would be jealous . by the time the sequel starts , wicket is basically speaking in complete sentences . ultimately , that’s one of the few things that carries over from the first ewok film to the second , since the filmmakers kill off cindel’s entire family in the first few minutes , rendering her efforts in caravan of courage moot .
with the swift turn - around of movies from screen to home video formats and downloads it’s likely that the days of the read - along adventure are largely over , but like 7″ records , cassettes and 8 - tracks it’s a part of the fabric of star wars , a vessel that carried the spirit of the star wars universe and its inhabitant to the kids of the 70’s and 80’s . the media is retired , but the adventure is far from over .
5 . eyelids for sleeping ewoks had to be created by ilm for the ewok adventure , since the original masks used in return of the jedi did not have any . a recent blu - ray release for return of the jedi would digitally add them , however , allowing the dry - eyed heroes to blink for the first time .
walker was initially unaware he was auditioning for george lucas . an interview with the casting team led to an on - camera try - out , “but it wasn’t until the final screen test that i realised what the film was , ” he laughs . “they brought out an ewok attached to a stick — it didn’t have an actor in it — to see if aubree would be afraid of it , but she thought it was cute and hugged it . so they didn’t have a problem there . ” lucas came up with caravan of courage ’s story , with screenplay duties going to bob carrau , at the time working for lucas as amanda’s nanny . the director was john korty , a veteran filmmaker and animator who’d been an influence on both lucas and francis ford coppola , and for a time rented space at coppola’s american zoetrope . several of the rest of the crew — production designer joe johnston , special - effects artist phil tippett , many of the ewoks themselves — came straight from return of the jedi . the redwood forests around lucas’ skywalker ranch in marin county , california , again played the part of endor .
the main focal point of this new ewok species was to be wicket wystri warrick , a small young male scout and warrior . generally considered to be the most well known of the ewoks , wicket would be given the lead role in almost all subsequent ewok related media released after return of the jedi . [ 2 ]
during the celebration iv opening ceremonies , the cast of
star wars in 30 minutes
performed a skit called
lucasfilm in five minutes 1983 - 2005
, in which they re - enacted segments or imitated elements from all major lucasfilm productions from 1983 to 2005 . both ewok films were included in the act . [ 33 ] in 2009 , urltoken celebrated the 25th anniversary of the ewok films with a series of articles covering various aspects of each . [ 27 ] rogue one : a star wars story director gareth edwards had a caravan of courage poster in his office while making that film , [ 34 ] reportedly as a reminder of past star wars spin - off films . [ 35 ]
the two ewok movies ( sometimes billed as “the great ewok adventures” ) attempted to profit from the popularity of the lovable but bloodthirsty and warlike teddy bears residing on the forest moon of endor . they feature returning characters like wicket warrick ( warwick davis of course reprises his role ) and expand on the previous used ewok suits to add more characters and relationships within the village ( logray the medicine man , chief chirpa , paploo , and many more ) .
to us , rebel agent sounds like a ground - level first person shooter , while rebel warrior sounds more combat - based . rebel jedi / jedi rebel , in our humble opinion , sounds tantalisingly like an action adventure title where your own jedi wades into the rebel cause .
the effects are quite good as are the production values for an 80’s family fantasy adventure , though star wars , this is not . the ewoks seem to be able to channel a more straight forward magic than the more plausible force , but the ewoks themselves felt very consistent .
keating : if these movies were made today , i wonder whether the ewoks would have elicited some of the same online blowback that greeted avatar ’s depiction of “indigenous” aliens . in the original ( brutal ) new york times review of return of the jedi , vincent canby describes “teddy - bear - like creatures called ewoks , which serve the functions once left to friendly pygmies in old tarzan movies . ” this is only highlighted more in caravan of courage by the david attenborough–style faux - ethnographic narration—by burl “big daddy” ives , no less—in the early scenes depicting ewok village life .
j . j . abrams’ the force awakens is heralding a new star wars era in which the numbered episodes will alternate with standalone spin - off adventures , making for a film per year . but the ewok adventures caravan of courage and the battle for endor demonstrate that the side stories are hardly a new idea . made to capitalise on the popularity of the warrior teddy bears among star wars ’ younger fans , they were also , more sentimentally , a gift from george lucas to his young daughter , amanda .
later on , back at the ewok village , mace says goodbye to izrina , and the towani and warrick families hold a celebration .
i don ' t blame the star wars powers for these cheesy movies . the ewoks were a huge deal . my brother and i had matching brown ewok stuffed toys . my brother even agreed to trade his security blanket for his ewok . this was serious stuff .
chances of resurrection ? well , ea - owned company visceral games snared amy hennig ( who creative - directed and wrote uncharted ) for an unspecified next - gen star wars game in april 2014 . could this be a han solo adventure ? we’ll be sure to shout about it as soon as we hear anything .
what was it ? star wars : attack squadrons is an interesting member of this list , not least because it stands as an actual disney - led gaming project which didn’t make the cut , as opposed to the reams of lucasarts ideas that were cancelled in the prior takeover .
after leaving ilm , i began shopping for a network that might be interested in airing such a production . abc , cbs , and nbc all told me that a half - hour film didn’t interest them , although abc said if we could fill a two - hour movie of the week slot , they’d be interested . so we went with them , and our canvas grew bigger . the little , half - hour project we had in mind was now a two - hour primetime tv movie . george conceived the story of the film that became caravan of courage : an ewok adventure with writer bob carrau , who wrote the shooting script . as far as i know , no consideration was given to using any other star wars theme characters such as luke , han , leia , or chewie . the film was intended to represent a standalone time and situation .
wicket the ewok and his friends agree to help two shipwrecked human children , mace and cindel , on a quest to find their parents .
“george lucas came on board [ to direct ] one week of pick - up shots . i actually have the first day reshoot call sheet that lists him as the director , for which i understand a production assistant got into trouble , as it was taken off the second day’s call sheet . so the actual comeback into directing by george lucas was not on episode i but on caravan of courage .
our bet ? that rise of the rebellion would have been one of the many projects touted to bridge the gap between revenge of the sith ( where all hope seemed lost ) and a new hope ( where the rebellion very much existed ) . we can imagine an adventure game , maybe with a stealthy ‘hide from the storm - troopers’ element existing in that time period nicely .
starring warwick davis , aubree miller and eric walker , the film — using old - school techniques , even for 1984 — was made on a thrifty budget of $ 3 million and shot largely around marin county and in the mighty redwood forests of california between june and august of ’84 . scheduled to accommodate the young casts school work , lucasfilm even gave davis and walker a camera with the instructions to shoot a behind the scenes documentary , very much in the vein of warwick’s return of the ewok mockumentary , made during the production of jedi 2 years before . the film was released theatrically here in the uk and europe , where it’s better known as caravan of courage .
ewoks are irrepressible and ridiculous , squabbling like toddlers themselves and cheering each other along . through two spin - off tv films – caravan of courage and battle for endor , both of which saw the ewoks save two tow - haired kids from evil magicians – and a cartoon series , the ewoks became breakout stars . kids almost universally love them on first viewing , and anyone who claims otherwise is lying .
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the caravan of courage features three main characters , cindel , a young girl who crash landed on endor with her family , mace , cindel’s brother , and wicket the ewok . this alone sets the caravan of courage apart from the current six canon star wars movies in that it features a female lead . the strength of cindel as a character can be readily debated , but she generally shows that she can hold her own in a fight . in her first meeting with the ewoks , in fact , although they brandish spears at cindel she maintains eye contact , she makes a quick diplomatic decision to not fight . and when mace “comes to her rescue” he blunders , believing that she cannot hold her own he bursts in to stop the ewoks , but finds instead that cindel has already befriended them . cindel diffused the threat of the ewoks efficiently , and was brought to the village as a friend , while mace was brought tied down as a prisoner initially .
i ' m not yet mentally ready to watch the second spin - off ,
ewoks : the battle for endor ,
which came out in 1985 . there ' s a lot of carnage involved , and i can ' t handle any more ewok - talk just yet . hold me , obi - wan kenobi , and protect me from the ewoks . i ' m not saying i will never watch
battle for endor ,
but i ' m going to have to give myself at least a year to recover from
caravan of courage .
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( 1983 ) hyperspace members can download an edited version of this short film , which was shot during the production of
return of the jedi .
the full version has yet to be made available
viewers are treated to a knife - wielding ewok , an impulsive and violent human boy , a sick and helpless little girl and a giant stop - motion rat / bear / razorback creature . actually , the stop - motion stuff is pretty cool . the rest of it , not so much .
soon we meet qui - gon jin ( liam neeson ) and obi - wan kenobi ( ewan macgregor ) and the childish adventure begins . my first thought as a 20 year old was , ‘was star wars really this childish ? the answer : no . it was a family adventure and it wasn’t as high brow as many fans would like to believe but it wasn’t anything like this either .
the film was released on vhs and laserdisc in 1 . mgm under the original title . the film was released on dvd as a double feature collection with its sequel , ewoks : the battle for endor , on november 2 . the release was a single double - sided disc , with one film on each side . for this release , the film bore theatrical release title , caravan of courage .
this ewok - soaked film gives me a new appreciation for the pacing , characters and special effects in the original star wars trilogy . it ' s much easier to embrace and be engaged by the fast - paced adventures of luke skywalker , han solo and princess leia than it is to trudge along with a couple of kids and their ewok buddies .