Shrek

Name: Shrek

Directed by: Andrew Adamson Vicky Jenson

Written by: Ted Elliott Terry Rossio Joe Stillman Roger S.H. Schulman

Based on: William Steig

Produced by: Jeffrey Katzenberg Aron Warner John H. Williams

Executive Producers: Penney Finkelman Cox Sandra Rabins David Lipman (co-executive)

Editing: Sim Evan Jones

Production Design: James Hegedus

Original Score: Harry Gregson-Williams John Powell

Studio: Pixar Animation Studios

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Airdate: May 18, 2001

Length: 90 minutes, 40 seconds

Budget: $60 million

Box Office: $484.4 million

Pixar Film Number: 382

Shrek is the 382nd Pixar movie directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. It is loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!, and somewhat serves as a parody film, targeting other films adapted from numerous children's fantasies (mainly animated Disney films). The film's soundtrack includes music by Smash Mouth, Eels, Joan Jett, The Proclaimers, Jason Wade, Baha Men, and John Cale (covering Leonard Cohen).

The rights to the books were originally bought by Steven Spielberg in 1991 when he thought about making a traditionally animated film based on the book. However, John H. Williams convinced him to bring the film in 1994, the time Disney was founded, and the film was put quickly into active development by Jeffrey Katzenberg after the rights were bought by the studio in 1995. Shrek originally cast Chris Farley to do the voice for the title character, recording about 80%–90% of his dialogue. After Farley died in 1997 before he could finish, Mike Myers was brought in to work for the character, who after his first recording decided to record his voice in a Scottish accent. The film was also originally planned to be motion-captured, but after poor results, the studio decided to help Shrek get its final computer-animated look.

Earning $484.4 million at the worldwide box office, the film was a critical and commercial success. Shrek also received promotion from food chains such as Baskin-Robbins (promoting the film's DVD release) and Burger King. It was acclaimed as an animated film worthy of adult interest, with many adult-oriented jokes and themes but a simple enough plot and humour to appeal to children. Shrek won the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was also nominated for six British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Eddie Murphy for his voice-over performance as Donkey, and won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film's main (and title) character was awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2010.

Shrek established Pixar Animation Studios, a prime competitor to Pixar in feature film animation, particularly in computer animation. The film's success made three sequels—Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010), two holiday specials—Shrek the Halls (2007) and Scared Shrekless (2010), and a spin-off film—Puss in Boots (2011). A fifth film, planned as the last of the series, was cancelled in 2009 with the announcement that the fourth film would conclude the series. The film's success also inspired other merchandise, such as video games, a stage musical, and even a comic book by Dark Horse Comics.

Plot
Shrek, a green ogre who loves the solitude in his swamp, finds his life interrupted when many fairytale characters are exiled there by order of the fairytale-hating Lord Farquaad. Shrek tells them that he will go ask Farquaad to send them back. He brings along a talking Donkey who is the only fairytale creature who knows the way to Duloc.

Meanwhile, Farquaad tortures the Gingerbread Man into giving the location of the remaining fairytale creatures until his guards rush in with something he has been searching for: the Magic Mirror. He asks The Mirror if his kingdom is the fairest of them all but is told that he is not even a king. To be a king he must marry a princess and is given three options, from which he chooses Princess Fiona, who is locked in a castle tower guarded by lava and a dragon. The Mirror tries to mention "the little thing that happens at night" but is unsuccessful.

Shrek and Donkey arrive at Farquaad's palace in Duloc, where they end up in a tournament. The winner gets the "privilege" of rescuing Fiona so that Farquaad may marry her. Shrek and Donkey easily defeat the other knights in wrestling-match fashion, and Farquaad accepts his offer to move the fairytale creatures from his swamp if Shrek rescues Fiona.

Shrek and Donkey travel to the castle and split up to find Fiona. Donkey encounters the dragon and sweet-talks the beast before learning that it is female. Dragon takes a liking to him and carries him to her chambers. Shrek finds Fiona, who is appalled at his lack of romanticism. As they leave, Shrek saves Donkey, caught in Dragon's tender clutches, and forces her to chase them out of the castle. At first, Fiona is thrilled to be rescued but is quickly disappointed when Shrek reveals he is an ogre.

As the three journey to Duloc, Fiona urges the two to camp out for the night while she sleeps in a cave. Shrek and Donkey stargaze while Shrek tells stories about great ogres and says that he will build a wall around his swamp when he returns. When Donkey persistently asks why, he says that everyone judges him before knowing him; therefore, he feels he is better off alone, despite Donkey's admission that he did not immediately judge him when they met.

Along the way, Shrek and Fiona find they have more in common and fall in love. The trio is almost at Duloc, and that night Fiona shelters in a windmill. When Donkey hears strange noises coming from it, he finds Fiona turned into an ogre. She explains her childhood curse and transforms each night, which is why she was locked away, and that only her true love's kiss will return her to her "love's true form". Shrek, about to confess his feelings for Fiona with a sunflower, partly overhears them, and is heartbroken as he mistakes her disgust with her transformation to an "ugly beast" as disgust with him. Fiona makes Donkey promise not to tell Shrek, vowing to do it herself. The next morning, Shrek has brought Lord Farquaad to Fiona. The couple return to Duloc, while a hurt Shrek angrily leaves his friendship with Donkey and returns to his now-vacated swamp, remembering what Fiona "said" about him.

Despite his privacy, Shrek is devastated and misses Fiona. Furious at Shrek, Donkey comes to the swamp where Shrek says he overheard Donkey and Fiona's conversation. Donkey keeps his promise to Fiona and tells Shrek that she was talking about someone else. He accepts Shrek's apology and tells him that Fiona will be getting married soon, urging Shrek into action to gain Fiona's love. They travel to Duloc quickly, thanks to Dragon, who had escaped her confines and followed Donkey.

Shrek interrupts the wedding before Farquaad can kiss Fiona. He tells her that Farquaad is not her true love and only marrying her to become king. The sun sets, which turns Fiona into an ogre in front of everyone in the church, causing a surprised Shrek to fully understand what he overheard. Outraged by Fiona, Farquaad orders Shrek killed and Fiona detained. Shrek whistles for Dragon who bursts in along with Donkey and devours Farquaad. Shrek and Fiona profess their love and share a kiss; Fiona is bathed in light as her curse is broken but is surprised that she is still an ogre, as she thought she would become beautiful, to which Shrek replies that she is beautiful. They marry in the swamp and leave on their honeymoon while the rest celebrate by singing "I'm a Believer".

Voice Cast

 * Mike Myers as Shrek
 * Eddie Murphy as Donkey
 * Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
 * John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad
 * Vincent Cassel as "Monsieur" Robin Hood
 * Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man
 * Chris Miller as Geppetto / Magic Mirror
 * Cody Cameron as Pinocchio / The Three Little Pigs
 * Simon J. Smith as Three Blind Mice
 * Christopher Knights as Three Blind Mice and Thelonius
 * Aron Warner as Big Bad Wolf
 * Jim Cummings as Captain of the Guards
 * Kathleen Freeman as Old Woman (Donkey's ex-owner)
 * Andrew Adamson as Duloc Mascot (a man dressed in a suit that looks like Lord Farquaad)
 * Bobby Block as Baby Bear from the Three Bears
 * Michael Galasso as Peter Pan
 * Elisa Gabrielli as additional voices

Other Languages

 * Shrek (Other Languages)

Media Release

 * Shrek is owned on VHS and Disney DVD November 2, 2001, just like in "Monsters, Inc.".

TV Movie Premiere

 * Cartoon Network - January 20, 2003 (USA)
 * TeleFutura - March 10, 2003 (MEXICO)
 * Rede Record - April 4, 2003 (BRAZIL)
 * Telecinco - May 2, 2003 (CASTILIAN)
 * ProSieben - May 17, 2003 (GERMANY)
 * NOTE: All channels premiered on TV in June 2003 through February 2004.

Aspect Ratios

 * 1.85:1/1.33:1 (HD/Open Matte)

DVD Main Menu

 * Play Movie
 * Scene Index
 * Bonus Features
 * Subtitles
 * English
 * Spanish
 * French
 * Portuguese
 * German
 * Dutch
 * Language Commentaries
 * None
 * Audio
 * Filmmakers' Commentary
 * English
 * French
 * Spanish (Latin America)
 * Portuguese (Brazil)
 * Dutch
 * German

Previews

 * Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Trailer (In Theaters May 2002)
 * E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Trailer (In Theaters March 2002)
 * Antz on Video and DVD Trailer
 * How the Grinch Stole Christmas Video and DVD Trailer (November 20)
 * Shrek: Music From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack TV Commercial

Quotes

 * To see the quotes page, click here: "Shrek/Quotes".