The Country Bears

The Country Bears is a 2002 feature film from Walt Disney Pictures. Jim Henson's Creature Shop provided the animatronic Bears used for the film, which were performed by Henson puppeteers/suit performers.
Based on an attraction at Walt Disney World (and formerly Disneyland), the Country Bear Jamboree, The Country Bears was the first in a series of attraction-based movies which include The Haunted Mansion, and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. It is also one in a long line of live action Disney family films. The movie is a satire of Behind the Music rock & roll bands. Beary, a young bear raised by a human family in a world where humans and talking bears coexist, attempts to trace his roots. He meets up with the Country Bears, a long-since broken-up band, a parody of bands like the Eagles. Beary helps the Country Bears reunite for one final concert, while searching for who he truly is.
Unlike Disney animation, where the stars' voices are recorded first, it was the puppeteers who worked closely with the director and it was their voices that were captured during the entire shoot as they operated the animatronic heads. This gave the Bears the ability to improv and be directed as on-set performers. The stars' voices were recorded later.
For the movie's premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, the Bears performed a live rock concert entitled The Country Bears Live. And for a limited run, they performed before showings of the film. This was done to a pre-recorded track, with animatronic puppeteers operating the faces on the side of the stage.
==Plot==
==Creatures==
TCB-Beary.jpg|Alice Dinnean - PuppeteerMisty Rosas - Suit performerHaley Joel Osment - VoiceE.G. Daily - Singing voice
HenryDixonTaylor.jpg|Bruce Lanoil - PuppeteerTom Fisher - Suit performerKevin Michael Richardson - Voice
Christopher Walken with Big Al.jpg|Terri Hardin - PuppeteerJohn Alexander - Suit performerJames Gammon - Voice
TCB-Fred.jpg|Allan Trautman - PuppeteerKaefan Shaw - Suit performerBrad Garrett - Voice
TCB-Zeb.jpg|John Kennedy - PuppeteerTony Sabin Prince - Suit performerStephen Root - Voice
TCB-Tennessee.jpg|Julianne Buescher - PuppeteerJodi St. Michael - Suit performerToby Huss - VoiceDon Henley - Singing voice
TCB-Trixie.jpg|Terri Hardin - PuppeteerDenise Cheshire - Suit performerCandy Ford - VoiceBonnie Raitt - Singing voice
TED B.jpg|Michelan Sisti - PuppeteerBrian La Rosa - Suit performerDiedrich Bader - VoiceJohn Hiatt - Singing Voice
==Cast==
*Christopher Walken as Reed Thimple
*Stephen Tobolowsky as Norbert Barrington
*Diedrich Bader as Officer Cheets
*Daryl Mitchell as Officer Hamm
*M.C. Gainey as Roadie
*Alex Rocco as Rip Holland
*Meagen Fay as Mrs. Barrington
*Eli Marienthal as Dex Barrington
*Queen Latifah as Cha Cha
*Paul Rugg as TV reporter 
*Jess Harnell as fan
*Elton John as "Ted's gardener"
==Cameos==
* Don Henley, John Hiatt, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Setzer, Don Was, and Xzibit make cameos as themselves in the documentaries about the Country Bears.
* Several of the puppeteers had cameos in this film. Julianne Buescher, Jodi St. Michael, and Terri Hardin appear in the Swarmin Hive Honey Bar (Buescher was a waitress and St. Michael had a tattoo of Tennessee on his arm, painted by Buescher). Brian La Rosa, along with his wife Bess, appear as patrons at Trixie's nightclub.
==Crew==
* Director: Peter Hastings
* Writter: Mark Perez
* Producers: Jeffrey Chernov, Andrew Gunn and John G. Scotti
* Cinematography: Mitchell Amundsen
* Film Editing: George Bowers, Seth Flaum and Dean Holland
* Casting: Ruth Lambert
* Production Design: Dan Bishop
* Art Direction: Maria L. Baker
* Set Decoration: Kathe Klopp
* Costume Design: Genevieve Tyrrell
* Puppeteer Coordinator: Michelan Sisti
===Creature Shop===
* Animatronic Bears Designed and Built by: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
* Creature Shop Creative Supervisor: David Barrington-Holt
* Creature Shop Production Supervisor: Sally Ray
* Design and Art Director: Peter Brooke
* Project Manager: Julie Zobel
* Electronics Supervisor: Jeff Forbes
* Animatronics Design: John Criswell
* Mold & Foam Department Supervisor: Phil Jackson
* Creature Shop Coordinator: Jim Edson
* Creature Shop Set Coordinator: Vinnie Deramus
* Sculptors: Jaremy Aiello, Joe Coldwell, Lee Romaire, Mario Torres, Mark Wahlberg
* Moldmaker: Rick Bongiovanni, Corey Czekaj, Joe Gomez, Cleve Gunderman, Jeff Thomas
* Foam Runner: Ken Niederbaumer
* Bear Suit Fabrication Leads: Susie Cox, David Fedele, Scott Johnson, Karen Lafler, Karen Mason, Robin McCarthy, Sarah Rubano, Letty Sandoval, Jill Thraves
* Bear Suit Fabrication Assistants: Kristin Willet, Simone Williams, Annalise Boise, Consuelo Duran, Alex Ferguson, Pat Simon, Maria Smith, Marion Held-Bixby, Monica Moran, Claire Mulroy, Tamera Woodard
* Bear Hair Department: Stephanie Williams, Jack Bricker, Vanessa Dionne, Justin Ditter, Deborah Galvez, Karin Hanson, Rick Lalonde, Ron Pipes, Lynne Watson
* Animatronic Technicians: Patrick Gerrety, Samara Hagopian, Jeff Jingle, Frank Langley, Gary Martinez, Paul Berg
* Creature Shop Assistant Coordinator: Tom Lenoci
==Gallery==
CountryBearsGroup.jpg|Beary Barrington with the Country Bears and their roadie.
Bears-Red-Carpet.jpg|The Bears on the red carpet at the film's premiere.
Bears-Press-Conference.jpg|Tennessee shows off his "One String Thang" at a press conference.
Brian Henson Country Bear exhibit.jpg|Brian Henson at an exhibit with Zeb on display.
Country_bears.png|A maquette of Big Al.
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Category:Creature Shop Movies