The Country Bears (2002). "I'm chubby, but I'm quick!"
Join us this week for "Country Bears" from 2002. We talk world building, real family douches, worst case scenario musicals, making movies from theme park rides, and why you never get into a jam down with a drunk. Does this movie have us hoping to be mauled and left for dead or are rocking out with the band?
Storyline : Based on an attraction at Disneyworld, the Country Bear Jamboree, this movie is one in a long line of live action Disney family films. The movie is a satire of "Behind the Music" rock and 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
Director: Peter Hastings
Writers: Mark Perez
Stars: Hayley Joel Osment, Diedrich Bader, Candy Ford, Christopher Walken and Brad Garrett
Awards: Nominated : Golden Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor : Christopher Walken
Nominated : Stinker Award for Most Distracting Cameo Appearance : Elton John
Film Budget: $35,000,000 (estimated)
Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $18,012,097
There were so many bad songs to choose from in this film we had to include more than one. Check them out here!
Some BEAR-Y Fun Facts about The Country Bears Film
An outside shot of Country Bear Hall pans up to the night sky to shot a constellation, the Big Dipper aka Ursa Major aka Big Bear.
While on the tour bus, Fred shows Beary his harmonica that his dad gave to him. In the "Country Bear Jamboree" show at Walt Disney World that the movie is based off of, it is mentioned in song that Fred picked up his harmonica playing from his father.
The third film to star Diedrich Bader and Stephen Root together the other two being Office Space (1999) and Ice Age (2002).
In the opening montage that pans through each of the bears and their roles in the band, it lists Tennessee as playing the "One String Thang". In the Country Bears Jamboree in Walt Disney World, Tennessee plays the same instrument.
Jim Henson's Creature Shop provided the animatronic Bears used for the film, which were performed by puppeteers/suit performers.
Surprisingly this film IS available on Disney+
https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/the-country-bears/7BTM6PN0NsTf