Tuesdays with Tom: You're An All-Star - Shrek Turns 20
I’m about to upset a lot of people. Brace yourself. Are you ready? Okay, here it is. Two weeks from today, the movie Shrek turns 20 years old. I know. I know! You’re not ready to accept it. I wasn’t ready either until a few weeks ago when I began brainstorming this piece. I’m old enough to remember when the first trailer for Shrek came out. I was young enough that Shrek was just about the perfect film for an eight-year-old boy. The combination of both makes me wistful and astounded that two full decades have elapsed since Shrek graced the big screen. I think you gave the producers of Shrek truth serum, even they would admit that they didn’t see the Shrek phenomenon coming while they were making the first movie. They probably would have been happy with a successful sequel. They got a lot more than that. In many ways, Shrek is a cultural American touchstone reminiscent of an era of Hollywood that might never return. It captured lighting-in-a-bottle with a perfect cast and refreshing humor for kids animation. Take a seat in my swamp and let’s go all the way back to 2001.
Actually, let’s go back even further than that. In 1990, a children’s book called Shrek! was released and later Steven Spielberg acquired the film rights for the book. Not long after, he co-founded Dreamworks Pictures, an animation studio, in 1994. It’s typical in Hollywood for book rights to be acquired and shelved away for development. It wasn’t until a few years later that serious discussions were had about making Shrek into an animated film. Now, imagine a world where Bill Murray or Nicolas Cage does the voice of Shrek. Those were two very real possibilities in the early stages of Shrek’s production. Even more real was the casting of Chris Farley. He actually recorded an entire script of dialogue for Shrek shortly before his death. You can listen to it on YouTube. Needless to say, any of those men being Shrek would have made it an entirely different movie. Farley’s death forced DreamWorks to start from scratch. They needed someone who could reinvigorate the project.
Enter Mike Myers, who was white hot coming off his hit franchise Austin Powers. Arguably the biggest comic star of the 1990s save for Jim Carrey, Myers recorded the dialogue for the re-written script, but afterwards insisted that he do it again in a Scottish accent. It was the same accent his grandmother had when she read him bedtime stories and one he’d already sported in So I Married An Axe Murderer and in the character of Fat Bastard from Austin Powers. Producer Jeffrey Katzenberg was so happy with the accent change that he agreed to pay more money to re-do some of the CGI in the final product. Getting Mike Myers to star in the movie likely could have been enough, but he was far from the only star. Eddie Murphy played Donkey, the wise-cracking noble steed. Like Myers, he was riding a peak of fame and showed successful voice work in movies like Mulan. Cameron Diaz was a late addition as Princess Fiona. She’d performed in some of the biggest films of the late 1990s like There’s Something About Mary, My Best Friend’s Wedding and starred in a franchise vehicle herself with Charlie’s Angels. The trio led a very starry cast that became the first Shrek movie, released on May 18, 2001.
There might not be a more 2001 moment than the opening scene of Shrek. With Smashmouth’s “All-Star” blaring in the background, we are introduced to Shrek and his daily life as a grumpy, green ogre. He lives in a swamp all by himself and he wants to keep it that way. Or does he? All we know is that he’s tremendously feared by the local villagers who tell horrific stories about ogres and their monstrous ways. But like the song “All-Star”, Shrek is more of a misunderstood outcast masking his loneliness for a sour attitude on life. He’s waiting to break the mold of his existence. He’s spurred into action when a horde of famous fairy tale creatures show up at his doorstep with nowhere to go. One of the movie’s strokes of genius are the parodies of these characters. Nobody is safe including Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Sleeping Beauty, The Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Pinocchio, Three Blind Mice, The Big Bad Wolf and it only grows from there. Fairy tales by nature are very direct and one dimensional. Shrek was the first story I can recall showing these characters in a humorous light with multiple dimensions and motivations.
Another brilliant stroke in Shrek is the never-ending assault of anachronistic pop culture. There’s a needle drop for “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” early in the movie and The Dating Game is parodied in a key scene. Shrek seems acutely aware of several classic lines in contemporary movies even though it’s supposedly set in medieval times. This movie was one of many to parody The Matrix. It’s been so long since I’ve seen that that I forgot how ever present it was in movies for a while. There are also lots of great jokes for adults. When the Magic Mirror is describing Snow White to Lord Farquaad, he says, “although she lives with seven other men, she’s NOT easy.” Shrek doesn’t pull any punches making fun of Farquaad’s diminutive stature. “Do you think he’s compensating for something?” This is a real joke in a children’s animated comedy. When I first saw Shrek, I thought the punchline for the “Welcome to Duloc” song was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. Even today, I still laugh at the 30th viewing of the line.
It helps that the chemistry between Shrek and Donkey is as winning as it gets. Myers plays Shrek as an iconoclast who uses humor to keep life interesting and other people as far away as possible. But you never for a second think Shrek is evil or mean spirited. He’s a little lonely and a lot defensive. The “ogres are like onions” speech he gives Donkey is pretty smart emotional writing for something like Shrek. Meanwhile, Donkey is Eddie Murphy personified in donkey form. He’s a motormouth who wears his heart on his sleeve. Donkey is the type of friend who won’t quit until you simply give in. They make for an iconic pair.
To say that Shrek plays on the tropes of fairy tales is to state the obvious. But at the time, it was a bold concept. The metaphors are never subtle in Shrek, but they don't have to be. When Shrek becomes a reluctant hero in the rescue of Princess Fiona, it’s funny to see her shock at discovering he’s an ogre and not Prince Charming. It’s more charming to see the two bond on their journey back to Lord Farquaad’s kingdom. My memory of this isn’t as clear, but I think I was genuinely shocked the first time I saw that Fiona turned out to be an ogre herself. Her spell can only be undone by “true love’s first kiss” and as they say, true love can come from unexpected places. The movie ends with a dance party set to another Smash Mouth hit, “I’m a Believer” and you’d be hard pressed to find a non-believer after seeing Shrek.
Simply put, Shrek is a triumph on all levels. It’s a great all-around movie with a note-perfect cast. It’s an engaging, original story that entertains the masses and it felt like an instant piece of American movie culture from the jump. Shrek made $484 million at the box office in 2001, making it the second highest grossing film of the year behind the first Harry Potter movie. Shall we say sequel? No doubt about that. Shrek 2 arrived in 2004 with great anticipation. I watched this one again too and it still (somewhat) holds up. Like most sequels, Shrek 2 ups the budget, adds more celebrities and tries to up the stakes. Shrek and Fiona’s “happily ever after” is interrupted by a visit from the in-laws. Fiona’s parents, to be specific. They aren’t thrilled with the sight of their permanently ogre daughter and her newly famous husband. The real, very-literally named Prince Charming shows up along with his mother, The Fairy Godmother. This movie trades out some story for even more pop culture gags. Donkey solidifies his relationship with Dragon (hold that thought) and a new main character is introduced. Puss in Boots, the adorable swashbuckling kitty cat voiced by Antonio Banderas. This is another sequel trick that worked out pretty well. It is fairly jarring seeing a human-version of Shrek, but that’s quickly rectified. There’s another Fiona-family reveal too and a dance party ending with Donkey singing “Livin La Vida Loca”.
The party probably should have ended with Shrek 2, but when you make $919 million off a film in 2004 that means another sequel is required. Along came Shrek the Third, with the addition of Justin Timberlake as a young King Arthur. By this point, it’s fair to say that the movie is creatively zapped compared to the first two Shreks. Even though it was a massive box office hit, it doesn’t feel very inspired. The film begins with the death of Fiona’s frog father. Yes, a frog who somehow procreated with a human and produced an ogre. But this is the same universe that suggests a donkey and a dragon can reproduce. It’s best not to consider the biological repercussions of the Shrek sex tree. I digress! This movie feels like every funny person in Hollywood called their agent and demanded a part in a Shrek film.
Shrek: Forever After was billed as “the final chapter” with the painful tagline “it ain’t ogre, ‘till it’s ogre.” I don’t think anyone believes this is the final chapter of Shrek and I certainly hope not after what transpired in the 2010 film. Although it still crushed at the box office, it got less than stellar reviews and the story is kind of nonsensical. Essentially the entire events of the film go up in smoke at the end and the villain is never funny nor compelling. Somewhere in between sequels, a Broadway musical for Shrek came out. I have to say it’s kind of creepy seeing a live action version of Shrek. I’m sure it’s a fun musical, but that is one thing I can’t wrap my head around. I’m actually surprised that they’ve restrained themselves for 11 years from making another Shrek movie. I’m sure someone at DreamWorks is working on as many Shrek ideas as they can. I’ll believe in donkey dragons before I believe they are done with Shrek forever.
What’s undeniable is that Shrek is one of the biggest entertainment spectacles of our lifetime. It’s the 17th most profitable film series ever. When you consider that almost everything else on that list comes from pre-existing intellectual property, it makes Shrek’s success even more impressive. But financials aside, Shrek made an indelible impact on what we consume. 20 years later, I still find it to be a very heartwarming, fun film. It’s clearly part of everyday life and you’d have a hard time finding someone of any age who isn’t aware of it. You can’t go anywhere without seeing shades of Shrek. I even did a Shrek ride at Universal Studios a few years ago. But the original movie is what’s truly timeless. The animation still holds up. The jokes are as funny as ever. And the theme still resonates today. Shrek is a movie about accepting yourself and others for who they are. I accept that it's been 20 years since it came out and that I am no longer a kid. Young or old, I’m a believer in Shrek.
Tom’s Thoughts of the Week
In the latest episode of Friday Night Beers, Vince and I try a beer called Alla Salute. This Pilsner is a unique collaboration from Pipeworks Brewing and J.P. Graziano in Chicago, IL. We drink it and somehow somehow talk about Italian-American culture, hard-working Chicagoans, Shameless, The Sopranos, Super Mario, Popeye and more pop culture items. Like the Goofy Boots episode, this one was incredibly fun to record. Don’t skip on the cannoli. Please like, subscribe and rate our podcast here and follow our Instagram page for relevant updates!
For all of my Star Wars fans out there, May the 4th be with you!
The Doherty men were in a rare argument last Thursday during the first round of the NFL Draft. The Steelers had two glaring needs entering the draft: offensive line and running back. Last season, Pittsburgh had the worst running game in football by a wide margin. That happened because their offensive line fell off a cliff and they had the worst collection of running backs in football. It’s a situation of their own making. So, what to do? There’s a lot of people who believe taking first round running backs is a waste and that quality backs can be found later in the draft. It’s sound logic most years, but this year, Alabama’s Najee Harris and Clemson’s Travis Etienne were considered the top backs, with a decent margin between them and the rest of the running backs. Offensive line happens to be a deep group this year. It’s a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario. Could any running back succeed behind a top-flight offensive line? Or can an elite back thrive even behind a porous one? We’ve seen examples of both in recent years and generally speaking, it’s better to have a great line and figure out the rest later. But the Steelers line issues run deep and they weren’t getting the top-top-tier guys like Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater. Personally, I wanted Harris over the best available lineman for this year. Why? I have little confidence in two factors. The first one is Pittsburgh has whiffed on every mid-round running back choice since Le’Veon Bell in 2013. So I don’t really trust their judgment any longer there. The second is a direct result of that fact. I had even less confidence that the group prior to the draft was capable of succeeding. Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland and Jaylen Samuels have all had their chance to seize the starting job. They didn’t bother keeping James Conner, who had three full years to do the same and failed. The only year Conner was good was when the Steelers had the best offensive line in football. They needed an impact starter at running back one way or another. They’ve made their choice, literally, and they took Harris. They drafted two other offensive lineman in the later rounds. Time will tell who is right, but I will go on record saying I’ll be surprised if Harris is a bad player.
Last year, I made it pretty well known how much I loved the show Dave on FXX/Hulu. The comedy debuted in 2020 to rave reviews and stellar viewership before getting renewed for a second season. I am thrilled to say that season two will premiere on June 16th. If you haven’t seen this and you know who Lil Dicky is, I can’t recommend enough catching up on the first season on Hulu ASAP. If you don’t know him, the logline is “Based on the life of rapper and comedian Dave Burd (stage name Lil Dicky), Dave is centered on a neurotic man in his late twenties who has convinced himself that he’s destined to be one of the best rappers of all time.” This is one of the funniest TV comedies I’ve seen in years and it was a weekly pleasure to watch last year. June 16th can’t come soon enough.
Let’s check in on the White Sox. It’s important to state that baseball is a long, long grind. Last year’s pandemic-shortened 60-game season was an anomaly for many reasons. I personally can’t get emotionally invested in every single game of a 162-game season and I’d recommend anyone who follows baseball to do the same. There are going to be good and bad stretches. The important thing is to avoid being consistently bad and to slowly crescendo into your best version by September. So with that in mind, how are the White Sox doing with one month done? They’re 15-12 and 1.5 games out of first place in their division. They have the second best run differential in the American League and they’ve yet to be at full strength for more than a few games. Tony La Russa’s management has not been stellar, which many expected. As long as he doesn’t get in the way, this team has so much talent that they can compete with anyone. And if you’re getting antsy, just remember we have five more months of baseball.
You might recall a piece I wrote earlier this year about Gen-Z slang. Hopefully you learned a thing or two in reading that and now the continued education on the young generation continues. According to Deloitte’s 2021 Digital Media Trends survey, “playing video games” is the No. 1 entertainment activity amongst Generation-Z, with over 87% of people aged 14-24 saying they play video games daily or weekly. Ranking last amongst the five entertainment categories in the survey is “watching TV shows or movies at home.” The other three are “listen to music at home”, “browse the Internet” and “engage on social platforms.” Each living generation was surveyed on the five categories. It probably won’t shock you to learn that for Boomers, playing video games was a distant last place in their results, while watching TV or movies was far and away the No.1 choice. In fact, the one thing Boomers, Generation X and Millennials universally agree upon still is that watching TV or movies is their favorite entertainment activity. It’s Gen-Z that is breaking the mold in favor of gaming and listening to music. Honestly, most kids I see are plugged into their phones with AirPods on so this checks out pretty well. It’s probably bad news for the movie and TV business long term, but as long as the people with actual money to spend are in charge, they’ll be in business for many years to come. The more you know.
If you needed any more proof that they are rebooting just about everything in Hollywood, look no further. Hulu announced that there will be a How I Met Your Mother sequel series called How I Met Your Father starring Hilary Duff. According to the press release, the series will replicate the format of the famous CBS sitcom, but with a female protagonist. If you missed out on the original show, it’s on TV almost every day and available on HBO Max forever. It was based on a man named Ted Mosby stretching out a 15-minute story for his kids in the year 2030 into nine seasons and 208 episodes of scripted television via flashback storytelling. All snark aside, the show was a massive success and despite a critically panned finale, it maintains a devoted following. Given how unsatisfied most were with the series finale, I have a hard time believing there is massive interest in a reboot. But I’ve been wrong before with this reboot prognosticating. I can see the brand name alone enticing people who don’t follow entertainment trades to check it out. I’ll definitely skip it and I’ll be shocked if this lasts even half as long as the original show. Some things are better left as is. How about an original idea Hollywood!