Gordy

This article is about the film. For other uses of the term, see Gordy (disambiguation).

Gordy
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mark Lewis
Produced by	Sybil Robson Leslie Stevens Frederic W. Brost
Written by	Leslie Stevens Jay Sommers Dick Chevillat
Starring	Doug Stone Tom Lester Kristy Young James Donadio Deborah Hobart Justin Garms (voice) Michael Roescher
Cinematography	Richard Michalak
Editing by	Lindsay Frazer Duane Hartzell
Distributed by	Walt Disney Home Video/Miramax Family Films (USA) Alliance Communications (Canada)
Release date(s)	May 12, 1995
Country	United States
Language	English

Gordy is a 1995 feature film about a piglet who searches for his missing family (who are taken away to Omaha, Nebraska to a slaughterhouse). The piglet, named Gordy, experiences the lives of others which are part of the film's side plots, including travelling country music singers Luke McAllister and his daughter Jinnie Sue; and lonely boy Hanky Royce whose mother is engaged to a sinister businessman, Gilbert Snipes. Gordy changes lives for the people he encounters due to their ability to understand him. The film was released to theatres on May 12, 1995. It was distributed by Miramax Family Films.

Gordy was originally conceived in the early 1970s by Green Acres creator Jay Sommers and writer Dick Chevillat as a vehicle for the Arnold Ziffel character from the television series. Both are given writing credit for the film, although Sommers had died some ten years before the release of Gordy.

It was shot in Marietta and Coweta County, Georgia.^{[citation needed]} Other scenes were shot in Branson, Missouri.^{[citation needed]}

The film featured the song "Pig Power" by Tag Team. A music video was produced for the song, featuring clips from the film.^[1]

Synopsis

A young spunky piglet, named Gordy (Justin Garms), lives on Meadow Brook Farm somewhere in Arkansas. After his father is taken up North to an undetermined fate (in Gordy's point of view anyway), the piglet learns from the farm's rooster that his mother and siblings were taken while he pursued his father. Determined to locate his family and return to the farm, Gordy heads out alone to find them. He eventually ends up in the care of Jinnie Sue MacAllister (Kristy Young), a young upbeat country singer who lives in a camper van with her also country singer father, Luke (Doug Stone), and their "manager", Cousin Jake (Tom Lester). Jinnie Sue, not knowing Gordy's name, calls him Pinky.

They travel to a dinner party where Luke performs for the governor of Arkansas. Also there is rich businessman, Henry Royce (Ted Manson), his daughter Jessica (Deborah Hobart), her rather dull but scheming fiancé, Sipes (James Donadio), and Jessica's lonely young son Hanky. Hanky wanders off on his own and meets Gordy and Jinnie Sue. Hanky falls into a swimming pool, but cannot swim. Jinnie Sue rushes off to get help, but Gordy dives into the pool with an inflatable and saves Hanky. Grateful, Hanky is given Gordy as a pet. Gordy's bravery also makes him suddenly famous.

Royce and Sipes have alternate decisions on who the new mascot of the Royce company should be: Gordy or Jessica. In the end, Gordy wins, due to a switched camera lens used on Jessica's promotion. Sipes is determined to remove Gordy and then take control of the company. He sends his two guards, Dietz and Krugman to kidnap Gordy, but Gordy and Hanky escape on board a school bus, which the two men pursue. On the way, they are distracted briefly by a cross-dressing thief, and discover that Gordy and Hanky have escaped onto a feeding truck. The two unexpectedly meet up with the MacAllisters, who learn from the radio that Hanky has apparently runaway. Another bulletin follows, revealing Henry Royce has died of a heart attack. The MacAllisters return Hanky and Gordy to the Royce building in St. Louis, Missouri where an attorney reveals Henry has left his company to Hanky and Gordy.

Cousin Jake, upon learning Gordy's family is missing, organizes a giant country-wide search to locate them and also a country music concert in Branson, Missouri in Gordy's name. A host of country singers perform, as well as a surprise speech from President Bill Clinton (just an impersonator) who unveils a new stamp of Gordy. Sipes sends his men to kill Gordy but he is saved by Cousin Jake. Jake returns Gordy to Hanky and Jinnie Sue. Everyone learns from someone who calls into the telethon where Gordy's parents are going to be slaughtered at an unidentified slaughterhouse in Nebraska. Sipes tries to hide the fact that the very same slaughterhouse is owned by the Royce family. However, a battle happens between Sipes and Luke, Jessica and Luke knocking him out with the suitcase of Brinks, the family attorney. Gordy, Hanky, Jinnie Sue, Jessica, Luke, Cousin Jake and Brinks race to stop the slaughterhouse from killing Gordy's parents but a train slows them down. Hanky successfully rings the lovestruck supervisor and the slaughterhouse is shut down just in time. To Gordy's happiness his parents and siblings have survived and he is reunited with his father who was also about to be killed at the slaughterhouse. The pigs are moved back to the farm, which Luke decides to buy and in the end he marries Jessica, Hanky, Jinnie Sue and Cousin Jake moving in too. Gordy has a happy ending, his family together again with new members.

Cast

• Doug Stone as Luke MacAllister: A country singer, and the father of Jinnie Sue.
• Kristy Young as Jinnie Sue MacAllister: The daughter of Luke, also a country singer.
• Tom Lester as Cousin Jake: Luke's cousin and the manager of his group.
• Deborah Hobart as Jessica Royce: The daughter of Henry Royce and mother of Hanky, engaged to Sipes.
• Michael Roescher as Hanky Royce: The lonely but friendly son of Jessica. He becomes a good friend to Gordy.
• James Donadio as Gilbert Sipes: The fiance of Jessica and main antagonist. He is a rather selfish and scheming man who is looking to take over the Royce company.
• Ted Manson as Henry Royce: The elderly executive of the Royce company, father of Jessica and grandfather of Hanky. He dies part-way through the film of a heart attack.
• Tom Key as Brinks: The comical friendly attorney of the Royce family and Sipes. He usually follows the advice of his conscience.
• Jon Kohler and Afemo Omilami as Dietz and Krugman: Sipes's incompetent henchmen.

Voices

• Justin Garms as Gordy: A young piglet who sets out from his home to find his missing family.
• Hamilton Camp as Gordy's Father: An adult pig who was taken up North to be slaughtered, and as Richard the Rooster.
• Jocelyn Blue as Gordy's Mother: She and her children are also taken for slaughter.
• Frank Welker as Narrator
• Tress MacNeille as Wendy
• Earl Boen as Minnesota Red
• Frank Soronow as Dorothy the Cow
• Billy Bodine as Piglet
• Blaek McIver Ewing as Piglet
• Julianna Harris as Piglet
• Sabrina Weiner as Piglet
• Heather Bahler as Piglet
• Jim Meskimen as the voice of Bill Clinton

Reception

Along with overwhelmingly negative reviews, Gordy was eclipsed by the movie Babe, which was another film featuring a young talking pig.^{[2] [3]}Rotten Tomatoes rated the film with a 17% based on six reviews.^[4] Both movies premiered in the same year. Although Gordy was released first, it was not very successful, while Babe was a box office hit, won several awards (including an Academy Award for Visual Effects) and spawned a sequel.^[5]

References

1. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bztQNlOVHs
2. ^ "Movie Review - Gordy - FILM REVIEW; You're Cute, but No Arnold Ziffel". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CEFD91E3AF931A25756C0A963958260. Retrieved 2011-05-30. 
3. ^ [http= http://articles.nydailynews.com/1995-05-12/entertainment/17973535_1_michael-roescher-gordy-pigs "'Gordy': Dorky Pig Really Hams It Up"]. The New York Daily Times. http= http://articles.nydailynews.com/1995-05-12/entertainment/17973535_1_michael-roescher-gordy-pigs. Retrieved 2011-05-30. 
4. ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gordy/
5. ^ "Weekend Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-16/entertainment/ca-2264_1_weekend-disney-hollywood. Retrieved 2011-05-30. 

External links

• Gordy at the Internet Movie Database