Over The Hedge

***Over the Hedge*** is a 2006 American computer-animated comedy film based on the United Media comic strip of the same name. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures, which acquired the live-action DreamWorks studio the same year, the film was directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick from a screenplay by Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton and Kirkpatrick. Featuring the voices of Bruce Willis, Hayden Panettiere, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, Wanda Sykes and Nick Nolte, the film was released on May 19, 2006 in the United States and earned $336 million on an $80 million budget.

## Plot

While scavenging for food, RJ the raccoon seeks the cave of Vincent the bear, who has a wagon full of human food taken from a nearby rest stop. RJ accidentally wakes Vincent from his hibernation, and in a race to escape, causes the stash to roll out onto the nearby highway and get run over by a large truck. To avoid being eaten himself, RJ promises Vincent that he will completely replace the stash within the week.

RJ heads towards a recently built suburban housing development in Chesterton, Indiana, separated from a forest glade by a large hedge. There he discovers a 14 year old, homeschooled Taylor Lane with her home schooled sisters, Sophie Lane and Casey Lane and with her crush Timmy Turner and the pack of animals recently awoken from their hibernation, led by Verne the turtle T,aylor's adoptive uncle since her parents passed away; the others include squirrel Hammy, a skunk Stella, porcupines Penny and Louong with their triplet sons, Spike, Bucky and Quillo and possum Ozzie and his daughter Heather. Taylor, Timmy , the girls and he animals are scared, as the development had been built during their hibernation during the girls' homeschooled days  and they fear they will be unable to forage for food in the small glade and for Taylor , Sophie, Casey and Timmy to help. RJ shows them the amount of food humans consume and waste and suggests they forage from the humans. Verne is hesitant but the other animals acquiesce and Taylor is annoyed with RJ, but tries to have a good heart with him and trying to bond with RJ. They make bold attempts to steal food directly from the humans and embarrassing Taylor, with RJ secretly guiding them to help collect the food he needs to replace Vincent's stash.

When the animals raid the trash cans of the homeowners-association chairwoman Gladys Sharp, and Taylor's aunt, she calls an animal exterminator named Dwayne LaFontant, who offers to install in her backyard an illegal, lethal trap called the "Depelter Turbo". Verne sees this and tries to warn the others, but RJ insists they will be okay. Fearing for the safety of the pack, Taylor and Verne attempts to return what they stole when Sophie and Casey's suggestions; he,Taylor and RJ argue, causing a small rampage through the development and destroying the stash RJ had collected for Vincent. After a brief argument and after Taylor leaves and returns when she changes her mind, RJ, Taylor and Verne make up and RJ rallies the others to raid Gladys' home directly on the night before a large party. With Stella disguised as a cat to distract Gladys' own cat, Tiger, he, Taylor as a purple squirrel with her pink amulet and others enter Gladys' home and collect all the food and as Sophie and Casey track them down with Timmy. RJ inadvertently reveals his duplicity to the animals, just as they are discovered by Gladys who calls Dwayne. RJ escapes with the food for Vincent but leaves Taylor and he other animals to be captured by Dwayne.

As RJ returns the food to Vincent, and as Sophie, Casey and Timmy tell RJ that Taylor and the others are captured, he sees Dwayne's truck drive by and, consumed by remorse, uses the food to knock the truck off the road, enraging Vincent. Dwayne is knocked out while the animals get free, and Spike, Bucky and Quillo use skills they learned from a video game to drive the truck back to the development. RJ pleads to be let in the truck as Vincent tries to catch him, but the others, angry at his treachery, refuse. Taylor and Verne convince the group to forgive RJ since he came back to save them and since Taylor loves RJ. They return the truck to the development, crashing through Gladys' home, and the animals flee into the hedge except for Taylor, Timmy and the girls. Gladys and Dwayne converge on the animals from one side with a String trimmer and a Cattle prod respectively, while Vincent tries to swipe at them from the other. For Taylor to save her friends and to escape RJ gives Hammy a caffeinated beverage, allowing the hyperactive squirrel to move incredibly fast. Hammy is able to manipulate Dwayne into capturing Vincent, causing Vincent, Gladys, and Dwayne to be trapped by the Depelter Turbo while the animals escape and for Taylor to save RJ. The police and animal control arrive, and Vincent is sent to the Rocky Mountains while Gladys is arrested for using the Depelter Turbo. Dwayne escapes when Gladys gets arrested only to get bitten by Nugent.

RJ, Taylor and Verne apologize to each other, and RJ is brought into the group and with Taylor happily accepts RJ as her father and to regain their friendship, as is Tiger, who became infatuated with Stella even after learning she was a skunk. Verne realizes they have not had a chance to forage for food until Hammy reveals that while sped up, he had been able to collect enough nuts for them all to last the year.

## Cast

* Bruce Willis as RJ
* Hayden Panettiere as Taylor Lane

* Garry Shandling as Verne
* Steve Carell as Hammy
* Wanda Sykes as Stella
* William Shanter as Ozzie
* Avril Lavinge as Heather
* Eugene Levy as Lou
* Catherine O'Hara as Penny
* Selena Gomez as Sophie Lane
* Hilary Duff as Casey Lane
* Omid Djalili as Tiger
* Sami Kirkpatrick as Bucky
* Shane Baumel as Spike
* Madison Davenport as Quillo
* Drake Bell as Timmy Turner