Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010 film)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film)
Directed by	Thor Freudenthal
Produced by	Nina Jacobson Brad Simpson Ethan Smith
Written by	Novel: Jeff Kinney Screenplay: Jackie Filgo Jeff Filgo Jeff Judah Gabe Sachs
Starring	Zachary Gordon Robert Capron Rachael Harris Steve Zahn Devon Bostick Connor & Owen Fielding Chloë Moretz Karan Brar Grayson Russell
Cinematography	Jack N. Green
Studio	Color Force
Distributed by	20th Century Studios (Walt Disney Company)
Release date(s)	Friday, March 19th, 2010
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States of America,Canada,Germany
Language	English
Followed by	Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (also known as Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Movie) is a 2010 American live-action feature film, the first out of the film franchise, directed by Thor Freudenthal, based on the best-selling first book in the illustrated novel series Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. After Diary of a Wimpy Kid, it was a huge success.

The film stars Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Devon Bostick, Connor and Owen Fielding, and Chloë Moretz.

A promotional video was released before the release of the movie.

Plot

The film starts with Rodrick Heffley (Devon Bostick), who wakes up Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon), as a prank to make him think it's time for school. Greg is anxious to start middle school, confident he will easily become the school's most popular kid. However, Greg worries about how his unusual best friend, Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron), will fit in. While Rowley is a good friend who helps Greg escape his older brother, Rodrick, Greg worries that Rowley's kiddie clothes and kiddie personality will embarrass both of them.

One of the movie's many animation scenes.

On their first day, Greg and Rowley meet Angie Steadman (Chloë Grace Moretz), a 7th grader who works for the school’s paper during P.E. Throughout the school year, Angie tells Greg and Rowley why they shouldn't enjoy middle school. Classmate Chirag Gupta (Karan Brar) tells Greg and Rowley the story behind the cheese laying on the blacktop; upon touching The Cheese, a kid named Darren Walsh (Harrison Houde) touched the cheese and got the Cheese Touch, and anyone who touches the cheese becomes infected with it until they can pass on the Cheese Touch by touching someone else. The last Cheese Touch victim was taken away by a German exchange student named Dieter Müller/Abe Hall (Movie Version), which he moved away to Düsseldorf due to having problems about talking.

Chirag Gupta explaining the horrors of the Cheese to Greg and Rowley.

Greg is determined to be voted a "class favorite" and listed in the yearbook, but each of his attempts to do so backfires. His popularity quickly drops as he loses to Patty Farrell (Laine MacNeil), Greg’s arch-enemy, in wrestling (taught by Coach Malone (Andrew McNee). While Greg and Rowley go trick-or-treating they anger teenagers by threatening to call the police on them after they spray him and Rowley with the fire extinguisher and then damages their Ford F-150 with a weed whacker. Greg joins the Safety Patrol alongside Rowley. While playing a game Greg invented, riding a Big Wheel and Greg temp to knock it down. But one day, he breaks Rowley's arm during wintertime and has to wear a cast. In school, everyone and the girls notices Rowley's broken arm and Rowley becomes very popular, much to Greg’s dismay. Rowley's popularity increases when he beats Greg to become the school paper's cartoonist, despite Greg's dismissal of his farts.

Greg's safety patrol fantasy.

Greg and Rowley’s friendship falls apart after Greg allows Rowley to unwittingly take the blame for a mistake that Greg made during Safety Patrol, and Greg's mistake was thinking he saw the teens and pushed them into a muddy hole. After Greg tells Rowley the truth and tries to make light of the situation, Rowley describes him for being a bad friend who cares about nothing but himself. Rowley then leaves him and befriends a kid named Collin Lee (Alex Ferris). Greg tries to move on by having a sleepover with Fregley (Grayson Russell), the weirdest and the least most popular (past the bottom) kid in school, but Fregley's sugar-induced hyperactivity is too much for him to take. He then tries to pursue popularity without Rowley by auditioning for the school play of The Wizard of Oz but ruins the performance by starting an apple throwing fight with Patty Farrell when she makes him mad by accusing of trying to ruin the performance.

At the school mother-son dance, Greg's mother (Rachael Harris) suggests Greg ask Rowley to go out for ice cream with them. However, Rowley tells Greg that he's already going out for ice cream with Collin. Later, Greg is excited when Rowley comes up to him in school but is disappointed when he learns Rowley only wants a video game back. Greg refuses to return the video game, causing them to get into an argument. Kids gather around them, wanting them to witness a brawl, but are quickly made a run for it when the teenagers emerged that Greg and Rowley had seen on Halloween, were looking for revenge. The teenagers force Rowley to eat the Cheese. They are about to force Greg to eat the remainder when Coach Malone, arrives and chases the teenagers away and recognizes one named Pete Hosey.

The kids return and find the partially eaten The Cheese. Patty begins to accuse Rowley, but Greg steps in and takes the blame. He picks up the Cheese and makes a profound speech about the ridiculousness of the Cheese and other middle school institutions, but Patty ruins it when she shouts that Greg has the Cheese Touch causing everyone to run away from him. Greg and Rowley become friends again, and Angie approaches them to compliment Greg for his bravery. Greg and Rowley make it into the class favorites list as "Cutest Friends" in the yearbook, Greg becomes popular on the popularity rank to 202 and Patty gets the Cheese Touch without her knowing when she hugged Rowley (who still actually had the Cheese Touch) while handing out yearbooks , and the film ends with Greg, Rowley, and Angie laughing and Greg narrating that he still has the summer and next year ahead of him.

Sequel

Main article: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film)

The sequel, based on the second book in the Wimpy Kid series, Rodrick Rules, was released on March 25, 2011. The film was directed by David Bowers, and it has Holly Hills making her debut in the film series, replacing Angie.

Cast

• Zachary Gordon, Nathaniel Marten, and Dylan Bell as Greg Heffley, who is the main character of the film, as well as the narrator. He thinks that middle school is the worst idea ever invented, and apparently, other kids agree with him, one girl saying that middle school is an "intellectual wasteland".
• Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, the deuteragonist of the film. He is not as socially awkward as he is the books, but he does cause some embarrassing moments, such as telling Bryce Anderson that he has a "cute butt".
• Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Greg’s mother. Like in the books, she sometimes makes Greg look like a wimpy kid.
• Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Greg’s father.
• Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Greg’s older brother. Like his character in the books, his advice is often unhelpful, such as telling Greg not to talk to anyone or sit down next to anyone if he (Greg) is going to be able to survive middle school. He also calls Rowley on one occasion a "baby hippo".
• Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg’s annoying little brother. Many fans feared that Manny was not going to appear in the film, but with twins Connor and Owen Fielding trying out for the role at the last minute, these fears were canceled out.
• Chloë Moretz as Angie Steadman, Greg’s friend. She is a 7th grader who works for the school paper and guides Greg and Rowley through middle school during the film.
• Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta, Greg’s friend. He saves Greg from getting the Cheese Touch on one occasion.
• Grayson Russell as Fregley, Greg’s odd classmate.
• Alex Ferris as Collin Lee, Greg’s backup friend. Later, temporarily becomes Rowley’s "best friend".
• Jake D. Smith as Archie Kelly, One of Greg’s partners in the school play.
• Rob LaBelle as Mr. Winsky, the leader of Safety Patrol.
• Jennifer Clement as Mrs. Flint, Greg’s homeroom teacher.
• Laine MacNeil and Madison Bell as Patty Farrell a nerdy looking, selfish brat classmate of Greg’s and also arch enemy.
• Harrison Houde as Darren Walsh, Greg’s classmate who is infamous for starting the Cheese touch
• Severin Korfer as Dieter Muller, A German exchange student who took the Cheese Touch with him back to his homeland.
• Aidan Gebert, Cameron Krpan, and Paolo Tolfo as Löded Diper Bandmates, Rodrick’s friends.
• Raugi Yu as Vice Principal Roy, the Vice Principal who appears on the intercom or TV giving news.
• Andrew McNee as Coach Malone, the P.E teacher.
• Belita Moreno as Mrs. Norton, the drama teacher.
• Nicholas Carey as Pete Hosey, the antagonist of the film and one of the teenagers who bullied Greg and Rowley on Halloween and in May.
• Donnie McNeil as Wade, one of the teenagers who bullied Greg and Rowley on Halloween and in May.
• Samuel Patrick Chu as Carter, one of the teenagers who bullied Greg and Rowley on Halloween and in May.
• Samantha Page as Shelly, one of Greg’s classmates.
• Ava Hughes as Marley, one of Greg’s classmates.
• Owen Best as Bryce Anderson, one of Greg’s classmates who was said to have a “cute butt”.
• Cainan Wiebe and Peter New as Quentin, a bully who teased about what Rowley said to Greg.
• Cole Heppell as the side-kick of Quentin
• Karin Konoval as Mrs. Irvine, the woman who thought Rowley terrorized the kindergartners.
• Kaye Capron as Mrs. Jefferson, Rowley mother.
• Alf Humphreys as Robert Jefferson, Rowley father.
• Talon Dunbar as Arthur, one of Greg’s partners in the school play.
• Naomi Dane as Cheese Touch Victim 1, a girl who got the Cheese Touch.
• Willem Jacobson as Cheese Touch Victim 2, a boy who got the Cheese Touch.
• Sean Bygrave as Coach Brewer, a coach who demonstrates with Coach Malone on wrestling.
• Maxine Miller as an elderly women, a woman who got wet by Greg's dad.
• Taya Clyne as granddaughter, a girl who got wet by Greg’s dad.
• Nikki Frazer as a Girl at lunch.
• Greta Makena Gibson as a Girl at lunch.
• Nathan Smith, Kinua McWatt, and 5 Unknowns as Kindergartners.
• Adom Osei as Marty Porter, the school treasurer.
• Rylee Stiles as Preston Mudd, the athlete of the month.
• Ryan Grantham as Rodney James, Kid who played the Shrub in the school play.
• Brent Chapman as Mr. Parnell, Greg's science teacher who showed the "It's Awesome To Be Me" video.
• Ethan Shankaruk as Snot Kid. One of Greg’s classmates.
• Jesse Wheeler as Unpopular 80s Boy. Kid who appears in the It's Great to be Me video.
• Paul Hubbard as Brock Branigan P.I.
• Brett Dier as 80s Breakdancer
• Brandon Barton as 80s Jock Boy.
• Cindy Busby as 80s Popular Girl.
• Alicia Takase Lui, Jay Sidhu, Tori Christianson, Emerald Schreier, Benjamin D. Mitchell, Haris Cash, and Maria Crudo as Audition Kids.
• Michael Fredrick Arnold as Janitor (Uncredited).
• Shane Briscoe as Funny Dad
• Jacob Smith as Benny Wells
• Bryce Hurless as Extra (Uncredited)
• Joshua Rush as Extra (Uncredited)

Voices

• Alistair Abell as Male Reporter
• L.J Benet as Voice (Uncredited)
• Cooper Cowgill as ADR Voice
• Makenna Cowgill as ADR Voice
• Jack Cygan as ADR Voice
• Rylee Fansler as ADR Voice
• Johnny Gillcomb as ADR Voice
• Alexander Haney as ADR Voice
• Angela Hanee as ADR Voice

Production

The filming of Diary of a Wimpy Kid wrapped up on October 16, 2009, and the film was released in the United States on March 19, 2010. It combines live-action with animation and is directed by Thor Freudenthal, with Zachary Gordon starring as Greg Heffley.

The official trailer for Wimpy Kid was released on the Internet on January 21, 2010 and was shown in theaters with Tooth Fairy. A poster for the film was released shortly after, and the second trailer was shown with Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Movie tie-in book

Amulet Books (an imprint of ABRAMS) acquired the rights to publish The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, a book which was completed by Jeff Kinney. It was released in a one-day national laydown on Tuesday, March 16, 2010. It explains how Jeff Kinney's bestselling book in cartoons became to be a 20th Century Fox film-adaptation. It also includes some all-new illustrations and full-color never-before-seen movie stills, storyboards, preliminary concept drawings, and also behind the scenes to humorously chronicle the making of the movie.

Reception

Despite the movie receiving mixed reviews from critics, it got positive reviews from fans of the book series. However, some fans consider the book to be better than the movie.

Differences from movie and book

Movie

• The humor is now slapstick rather than satire
• There is a new character named Angie Steadman.
• At the part where Rowley is forced to eat the cheese, Greg picks it up and says he ate it. In the book, he says he threw it away.
• Patty Farrell is considered a bully toward Greg, but in the book she has a minor role.
• During the end of the movie, Patty hugs Rowley and tells him "Stay, cute". Similar to how in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, Holly Hills puts the same thing in Rowley's yearbook.
• In the film, Greg terrorizes the kindergartens by pushing them one by one to a muddy ditch. But in the book, he chased them with worms that was on the stick.
• In the book, Greg created Zoo Wee Mama, not Rowley.
• Greg won the cartoonist contest first in the book, but Rowley won and Greg lost.
• Patty Farrell had glasses in the book, but in the movie she doesn't have glasses.
• In the movie, There was a part were Greg was going to a Mother and Son dance. but in the book that never happened.

References

• Official website
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid at the Internet Movie Database
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid at Allmovie
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid at Box Office Mojo
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid at Rotten Tomatoes
• Entertainment Weekly: First look: 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'
• USA Today: First Look: 'Wimpy Kid' actor embraces being 'a likable jerk'
• Wimpy Kid Trailer
• Facebook: The Offical Wimpy Kid Movie Facebook

Trivia

• Rowley mentions the fact that he went to Guatemala, despite the fact that Guatemala is in Central America, not South America.
• Some things like Greg’s fish that appear in later books appear in the movie.
• The Scene where Greg is playing Twisted Wizard with Rowley at the Jefferson house you can see that Greg and Rowley are playing a Nintendo Wii.
• This and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film) open with Greg narrating the opening.
• Near the beginning, you can see the movie Ice Age in the background briefly. Ice Age is also a film produced by 20th Century Fox Studios.
• The Wilhelm scream sound effect is used while Greg and Rowley were playing the Twisted Wizard game.
• The piece of cheese on the court is digital. a silicone piece was used for adding the effects of the cheese aging over the months.
• This movie was nominated at the 2011 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards.
• In The Last Straw, Dog Days (movie), and the very end of the online book, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the yearbooks appear.
• There was also a book about the Wimpy Kid movies called: The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary.

Goofs

• When Rowley hands Greg the Zoo Wee Mama comic he says "I put you in the comic this week." It's just the one with the acid puddle and squirrel with no change from the original drawing he made at Greg's house.
• Greg takes Manny off the toilet, who leaves on the right. Susan is carrying Manny, but she comes from the left.
• In the scene right before Rowley asks Greg if he "Wants to come over and play", Greg walks out, and you see a girl walking down the stairs behind him. When they show Rowley, the girl is again seen coming out of the school.
• When Greg first enters class on the first day of school, Greg Heffley is written on the blackboard. In the next shot, it is gone. In the shot after that, he writes his name on the board.
• After their first meeting with Angie under the bleachers, Greg makes an excuse about hearing the whistle signaling the end of P.E. class before dragging away Rowley by grabbing his right wrist/hand. But in the next shot as they retreat, Greg is shown leading Rowley by the left wrist, not the right.
• In the scene where Greg and Rowley are walking the kindergartners, Pete Hosey and his friend drive by, slowly looking at them all standing in a line. In the next scene when Greg and Rowley are laughing about not getting caught, the kindergartners are in a different order.
• Some of the foam from the fire extinguisher is sprayed onto Greg. Two shots later, Greg is clean.
• When Greg is confessing to Rowley about scaring the smaller children, the hallway is busy with a woman in red quickly approaching them. A second later, the hall is empty and the woman has vanished. Then she reappears and brushes past Rowley.
• A witch decoration by the stairs in the Heffley house is moving around. In another shot, the witch is still. If you look carefully when Greg and Rowley are outside, the witch is moving again.
• When Rodrick pulls in with the Loded Diper van, he hits a trash can, and it goes rolling up the road. When it shows Rodrick getting out, and he closes his door, the trash can is then sitting by his front bumper.
• When Patty pins Greg, and Angie takes the picture, her hair is down, but in the newspaper, her hair is curved up.
• In the scene when Greg runs out of Fregley's house, he leaves the door open. In the next shot, when he is hugging his dad, the door is closed.
• As Greg and Rowley are forced to eat on the floor, a milk carton lands on Greg's tray when two guys empty their trash. When Fregley comes to sit with them, the milk carton is gone.
• When Greg opens the school door at the start of the movie, a trash can is knocked over and is completely full. Over the summer, the trash cans would have been emptied and it was the beginning of the first day back and so would've been almost empty.
• Greg goes down on his popularity chart from 19 to 72. The 19th place would then be vacant. Rowley later fills the 19th spot. Greg later goes down from 72 to 202. The 72nd spot is vacant, but it is not filled because Greg is in spot 202 of 201.
• Rowley mentions that he went to Guatemala, despite the fact that Guatemala is in Central America, not South America.

Posters/Gallery

Trailer

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trailer

Here is the official trailer for Diary of a Wimpy Kid.