Are We There Yet?

Infobox_Film
name = Are We There Yet?


writer = Steven Gary Banks,
Claudia Graziolo
starring = Ice Cube
Nia Long
Jay Mohr
and
Tracy Morgan
director = Brian Levant
producer = Matt Alvarez,
Ice Cube,
Dan Kolsrud
distributor = Columbia Pictures Revolution Studios
released = January 21, 2005
runtime = 95 min.
language = English
followed_by = "Are We Done Yet?"
budget = $32,000,000 | music =
amg_id = 1:299892
imdb_id = 0368578

"Are We There Yet?" is a 2005 comedy film which was produced by Revolution Studios and was distributed by Columbia Pictures, directed by Brian Levant. Although it was panned by critics [http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/arewethereyet?q=Are%20We%20There%20Yet#critics] , it grossed $82 million in North America alone and sold 3.7 million DVDs.

The film, while set in Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, British Columbia and other parts of the Pacific Northwest, was mostly shot on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, including a view of the Lions' Gate Bridge, The Financial District skyscrapers and the downtown scene near the film's conclusion. A sequel, "Are We Done Yet?", was released in 2007.

Plot

Nick Persons (Ice Cube) A bachelor who specializes in sports collectibles, finds himself attracted to the bright, stunning Suzanne Kingston (played by Nia Long), until he realizes she has two children, daughter Lindsey and son Kevin. Lindsey is 11-years-old and her younger brother is 7-years-old. Suzanne's children strongly believe that the only man suitable for her is their estranged father, whom they haven't seen in years. Nick's best friends are the co-owner of his store (Jay Mohr) and a bobblehead (voice of Tracy Morgan) who talks to him through his conscience.

When Suzanne is stuck in Vancouver on a business trip, she is unhappy missing her kids. Furthermore, the children's dad who was supposed to be looking after them for the weekend cancels at the last minute saying that he was sick. This turns out to be a lie (Lindsey and Kevin pass his house later in the movie discovering he has a new wife and child). Seizing the opportunity to win Suzanne over, Nick offers to transport them from Portland to Vancouver by plane, despite the fact that he finds the children annoying. Lindsey and Kevin do their best to make Nick's trip as nightmarish as possible.

When Nick first meets the children, they insist on receiving gifts from him, and Nick (having practically nothing to give them)hesitantly obliges and gives Lindsey a pizza voucher and Kevin a corkscrew. Nick, Lindsey, and Kevin were supposed to go on a plane to Vancouver, however as corkscrews are not allowed on planes, Kevin must hastily get rid of the one given to him by Nick and sneaks it into Nick's coat pocket. Nick and the children are now forbidden to travel by plane so they must travel by train now. Nick boarded the train and as it was pulling off Lindsey and Kevin are not on the train. Nick runs to the back of the train keeping up with them until he gets to the end of the train. Then he jumps off of the train leaving the luggage in the seat he was intending to sit in on board the train. So then they drive to Vancouver.

The road trip seems to be a disaster from the outset, as Nick faces numerous mishaps in quick succession. However, after the kids discover their dad's betrayal, they warm up to Nick when he tells them that he too was abandoned by his father. With the consent of the children, Nick and Susanne are officially dating by the end of the film.

Main Cast

*Ice Cube — Nick Persons
*Nia Long — Suzanne Kingston
*Aleisha Allen — Lindsey Kingston
*Philip Daniel Bolden — Kevin Kingston
*Jay Mohr — Marty
*Tracy Morgan — voice of Satchel Paige the Bobblehead
*M.C. Gainey — Al Buck
*C. Ernst Harth — Ernst
*Nichelle Nichols — Miss Mable
*Henry Simmons — Carl

Filming

"Are We There Yet?" was filmed in Campbell River, British Columbia, the Vancouver International Airport (disguised as Portland International Airport), and Portland. Most of the film was shot in Vancouver. The highway by the shoreline is on the drive to Whistler Mountain. The suspension bridge is above Stanley Park, and they drive over one of the many bridges that connect downtown with the southern part of the city. The scene at the truck stop and the Restaurant after the kids saw there father in the window were filmed in Britannia Beach. The chase at the end where the truck chase was filmed on the Cambie Street Bridge and Dunsmiur St between Howe and Burrard Station

The train featured in the movie is VIA Rail. In reality, VIA Rail travels only in Canada. The Amtrak route is the Amtrak Cascades which goes through Seattle. The Pacific Central Station in Vancouver is a local landmark.

Critical Response

The film received very negative reviews from film critics. Rotten Tomatoes lists it with a "Rotten" rating of only 12% from T-meter critics, based on 111 reviews (13 fresh, 98 rotten) with an average rating of 3.3/10, and an even worse rating of only 10% from the top critics based on 31 reviews (3 fresh, 28 rotten) with an average rating of 3.7/10. Metacritic lists it with a 24 out of 100 which indicates "generally negative reviews".

Box Office Performance

The film opened at #1 with a gross of $18,575,214 in 2,709 theaters averaging $6,856 per venue. The film's opening weekend made up 22.57% of its final domestic gross. In its second weekend the film dropped to #2 but lost just 12% of its audience, grossing a further $16,346,395, and raised the 10 day total to $38,458,267. It closed on June 16 2005 with a final gross of $97,918,663 worldwide ($82,674,398 in North America and $15,244,265 overseas)

External links

* [http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/arewethereyet/index.html Official site]
*imdb title|id=0368578|title=Are We There Yet?

Box Office Leaders USA
before = Coach Carter
date = January 23
year = 2005
after = Hide and Seek