document_title: Wonder Woman (2017 film)

question_text: who played diana's mother on wonder woman

question_tokens: who played diana 's mother on wonder woman

text: Wonder Woman (2017 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In present-day Paris, Diana Prince receives a photographic plate of herself and four men taken during World War I, prompting her to recall her past. Daughter of Queen Hippolyta, Diana was raised on the hidden island of Themyscira, home to the Amazonian warrior women created by Zeus to protect mankind. Hippolyta shares the Amazonian history with Diana, including how Ares, Zeus's son, became jealous of humanity and orchestrated its destruction. When the other gods attempted to stop him, Ares killed all but Zeus, who wounded Ares and forced his retreat. Zeus left the Amazons the island and a weapon, the "Godkiller", to prepare them for Ares' return.

text: Initially forbidding Diana to train as a warrior, Hippolyta allows her sister Antiope to train Diana, but only if the training is more rigorous than that of any other warrior. In 1918, Diana, now a young woman, rescues American pilot Captain Steve Trevor when his plane crashes off the Themyscira coast. The island is soon invaded by a German cruiser pursuing Trevor. The Amazons kill the crew, but Antiope sacrifices herself to save Diana. Steve is interrogated with the Lasso of Hestia, and reveals that a war is consuming the outside world, and that he is an Allied spy. He has stolen a notebook of the Spanish chief chemist Isabel Maru, who is attempting to engineer a deadlier form of mustard gas, under the orders of General Erich Ludendorff. Believing Ares is responsible for the war, Diana arms herself with the "Godkiller" sword, the lasso, and her armor before leaving Themyscira with Steve to find and destroy Ares.

text: In London, they deliver Maru's notebook to the Supreme War Council, where Sir Patrick Morgan is trying to negotiate an armistice with Germany. Diana translates Maru's notes and reveals that the Germans plan to release the deadly gas at the war front. Although forbidden by his commanders to act, Steve, with secret funding from Sir Patrick, recruits spy Sameer, marksman Charlie, and smuggler Chief to help prevent the gas from being released. When the team reaches the Western Front in Belgium, they are halted by the enemy lines. Diana goes alone through No Man's Land and captures the enemy trench, allowing the Allied forces to help her liberate the village of Veld. The team briefly celebrates, while Diana and Steve grow closer romantically.

text: The team learns a gala will be held at the nearby German High Command. Steve and Diana each infiltrate the party, with Steve intending to locate the gas and destroy it, while Diana intends to kill Ludendorff, believing that he is Ares and thus killing him will end the war. Steve stops her to avoid jeopardizing the mission, and Ludendorff unleashes the gas on Veld, killing its inhabitants. Blaming Steve for intervening, Diana pursues Ludendorff to a base where the gas is being loaded into a bomber aircraft bound for London. Diana fights and kills Ludendorff but is confused when his death does not stop the war.

text: Sir Patrick appears and reveals himself as Ares. He tells Diana that although he has subtly given humans ideas and inspirations, using Ludendorff and Maru as pawns in the process, it is ultimately their decision to cause violence as they are inherently corrupt. When Diana attempts to kill Ares with the "Godkiller" sword he destroys it, then reveals Diana to be the "Godkiller", as the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. He fails to persuade Diana to help him destroy mankind to restore paradise on Earth. While the two battle, the others on Steve's team destroy Maru's laboratory. Steve pilots the bomber carrying the gas to a safe altitude and detonates it, sacrificing himself in the process. Ares attempts to direct Diana's rage and grief at Steve's death by convincing her to kill Maru, but memories of her experience with Steve cause her to realize that humans have good within them. She spares Maru and redirects Ares' lightning into him, killing him. Later, the team celebrates the end of the war. In the present day, Diana sends an email to Bruce Wayne thanking him for the photographic plate of her and Steve, and reaffirms her new mission to protect and give love to the world.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Gal Gadot as Diana:

text: Chris Pine as Steve Trevor:

text: Robin Wright as Antiope:

text: Danny Huston as General Erich Ludendorff:

text: David Thewlis as Ares: / Sir Patrick Morgan

text: Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta:

text: Elena Anaya as Isabel Maru / Doctor Poison:

text: Lucy Davis as Etta Candy:

text: Saïd Taghmaoui as Sameer:

text: Ewen Bremner as Charlie:

text: Eugene Brave Rock as Chief Napi:

text: Lisa Loven Kongsli as Menalippe:

text: Additionally, Mayling Ng, Florence Kasumba, Madeleine Vall Beijner, Hayley Jane Warnes and Ann Wolfe portray Orana, Acantha, Egeria, Aella and Artemis, respectively, all of whom are Amazons.[61][62][63][64] James Cosmo appears as Field Marshal Haig, Steffan Rhodri appears as Colonel Darnell, and Dutch model Doutzen Kroes portrays the Amazon Venelia.[63] Samantha Jo was cast as the Amazonian Euboea, and previously played the Kryptonian, Car-Vex, in Man of Steel.[65] Zack Snyder also makes a brief cameo appearance in the film as an unnamed soldier.[66]

text: Production[edit]

text: Background[edit]

text: Development for a live action Wonder Woman feature film began in 1996, with Ivan Reitman attached as producer and possible director.[67] In 1999 the project became attached to Jon Cohen, who adapted Wonder Woman for producer Joel Silver, with the hope that Sandra Bullock would star.[68] By 2001, Todd Alcott was hired to write the screenplay, with Silver Pictures backing the project.[69] At that time, performers such as Mariah Carey and Catherine Zeta-Jones were also rumored to be possible candidates for the role of Wonder Woman.[70] Leonard Goldberg, however, focused on Bullock[71] who said that she was approached for the role. In addition, wrestler Chyna also expressed interest. Lucy Lawless, the star of Xena: Warrior Princess, was also under consideration, though she stated that she would have been more interested if Wonder Woman was portrayed as a "flawed hero."[72] The screenplay went through various drafts written by Alcott, Cohen, Becky Johnston, and Philip Levens,[73] and by August 2003, Levens had been replaced by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis.[74]

text: In March 2005, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures announced that Joss Whedon would write and direct the film,[75] with a reported salary was of $2 to $3 million.[76] Since Whedon was directing Serenity at the time, and required time to research Wonder Woman's background, he did not begin the screenplay until late 2005.[77][78][79] Early drafts of his screenplay included Steve Trevor as the narrator, a fierce battle between Diana and her mother over Trevor's welfare, and after leaving Themyscira, his need to frequently rescue a Diana rendered helpless by the modern world.[80] Whedon was not able to complete a final version of his screenplay however, and left the project in 2007.[81][82]

text: Although Whedon stated in May 2005 that he would not cast the part of Wonder Woman until he finished the script,[83] actors such as Kate Beckinsale were linked to the part.[84] In 2010 however, Whedon admitted that he did have an actress in mind for the part, stating that "Wonder Woman was basically Angelina Jolie."[80][85] A few years later in May 2017, Indie Ground Films leaked a version of Whedon's script in-progress online.[86] Some reacted negatively to it on social media in June 2017, shortly after the release of Patty Jenkins version of the film.[87][88][89][90][91] When asked about this response to his script, Jenkins said in a June 2017 interview that she has not read it and that Whedon is "in the DC universe now, and I don't think there's any reason to go there [...] It was what it was. I'm lucky that I'm the person who got to do it. But I don't see what would be beneficial about comparing what he would've done versus what I would have done."[92][93]

text: A day before Whedon's departure from Wonder Woman, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures purchased a spec script for the film written by Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland. Set during World War II, the script impressed executives at Silver Pictures.[82] However, Silver stated that he had purchased the script because he did not want the rights reverting; while stating the script had good ideas, Silver did not want the film to be a period piece.[94] By April 2008, Silver hired Jennison and Strickland to write a new script set in contemporary times that would not depict Wonder Woman's origin, but explore Paradise Island's history.[95] In November 2008, Beyoncé met with representatives from DC Comics and Warner Bros., to discuss her interest in portraying Wonder Woman.[96]

text: In 2010, Warner Bros. stated that a film was in development, along with films based on DC Comics superheroes the Flash and Aquaman.[97] Both Wonder Woman and Aquaman were still under consideration for solo film subjects as of June 2013.[98] DC Chief Diane Nelson said Wonder Woman "has been, since I started, one of the top three priorities for DC and for Warner Bros. We are still trying right now, but she's tricky."[99] On October 5, 2013, WB chairman Kevin Tsujihara said he wanted to get Wonder Woman in a film or on TV.[100] Shortly afterward, Paul Feig said he had pitched the studio an idea for Wonder Woman as an action-comedy film.[101][102] The studio then began to search for female directors to direct the film.[103] While Michelle MacLaren was the studio's initial choice to direct (and while she initially indicated interest),[104][105][106] she eventually left the project due to creative differences.[107]

text: Development[edit]

text: In 2015, Patty Jenkins accepted an offer to direct Wonder Woman,[108] based on a screenplay by Allan Heinberg and a story co-written by Heinberg, Zack Snyder, Geoff Johns and Jason Fuchs.[109] Of this version, Gadot stated that,

text: for a long time, people didn't know how to approach the story. When Patty and I had our creative conversations about the character, we realized that Diana can still be a normal woman, one with very high values, but still a woman. She can be sensitive. She is smart and independent and emotional. She can be confused. She can lose her confidence. She can have confidence. She is everything. She has a human heart.[5]

text: This version was conceived of as a prequel to the first live-action, theatrical appearance of Wonder Woman, in the 2016 film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,[110] placing Wonder Woman in the 1910s and World War I (a decision which differs from her comic book origins as a supporter of the Allies during World War II).[111] As for story development, Jenkins credits the stories by the character's creator William Moulton Marston in the 1940s and George Perez's seminal stories in the 1980s in which he modernized the character.[112] In addition, it follows some aspects of DC Comics' origin changes in The New 52 reboot, where Diana is the daughter of Zeus.[10][113] Jenkins cited Richard Donner's Superman as an inspiration.[114]

text: Casting[edit]

text:
"I remember when I read in the news that Wonder Woman had been cast and my heart sank [...] I'm sure we wouldn't have made the same choice. And then I started paying attention to her, and watching her and looking at her and it was just unbelievable. Frankly, I think they did a better job than I could have because I don't know that I would have scoured the earth as hard to find her [...] They were looking for all the same things I would have looked for—all the values that Wonder Woman stands for exuding from someone in an honest way, and boy did they find it [...] She shares every quality with Wonder Woman and that's no joke. It's one of those rare things. You need someone who can appear to be Wonder Woman on screen [...] Every once in a while, there's superhero casting that transcends, because that person is so authentic to the character that it becomes identified with them, like Lynda Carter or Christopher Reeve."

– Director Patty Jenkins[115] in response to the interview questions: "Let's talk a bit about Gal. You inherited her from Zack Snyder. Was it difficult to not get to choose your own Wonder Woman?" and "What is it about Gal that makes her such a good fit?"

tag: div

text: In late 2013, Zack Snyder cast Gal Gadot in the role of Wonder Woman for the 2016 film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice over Élodie Yung and Olga Kurylenko.[116][117][118][119] Some fans initially reacted to this choice by criticizing Gadot's appearance.[120] Snyder would later comment on his decision to cast Gadot, stating that he

text: tested a bunch of actresses, as you can imagine. But the thing with Gal is that she's strong, she's beautiful, and she's a kind person, which is interesting, but fierce at the same time. It's that combination of being fierce but kind at the same time that we were looking for.[121]

text: Gadot described Diana as having "the heart of a human so she can be emotional, she's curious, she's compassionate, she loves people. And then she has the powers of a goddess. She's all for good, she fights for good."[5] She also said that Diana has "many strengths and powers, but at the end of the day she's a woman with a lot of emotional intelligence".[122] As to how her character is different from her appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Gadot said "We go back 100 years to when she's more naive", further explaining, "She's this young idealist. She's pure. Very different to the experienced, super-confident, grown-up woman you've seen".[123] Gadot underwent a diet and training regimen, practiced different martial arts and gained 17 pounds of muscle for the role.[124][125] Gadot was previously offered a different role (as a villain) in Man of Steel, which she declined because she was pregnant at the time; this allowed her to later be cast as Wonder Woman in the film's follow-up.[126] Gadot signed a three-picture deal.[118] She was only paid a base salary of $300,000 for the film itself.[127]

text: Chris Pine was cast as Steve Trevor,[19][128] a character he described as a "rogue-ish, cynical realist who's seen the awful brutish nature of modern civilization" and added that he is a "worldly guy, a charming guy".[129] He signed a multi-picture deal.[19] Lucy Davis' performance as Etta Candy is the first live-action cinematic portrayal of the character.[130] As well, Elena Anaya's performance as Doctor Poison is the cinematic debut of that character. Nicole Kidman was in negotiations for the role of Queen Hippolyta, but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Big Little Lies.[131][132]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Production began on November 21, 2015,[133][134] under the working title Nightingale.[135][136] Among the film sets were Lower Halstow, Kent,[137] Australia House,[138] and the Sassi di Matera,[139] Castel del Monte[139] and Camerota[140] in Southern Italy. Matthew Jensen was the director of photography,[141] filming in the United Kingdom, France and Italy.[142] Production in London ended on March 13, 2016.[143] On March 20, 2016, filming was underway in Italy. In late April, filming took place at a museum in France, where a Wayne Enterprises truck was spotted alongside Gadot.[144] Production ended on May 9, 2016.[145] Patty Jenkins and director of photography Matt Jensen revealed that the film's look was inspired by painter John Singer Sargent.[146] Reshoots took place in November 2016, while Gadot was five months pregnant. A green cloth was placed over her stomach to edit out her pregnancy during post-production.[147]

text: To find the perfect location to shoot the Amazon island of Themyscira, the birthplace of Wonder Woman herself, the film's producers searched all over the world, finally settling on the Amalfi Coast: a stretch of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea, located in the Province of Salerno in Southern Italy.[148] It was chosen because most beaches in the world that sit below big cliffs disappear beneath the tide for part of every day. Production designer Aline Bonetto and her location manager Charles Somers considered 47 countries and visited several of them before they found what they were looking for. Bonetto explained that, "Italy had beautiful weather, a beautiful blue-green sea, not too much tide, not too much wave. Our effects team added some cliffs in post-production, and it was the perfect way to go".[149]

text: The estuary at Lower Halstow in Kent, featured in the scenes in which Princess Diana arrives in the Belgium creek to make her way to the warfront. [150]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: Bill Westenhofer served as the visual effects supervisor for the film[151] and Martin Walsh served as editor.[141]

text: Music[edit]

text: On November 3, 2016, Rupert Gregson-Williams was hired to write and compose the film's music.[152] He was joined by Evan Jolly, Tom Howe,[153] Paul Mounsey,[154] and Andrew Kawczynski,[155] who provided additional music. The soundtrack was released on CD, digital, and vinyl the same day as the film.[156]

text: Australian musician Sia sang a song for the film, titled "To Be Human", featuring English musician Labrinth. Written by Florence Welch and Rick Nowels, the track is also featured on the soundtrack.[157]

text: Additional music featured in the film are: "Another Little Drink Wouldn't Do Us Any Harm" by Clifford Grey and Nat Ayer and performed by Edgar Trevor and Cecil Cooper; "Molly O'Morgan" written by Fred Godfrey and Will Letters and performed by Ella Retford; "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams; "Sous les ponts de Paris" written by Jean Rodor and Vincent Scotto and performed by Lucienne Delyle; "I'll Walk Beside You" written by Edward Lockton and Alan Murray and performed by Ewen Bremner; "Green Grow the Rushes, O" written by Robert Burns and performed by Ewen Bremner; and "Schatzwalzer Op. 4" written by Johann Strauss II and performed by the Berlin String Quartet.[158] Also features samples from the movie's soundtrack "Is She with You" from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice composed by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL.

text: Release[edit]

text: Wonder Woman had its world premiere on May 25, 2017 in Los Angeles.[159] The film's London premiere, which was scheduled to take place on May 31 at the Odeon Leicester Square, was cancelled due to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.[160] The film had its Latin America premiere in Mexico City on May 27. It was released in most of the world, including in IMAX,[161] on June 2, 2017, after originally being scheduled for June 23.[162][163] Belgium, Singapore and South Korea received the film first, with May 31 openings.[164][165][166] On April 17, it was announced that Wonder Woman would be released in China on June 2, the same day as its North American release.[167]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: The success of the superhero television series Supergirl informed the marketing and promotion strategy used for Wonder Woman.[168] According to Time Warner chief marketing officer Kristen O'Hara, they wanted to approach the Wonder Woman marketing campaign in a light manner, similar to how they did with Supergirl. O'Hara elaborated that the modest campaign route they took for Supergirl aided in establishing a large central fanbase among women well in advance of the series, which reportedly generated 5 million female superhero fans in one week.[168] They were then able to model over time, and grow that audience leading up to the 15-months-later release of Wonder Woman.[168] Though neither the film nor the series are aimed exclusively at women, the latter's campaign gave them their first opportunity to begin collecting data about female superhero fans.[168] In May 2017, a promo for Wonder Woman was released during the season finale of Supergirl, featuring a remix of the song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) wearing Wonder Woman's boots.[169] The promo included an appearance by Lynda Carter, star of the 1970s Wonder Woman, who plays the American president on Supergirl.[169]

text: The costs for television advertisements for Wonder Woman are higher in comparison to that of previous DCEU film Suicide Squad. Warner Bros. has spent over $3 million on advertisements for Wonder Woman, whereas they spent $2.6 million on advertisements for Suicide Squad.[170]

text: Ticket selling site Fandango reported that Wonder Woman rounded the final leg of its marketing campaign as the most anticipated blockbuster of summer 2017, according to a poll conducted by 10,000 voters, the biggest survey in company history.[171] Separately, Fandango also found that 92% of people surveyed said that they are looking forward to seeing a film that features a standalone woman superhero, and 87% wished Hollywood would make more women-led superhero films.[172]

text: In May 2017, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick drove her No. 10 car with a Wonder Woman paint scheme at the Go Bowling 400 in Kansas and at the Monster Energy Open in Charlotte.[173]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released on Digital HD on August 29, 2017 and on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray and DVD on September 19, 2017.[174]

text: Controversies[edit]

text: Bans[edit]

text: On May 31, Wonder Woman was banned in Lebanon after the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel asked the Lebanese government's Ministry of Economy and Trade to block the film because its star, Gal Gadot, is Israeli.[175] The Lebanese government did not, however, ban Gadot's Fast & Furious films which did screen in Lebanon.[176][177] On June 7, Variety reported that a Tunisian court suspended the theatrical release of Wonder Woman after a lawsuit brought by the Al-Chaab party and the Tunisian Association of Young Lawyers to have the film blocked due to Gadot's Israeli citizenship, military service, and public comments in support of the Israeli military during the 2014 war in Gaza.[178] Jordan was reportedly also considering a ban of the film and suspended screenings pending a decision,[179] but on June 11, Al Bawaba reported that the government decided not to do so, as there was no legal precedent for it.[180]

text: Women-only screenings[edit]

text: Some men were unhappy with women-only screenings held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, with some opponents of the gender-restricted screening stating on platforms such as Facebook that such screenings were discriminatory against men.[181][182][183]

text: A gay Albany Law School professor initiated a complaint with Austin's Equal Employment and Fair Housing Office claiming discrimination against male prospective customers and employees of the theater.[184] The chain responded with an online statement saying the event "may have created confusion—we want everybody to see this film" and announced a similar event at their Brooklyn location. Tickets sold out in less than an hour, prompting the chain to schedule additional screenings.[181] On July 18, Alamo Drafthouse proposed settlement offers of a Wonder Woman DVD to the complainants, stating "Respondent did not realize that advertising a 'women's only' screening was a violation of discrimination laws"[185]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: As of October 19, 2017[update], Wonder Woman has grossed $412.5 million in the United States and Canada and $409.1 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $821.6 million, against a production budget of $149 million.[4] Estimates for the number the film needed to surpass internationally in order to cover its production and promotional costs and break even ranged from $300 million[186] to $460 million.[187]

text: North America[edit]

text: In May 2017, early tracking had Wonder Woman opening with $65–75 million, and possibly as high as $105 million.[188][189][190][191][186] The film opened Friday, June 2, 2017, across 4,165 theaters and made $38.7 million on its opening day, including $3.7 million in IMAX. It was the biggest single-day gross for a woman-directed film, ahead of the $35.9 million opening Friday of Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight in 2008 and the biggest opening day for a woman-led comic book superhero film, ahead of Ghost in the Shell ($7 million).[192] This included $11 million it made from Thursday previews, also the best start for a film directed by a woman, surpassing Fifty Shades of Grey's $8.6 million which was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, and the third-biggest of the year, behind Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Of that, $1.5 million came from IMAX screenings.[193][194]

text: Earning a total of $103.3 million on its opening weekend, the film recorded a number of records: the biggest domestic opening of all time for a female director (surpassing previous record holder Fifty Shades of Grey by Sam Taylor-Johnson), the biggest DC Comics release without Batman or Superman (ahead of Constantine), the sixth-biggest non-sequel comic book superhero debut ever, as well as the sixth-biggest June debut weekend.[195] Its three-day opening alone made it the highest-grossing woman-led comic book superhero film ever (surpassing Ghost in the Shell).[196] It was also the 16th superhero film to cross $100 million in its domestic box office launch.[197] About 9% ($9 million) of the opening weekend came from IMAX screenings from 343 theaters.[198] In its second week the film grossed $58.5 million, again topping the box office. It marked a 43.3% drop for its second weekend at the box office, better than the average 50–60% decline superhero films tend to see, and was a better second weekend than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($51.3 million) and Suicide Squad ($43.5 million).[199] In its third weekend it grossed $40.8 million, finishing second behind newcomer Cars 3 ($53.5 million). It was the second-best third weekend ever for Warner Bros. and was nearly double what Batman v Superman ($23.3 million), Suicide Squad ($20.9 million) and Man of Steel ($20.7 million) made in their third weekends. It earned $24.9 million and $15.7 million in its fourth and fifth weekends, respectively, dropping just 39% and 36% despite facing rough competition from opening films Transformers: The Last Knight and Despicable Me 3.[200] It eventually became the highest-grossing film directed by a woman, surpassing the previous records of Jennifer Yuh Nelson's Kung Fu Panda 2 and Phyllida Lloyd's Mamma Mia!.[8] By August 8, the film had garnered $400 million in ticket sales, becoming the second female-fueled film (after Disney's Beauty and the Beast), Warner Bros.' third-biggest movie (after Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), holding the record of the highest origin superhero film; supplanting the previous record held by Spider-Man (2002) and also becoming the highest-earning film with a female director in terms of domestic earnings, surpassing Frozen (2013).[201][202]

text: International[edit]

text: Internationally, the film was released day-and-date with its North American debut in 55 markets (72% of its total release), and was projected to debut with anywhere between $92–118 million.[186] It ended up opening to $125 million, including $38 million in China, $8.5 million in Korea, $8.4 million in Mexico, $8.3 million in Brazil and $7.5 million in the UK.[203] In its second week of release, the film brought in another $60 million, including holding the top spot on France, the UK, Australia and Brazil.[204] As of June 25, 2017, the biggest markets of Wonder Woman outside North America are China (US$90 million) followed by Brazil (US$34 million), UK (US$28 million) and Australia (US$24 million). In the Philippines, it broke 2017 box office record for highest-earning non-holiday opening day—earning $4.7 million and becoming the 6th-most successful commercial film of all time as well overtaking the record set by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[205][206][207] The film opened in its last market, Japan, on August 25 and debuted to $3.4 million, helping the international gross cross the $400 million mark.[208]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Wonder Woman received largely positive reviews, with some critics calling it the best film in the DC Extended Universe, and praising Jenkins' direction, performances, chemistry of Gadot and Pine and musical score.[7][212] On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 92% based on 349 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot's charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion."[213] It is the highest-rated superhero film on the site.[214][note 1] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[215] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[216]

text: Critics commented favorably on Gadot's performance and Chris Pine's Steve Trevor.[217][218][211] Andrew Barker of Variety found the film to be more lighthearted than recent DC Comics films: "Never prone to stewing in solitude, and taking more notes from Richard Donner than from Christopher Nolan, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman provides a welcome respite from DC's house style of grim darkness—boisterous, earnest, sometimes sloppy, yet consistently entertaining—with star Gal Gadot proving an inspired choice for this avatar of truth, justice, and the Amazonian way."[219] Vox stated "Trevor is the superhero girlfriend comic book movies need".[220] The San Francisco Chronicle's Mick LaSalle lauded the performances of Gadot, Pine, Huston, and Thewlis while commending the film's "different perspective" and humor.[221] Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times described Gadot's performance as inspirational, heroic, heartfelt and endearing and the most "real" Wonder Woman portrayal.[222]

text: A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that it "briskly shakes off blockbuster branding imperatives and allows itself to be something relatively rare in the modern superhero cosmos. It feels less like yet another installment in an endless sequence of apocalyptic merchandising opportunities than like … what's the word I'm looking for? A movie. A pretty good one, too."[223] Michael Phillips of Chicago Tribune compared the film to Captain America: The First Avenger, noting that as with "the first Captain America movie over in the Marvel Comics universe, DC's Wonder Woman offers the pleasures of period re-creation for a popular audience. Jenkins and her design team make 1918-era London; war-torn Belgium; the Ottoman Empire; and other locales look freshly realized, with a strong point of view. There are scenes here of dispossessed war refugees, witnessed by an astonished and heartbroken Diana, that carry unusual gravity for a comic book adaptation."[224] Katie Erbland of IndieWire commended its thematic depth, explaining that "Wonder Woman is a war movie. Patty Jenkins' first—and we hope not last—entry into the DC Expanded Universe is primarily set during World War I, but while the feature doesn't balk at war-time violence, it's the internal battles of its compelling heroine that are most vital."[225] Alonso Duralde of TheWrap similarly felt that, "Diana's scenes of action are thrilling precisely because they're meant to stop war, not to foment it; the idea of a demi-god using love to fight war might sound goofy in the abstract, but Jenkins makes the concept work."[226] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post praised Gadot and Pine's performances as well the film's detailed plot and narrative while comparing of some slow-motion action sequences to The Matrix.[227] Stephanie Zacharek of Time magazine hailed the film as a "cut above nearly all the superhero movies that have been trotted out over the past few summers" while praising Gadot's performance as "charming" and "marvelous" and commending Jenkins' direction of the film as a step forward for women directors in directing big-budget blockbuster films in Hollywood.[228]

text: Elise Jost of Moviepilot observed that "Gadot's take on Wonder Woman is one of those unique cases of an actor merging with their story, similar to Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, and Wonder Woman is Gal Gadot."[211] Jost praised Gadot's interpretation of Wonder Woman as the one in which Gadot "absolutely nails the character's unwaveringly positive outlook on life. She's a force of nature who believes in the greater good; her conviction that she's meant to save the world is stronger than her bullet-deflecting shield. She's genuine, she's fun, she's the warm source of energy at the heart of the movie."[211] The Federalist suggests that Wonder Woman is "a story of Jesus". "The movie is wrapped up in faux Greek mythology, true, but there's no mistaking the Christology here."[229] "Perhaps Christ in the form of a beautiful and kick-ass Amazon is all that our contemporary society can handle right now", stated M. Hudson, a Christian feminist.[229] On HuffPost cultural critic, G. Roger Denson, who regards the superhero genre as a source of contemporary "Mainstream Mythopoetics" ("the making of new yet vitally meaningful, if not symbolic, stories filled with imagery reflecting, yet also shaping and advancing, the political, legal, moral and social practices of today"), wrote that the "No Man's Land" scene "that people are crying over in theaters and raving about afterward happens to be among the most powerfully mythopoetic scenes ever filmed at the same time it is one of the oldest myths to have been utilized by artists and writers after it had been invented by early military strategists and leaders." Specifically "used by director Patty Jenkins", the scene raises "the esteem for powerful yet compassionate women as heroes and leaders to a level equal with that of men for having won over a huge and adoring popular audience around the world".[230]

text: Steve Rose in The Guardian criticized the film for failing to explore the material's potential for "patriarchy-upending subversion".[231] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone criticized the film's over-reliance on exposition: "Wonder Woman is hobbled by a slogging origin story and action that only comes in fits and starts. Just when Gadot and director Patty Jenkins…are ready to kick ass, we get backstory."[232]

text: "Gas was intended to win the war. On that much Wonder Woman is absolutely right." said David Hambling in Popular Mechanics.[233] Rachel Becker of The Verge stated that despite the scientific liberties of using a "hydrogen-based" chemical weapon as a plot device, the film succeeds in evoking real and horrifying history. "First off, mustard gas is such a horrible, terrifying weapon, it doesn't need to be made more potent. But if you were a chemist bent on raining destruction on the Allied forces, you wouldn't do it by replacing the sulfur atom in mustard gas with a hydrogen atom. You'd know that sulfur is the linchpin holding together this poisonous molecule."[234]

text: Feminist debate[edit]

text: Wonder Woman has been the subject of a discussion regarding the appearance and representation of female power in general, and of female action heroes in particular[235] since her initial 1941 appearance in Sensation Comics,[235] as she was created to document "the growth in the power of women", while wearing "a golden tiara, a red bustier, blue underpants and knee-high, red leather boots."[236] She was blacklisted a year later in 1942 in the "Publications Disapproved for Youth" because, the group behind the list argued, she was "not sufficiently dressed".[236][237]

text: A few decades later, Second-wave feminist Gloria Steinem's[238] Ms. Magazine debuted in 1972 with an image of Wonder Woman on the cover. Historian Tim Hanley suggested that this move shifted "the focus away from female superiority to sisterhood and equality, essentially making her a mascot of the women's movement".[235][239][240] This perception shifted over the years, however, as demonstrated in December 2016 when the United Nations decided to drop the title of "honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls" which it had given to the comic book character Wonder Woman a few months before, in a ceremony attended by the actors who had portrayed her (Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot).[241] The title was dropped in response to a petition signed by 44,000 people which argued that Wonder Woman undermines female empowerment due to her costume, described as a “shimmery, thigh-baring bodysuit with an American flag motif and knee-high boots”. The petition stated that "it is alarming that the United Nations would consider using a character with an overtly sexualised image at a time when the headline news in United States and the world is the objectification of women and girls".[242][243][239] Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins responded to both the petition and to the U.N.'s decision by stating that she thinks "that that's sexist. I think it's sexist to say you can't have both. I have to ask myself what I would apply to any other superhero".[244]

text: The debate continued with the release of Jenkins' 2017 film, Wonder Woman, which according to the BBC had "some thinking it's too feminist and others thinking it's not feminist enough".[245][246][247][248][249] Kyle Killian found an inherent contradiction in the construction of Wonder Woman as "a warrior" whom, she states, is also highly sexualized. Killian thus suggests that these elements "should not be the focus of a kickass heroine—her beauty, bone structure, and sexiness—if she is to be a feminist icon".[250] Theresa Harold concurred, comparing Wonder Woman to Katniss Everdeen (of The Hunger Games), who "didn't have to wear a teenager's wet dream of a costume to fight in".[251] Christina Cauterucci also felt that Wonder Woman's ability to be considered a "feminist antidote" was undermined by her "sex appeal".[252]

text: Jenkins disagrees with this line of critique, however. She has stated that she was raised by a Second wave "feminist mother",[253][254] who taught her to be "both super aware that there had been sexism but also: 'Congratulations – thank you, now I get to do whatever I want, Mom!'"[253] Jenkins thus notes that it is this upbringing which has led her to question a feminist critique of Wonder Woman’s costume.[255] When she was working on her own version of Wonder Woman's "Gladiator" re-design of the outfit (in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)[256] Jenkins decided that Wonder Woman (as well as the other Amazons) "shouldn't be dressed in armor like men [...] It should be different [...] I, as a woman, want Wonder Woman to be hot as hell, fight badass, and look great at the same time – the same way men want Superman to have huge pecs and an impractically big body."[15] Jenkins also notes that she is "frustrated" by the critique of Wonder Woman's appearance, stating "when people get super critical about her outfit, who's the one getting crazy about what a woman wears? That's who she is; that's Wonder Woman."[254]

text: Critics such as Valerie Estelle Frankel support Jenkins' vision. Frankel argues that the film subverts the male gaze,[255] stating that the construction of Wonder Woman tends to shift every few decades as it reflects the state of feminism during different time periods, including Third-wave feminism (which reflects Jenkins' approach).[255][257][258] Zoe Williams offers a similar argument stating that while Wonder Woman "is sort of naked a lot of the time" it isn't, at the same time, "objectification so much as a cultural reset: having thighs, actual thighs you can kick things with, not thighs that look like arms, is a feminist act".[259] Williams then juxtaposes Wonder Woman to past female action heroes such as Sarah Connor, Ellen Ripley, and Lara Croft, whom she suggests were all constructed for the male gaze, in which a "female warrior becomes a sex object", (a point which she argues that Jenkins directly references in the film).[259] Gloria Steinem thought that the film "was very good" as it made Wonder Woman's "Amazon origin story clear; she was stopping war, not perpetuating it." Steinem also noted that she knew "some women were disappointed by all the makeup, but I may be desperate—I was just happy that the Amazons had wild hair!" Her only complaint lay in the choice to eliminate the World War II setting as the Wonder Woman comic book developed in response to existing comics that were "so sadistic and racist that there was a congressional hearing on the subject".[260] Gal Gadot concurs with Jenkins, arguing that the character "is a feminist"[261] as "feminism is about equality and choice and freedom. And the writers, Patty and myself all figured that the best way to show that is to show Diana as having no awareness of social roles. She has no gender boundaries. To her, everyone is equal."[262] In contrast, other critics refer to Jenkins' vision of Wonder Woman as "an implausible post-feminist hero".[237][263]

text: American director James Cameron continued this debate through his critique of the representation of female power in Jenkins' film. In an August 2017 interview with The Guardian, Cameron qualifies Jenkins' vision of Wonder Woman as "an objectified icon" and called the film "a step backwards". In contrast, he states, his character Sarah Connor (from his Terminator films) "was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit."[264] Jenkins stated in response that Cameron's "inability to understand what 'Wonder Woman' is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman". She further argued "there is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman" because "if women have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong, and we aren't free to be multidimensional or celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we haven't come very far have we."[265] Reaction to this debate was mixed. Julie Miller sided with Cameron whom she states refers to himself as "a pretty hardcore feminist" and who told Vulture that "I have no problem writing a script in which the males become subservient to the females, which is what happens in Aliens [...] It's up to Ripley to win the day." In contrast, Miller argues that Jenkins and Gadot envisioned Wonder Woman as "a woman who exuded both femininity and strength, along with genuine confusion as to why men would treat women differently than they do other men".[266] Susannah Breslin also agreed with Cameron, describing Jenkins' Wonder Woman as "a Playmate with a lasso" and "female power with no balls".[267] Others were more critical of Cameron's critique.[268] An article in Newsweek suggested that Cameron's films include "lot of objectification", and included quotes from Hollywood celebrities such as Jesse McLaren who commented that "James Cameron's just confused there's a female hero whose motivations aren't centered around motherhood."[269] Noah Berlatsky found areas of agreement between both Cameron and Jenkins, stating that while Cameron's objection is "an old point that's been made over and over for decades", Jenkins film isn't "solely focused on objectifying Gal Gadot for a male audience".[270]

text: A few weeks later in September, Cameron reiterated his criticism in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. He compared Gal Gadot's representation of the character to Raquel Welch films of the 1960s,[271] and reinforced a comparison with Linda Hamilton's portrayal of Sarah Connor. He argued that Connor was "if not ahead of its time, at least a breakthrough in its time" because though she "looked great", she "wasn't treated as a sex object".[271] He also stated that he while he "applaud[s] Patty directing the film and Hollywood, uh, 'letting' a woman direct a major action franchise, I didn't think there was anything groundbreaking in Wonder Woman. I thought it was a good film. Period."[271] Former Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter responded to Cameron's Hollywood Reporter interview by asking him to "Stop dissing WW." Like Jenkins, she suggests that while Cameron does "not understand the character" she does. She also refers to Cameron's critiques as "thuggish jabs at a brilliant director" that "are ill advised" as the "movie was spot on". Carter also states that she has the authority to make these observations because she has "embodied this character for more than 40 years".[272][273][274] A month later, Jenkins responded to Cameron's comments once again in an interview with Variety, stating that she "was not upset at all" as "everybody is entitled to their own opinion. But if you're going to debate something in a public way, I have to reply that I think it's incorrect."[275] Tricia Ennis was also critical of Cameron's statements, arguing that "while he may consider himself a feminist and an ally to women, [he] is not very good at it" as being an ally means using his position of privilege "without silencing the voices of those you're trying to help". She also states that it "is not enough to simply call yourself a feminist. It's not even enough to create a strong female character [...] You have to bring women to the table. You have to let them speak. You cannot speak for them. But speaking for women is exactly what Cameron is doing through his comments [...] Cameron is using his position of power as a respected producer and director to silence women."[276]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award
Date of ceremony
Category
Recipient(s) and nominee(s)
Result
Ref.

IndieWire Critic's Poll
December 19, 2016
Most Anticipated of 2017
Wonder Woman
Nominated
[277]

Golden Trailer Awards
June 6, 2017
Best of Show
Won
[278]
[279]

Best Fantasy / Adventure

Best Summer 2017 Blockbuster Poster

Teen Choice Awards
August 13, 2017
Choice Action Movie
[280]
[281]
[282]

Choice Action Movie Actor
Chris Pine

Choice Action Movie Actress
Gal Gadot

Choice Movie Ship
Gal Gadot & Chris Pine
Nominated

Choice Liplock
Chris Pine & Gal Gadot

Choice Summer Movie
Wonder Woman

Choice Summer Movie Actor
Chris Pine

Choice Summer Movie Actress
Gal Gadot

Dragon Awards
September 3, 2017
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie
Wonder Woman
Won
[283]

text: Sequel[edit]

text: Originally signed for three feature films, with Wonder Woman and Justice League being her second and third films, Gadot signed an extension to her contract for additional films.[284] Jenkins initially signed for only one film,[285] but in an interview with Variety, Geoff Johns revealed that he and Jenkins are writing the treatment for a Wonder Woman sequel and that he has a "cool idea for the second one". At the 2017 San Diego Comic Con, Warner Bros. officially announced a sequel would be released on December 13, 2019, and would be titled Wonder Woman 2.[9][286][287] Later, Jenkins was officially signed to return as director, with confirmation that Gadot will be returning as the titular role.[288] On August 19, 2017, actress Geena Davis stated that she would like very much to play a role in Wonder Woman 2 and that she is in talks with Jenkins about that matter.[289] Days later, the studio hired Dave Callaham to co-write the film's script with Jenkins and Johns.[290]

text: Notes[edit]

text: Jump up ^ This is by an adjusted Tomatometer with at least 20 reviews each that, uses a weighted Bayesian based formula to account for the differences in ratings.


document_title: Rent-A-Center

question_text: where does rent a center get their furniture

root

text: Rent-A-Center

text: History[edit]

text: The rent-to-own business was started by Ernie Talley in Wichita, Kansas during the 1960s when he told customers of his store, Mr. T’s Rental, that they had rented a washer and dryer for a long enough duration that they had paid for it in full and now owned it.[12] Thomas Devlin, a former employee of Mr. T’s rental, recognized the potential of renting name-brand products and partnered with W. Frank Barton and founded the Rent-A-Center brand in Wichita, Kansas in 1973.[13][14]

tag: p

text: Mark Speese joined Rent-A-Center in 1979. In 1986, Mr. Speese and a colleague left Rent-A-Center and started a competing business known as Vista Rent-To-Own.[15][16] Ernest Talley then joined Vista Rent-To-Own as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1989 and remained Chairman through Vista’s transition to Rent-A-Center.[17] In 2001, Talley retired and Speese was appointed as Rent-A-Center’s Chairman and CEO.[18] Vista Rent-To-Own changed its name to Renters Choice, Inc. in December 1993, in connection with the acquisition from DEF Investments, Inc. and certain related entities of an 84 store rent-to-own chain operating in 12 states.[19] Mark Speese retired as Rent-A-Center CEO at the end of January 2014. He continues to hold his position as Chairman of the Board, and Rent-A-Center CFO Robert Davis now serves as CEO.[20] Michael S. Wilding, Rent-A-Center’s current Senior Vice President – Accounting and Global Controller, will serve as Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective February 1, 2014.

text: Renters Choice went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 1995 under the symbol “RCII.”[21][22] In August 1998, Renters Choice acquired Thorn Americas, Inc., which operated 1,474 stores in 49 states and the District of Columbia under the name “Rent-A-Center.” On 31 December 1998, Renters Choice changed its name to Rent-A-Center, Inc. and began operating all of its stores under the “Rent-A-Center” brand name.[23]

text: In February 2003, Rent-A-Center acquired 295 stores from Rent-Way, Inc.[24] In March 2004, Rent-A-Center commenced operating in Canada with the acquisition of five stores located in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta.[25] Later that year in May 2004, Rent-A-Center completed the acquisitions of Rainbow Rentals, Inc. and Rent Rite, Inc.[26] Rent-A-Center completed its acquisition of competitor Rent-Way, Inc. on 15 November 2006, for a price of approximately $600.3 million. At the time of the acquisition, Rent-Way was ranked number three in the rent-to-own industry with 782 stores in 34 states.[27] The Rent-Way store acquisition program brought the store total to 3,535 stores. Given that the acquisition resulted in over-penetration in some markets, Rent-A-Center carried out the closing or merging of 282 stores between 2007 and 2009.[28] With 176 Mexico stores as of September 2014, Rent-A-Center is continuing its expansion in Mexico.[7]

text: Business operations[edit]

text: RAC provides new and used brand-named furniture, appliances, computers and electronics from brands, such as Ashley Furniture, Sony, Toshiba, Whirlpool Corporation, Dell and HP.[4] As part of their rent-to-own business model, Rent-A-Center generally makes its items available with no down payments or long term obligations. Customers can return an item at any time, for any reason, without penalty and also have the option to re-rent the same item and pick up the payments where they left off. Delivery, pick-up, service and repair are also included in the stated rental price. Customers can also upgrade items while they are renting—the payments will change accordingly.

text: In March 2007, the corporate office moved to a new location at 5501 Headquarters Drive, Plano, Texas, in the Legacy Business Park. Construction began on the 175,000-square-foot (16,300 m2) building in January 2006. Employees moved into the building on 16 March 2007. The current headquarters measures three stories and includes structured parking for 400 vehicles, a fitness center, and lunchroom.[29]

text: In July 2015, Rent A Centre sells several Ontario Locations to EasyHome Financial for price for 3.4 Million dollars, with this agreement, Rent A Centre & Easyhome signed a 3-year agreement for non-compete contract that each company cannot open any stores in each other countries.[30]

text: Philanthropy[edit]

text: Beginning in 2003, the company has made donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, collected by means of fund raisers held on an annual basis in Rent-A-Center stores. Between 2005 and 2010, Rent-A-Center donated and set up 116 “RAC Rooms” at Boys and Girls Clubs of America locations, in which each club selects $5,000 worth of new furniture, electronics and computers for their room.[31] Rent-A-Center also contributed to Boys and Girls Clubs of America with four tech centers in 2014.[32] Rent-A-Center has annually allocated $60,000 worth of scholarships to customers and the children of customers and coworkers. Through the Random Acts of Caring initiative, which was launched in 2008, RAC has donated merchandise and funding to charitable organizations located in communities where Rent-A-Center maintains retail locations.[33] 98 Random Acts of Caring have taken place since 2008, totaling $531,300 in contributions. Since 2007, the company has contributed over $600,000 in grants to Junior Achievement and, in addition, Rent-A-Center employees volunteer annually to teach financial literacy. Rent-A-Center has provided monetary and product contributions totaling nearly $600,000 to date to the North Texas Food Bank.[34][35][36] Since 2009, Rent-A-Center has donated more than 1.25 million dollars to 11 food banks across the country. This is in addition to the grassroots hunger-relief campaign staged across Rent-A-Center’s 3,000-plus U.S. stores throughout the month of September. Dubbed “Soup to Nuts” and in support of Hunger Action Month, this virtual food drive leverages Rent-A-Center’s stores as collection points for cash donations. The donated funds are distributed to food banks across the country at the conclusion of the month-long campaign.[37] An initiative begun in 2010 is Rent-A-Center’s "Operation: Just Like Home," in which merchandise with a wholesale value of $175,000 is delivered to select installations across four military service branches, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Contributions have been allocated to Family & Morale Welfare and Recreation operations that provide community and family services, such as the Soldier and Family Assistance Centers that in turn serve wounded, ill and injured soldiers and their families.[38] In 2014, Rent-A-Center shifted its support of the military through the backing of important military-related nonprofit organizations, including Blue Star Families, Air Force Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, and the Navy $ Marine Corps Relief Society.[39]

text: Reception and litigation[edit]

text: A number of consumer protection concerns have been raised about the rent-to-own industry, including accusations of predatory lending.[40] Consumer advocates believe that rent-to-own transactions such as those offered by Rent-A-Center should be treated as credit sales, and point out that the price of a product can be two or three times the retail price. In an April 2000 Federal Trade Commission study on the industry, 75% of respondents stated that they were satisfied with their rent-to-own experience, whereas 19% were dissatisfied.[41]

text: In 2000, Rent-A-Center was sued for sexual bias in the hiring of women. The 2002 settlement agreement resulted in a $47 million cash payment by Rent-A-Center and mandated that Rent-A-Center offer 10% of future vacancies over the following 15-month period to women who were found to be past victims of discrimination. The settlement also led Rent-A-Center to seek qualified women to serve on its Board of Directors, develop equal employment training programs, and hire a new human resources vice president to implement hiring policies that ensured equal employment opportunity for female job applicants and current employees.[42][43]

text: In 2006, Rent-A-Center settled for $7 million in restitution and $750,000 in civil penalties for deceptive business practices in California. The State of California claimed RAC, in violation of state law, engaged in unfair competition and illegally misrepresented the price of certain merchandise. As a result of the settlement, RAC also deposited more than $7 million into a special consumer protection fund that is used to enforce consumer protection laws.[44]

text: In 2010, seven months after the Washington Attorney General’s Office sued Rent-a-Center and accused the national lease-to-own chain of unfair and deceptive collection practices under Washington’s Consumer Protection Act, Rent-A-Center agreed to settle.[45]

text: Another prominent case in 2010 included Rent-A-Center vs. Jackson which arose out of an employment discrimination claim brought on by former RAC employee Antonio Jackson. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which sided with RAC in a 5-4 decision. The court held that if a company's arbitration agreement includes a clause delegating fairness challenges to the arbitrator, a court must enforce that agreement and send the matter to arbitration. When Jackson first sued, Rent-A-Center cited its arbitration agreement and claimed that any challenges to the agreement had to be decided by the arbitrator.[46]

text: Other names[edit]

text: The Rent-A-Center company converted its Wisconsin stores to Get-It-Now! credit sale outlets after a judicial decision held that the state’s consumer protection laws defining credit sales included rent-to-own businesses.[47][48] Rent-A-Center is also known as Acceptance Now within its partner stores in the US in which it has kiosks. Rent-A-Center also goes by Home Choice in Minnesota, by Rent-A-Centre in Canada and by Rent-A-Center in Mexico.


document_title: Let There Be Light (2017 film)

question_text: who sings let there be light in the movie let there be light

text: Let There Be Light (2017 film)

text: Plot summary[edit]

text: Outspoken atheist Dr. Sol Harkens is having a debate with a Christian leader. After Harkens is considered to have won the debate, he attends a party for his book. He double fists cocktails while trying to get his girlfriend to come home with him that night; she refuses. Disappointed, Harkens heads home in a drunken haze to sleep it off. On the way home, his publicist calls him to arrange more parties to increase his exposure. Since he was already drunk after leaving his party and continues to drink on the way home, he veers off and crashes into a construction site.

text: Suddenly surrounded by a carnival-like light tunnel, he sees hallucinations of his young son David, who died a few years prior from cancer. His son enthusiastically claims that he is alright and he should let God's love fill him, proclaiming "Let there be light!" as Dr. Harkens comes out of unconsciousness. After being clinically dead for 4 minutes, he awakens to find his Christian ex-wife at his side, and tells her that he saw their son. His doctor diagnoses his visions as merely adrenal brain surges that are caused in times of trauma.

text: Harkens continues to struggle with his crisis of science versus faith. After his ex-wife shows up at his house to check on him, he decides to go and talk to pastor and former mob member Vinny at a church. After hearing the resurrection story, he has an epiphany and is baptized again as a believing Christian. After multiple visits from his ex-wife, he decides to rekindle their relationship for each other so they can be a family again with their two surviving sons. Shortly after proposing again and accepting, his soon-to-be-again wife Katy comes down with cancer, which is past the point of treatment.

text: Fox News' Sean Hannity hears of Dr. Harkens' story and asks him to come onto his program because he considers his story of great merit. Harkens announces a campaign of world peace called the "Let there be light" campaign. He believes that if anyone in the world shines their lights to the sky at night that it could be a bolster to world unity. During the night of the event the simultaneous action of the world shining their light to the heavens is visible from space. Meanwhile back home, the newly remarried Harkens are having a night of family time singing Christmas songs outside. The dying and weakened Mrs. Harkens suddenly dies in Dr. Harkens' arms.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Kevin Sorbo as Dr. Sol Harkens
Sam Sorbo as Katy Harkens
Daniel Roebuck as Norm
Donielle Artese as Tracee
Gary Grubbs as Dr. Fornier
Travis Tritt as Dr. Corey
Joe Herrera as Dr. Shell
Leander Suleiman as Dr. Patel
Walnette Marie Santiago as Cat Ryerson
Olivia Fox as Vanessa
Dionne Warwick as Herself
Mona Amein as Sally
Sherri Eakin as Waitress
Michael Franzese as Pastor Vinny
Sean Hannity as Himself

tag: ul

text: Release[edit]

text: The film was released in the United States on October 27, 2017. Over its opening weekend the film made $1.9 million from 373 theaters (a per-theater average of $5,071), finishing 11th at the box office.[6] In its second weekend the film was added to 269 theaters and dropped just 1.9% to $1.7 million, finishing 10th at the box office.[7]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 50% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10.[8]


document_title: PJ Masks

question_text: who plays the voice of night ninja in pj masks

text: PJ Masks

text: Plot[edit]

text: Connor, Amaya, and Greg are three friends who attend school. When night falls, they become the superhero team PJ Masks in order to fight bad guys such as Romeo, Luna Girl, and Night Ninja.

text: Characters[edit]

text: Heroes[edit]

text:
Connor / Catboy (voiced by Jacob Ewaniuk in Season 1, and Jacob Ursomarzo in Season 2) - A blue-eyed boy with brown hair. When he transforms he wears a blue cat costume with cat ears and a thin feline tail. He is the leader of the group.[5] He has super-hearing using Cat Ears, can leap high and far using Super Cat Jump, and sprints fast using Super Cat Speed,[6] or just Super Speed.[7] When on a mission, he sometimes likes to narrate his actions. His main flaws are his impulsiveness and his need to control, flaws which can be exploited by the team's opponents. His vehicle is the Cat Car located in the middle segment of the PJ Masks' tower. His bedroom is on the second floor of a blue-roofed blue-doored house next to Amaya's.
Amaya / Owlette (voiced by Addison Holley) - An auburn-eyed girl with brown hair who wears red glasses. When she transforms, she wears a red costume with wings. She has owl eyes which lets her see things that are far away up close, and she also has super owl wing wind. Her vehicle is the Owl-Glider, which can also do a "Super Owl Wing Wind". She is housed in her top segment of the PJ Masks' tower. Her bedroom is on the third floor of a red-roofed red-doored home with a walled-in yard between Connor and Greg's houses.
Greg / Gekko (voiced by Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) -A green-eyed, blonde haired boy.[8] When he transforms he wears a green costume with a thick reptilian tail, fins on top of his head. His powers are, Super Gekko Camouflage to go invisible or blend into his surroundings, Super Gekko Muscles (aka Super Muscles[7]) to lift heavy things, Super Lizard Grip to climb walls or anchor himself to stop vehicles, and Super Lizard Water Run to walk on water[6]. He has exhibited enough strength to lift a mobile laboratory off the ground. His vehicle is the Gekko-Mobile, which is also a submersible vehicle which can travel underwater and also ride up & over buildings via land on tank treads which is slower than the Cat-Car. His vehicle is located in the bottom segment of the PJ Masks tower. The vehicle has abilities similar to him, with a "Gekko-Mobile Camouflage" letting it blend in with surroundings. His bedroom is on the second floor of a green-roofed green-doored house next to Amaya's.
PJ Robot - A robot that Romeo created to infiltrate the PJ masks HQ. However, PJ robot decided to be a PJ Mask rather than a villain's sidekick. He joined the PJ Masks Team in season 2.
Armadylan (voiced by Max Calinescu) - An armadillo like-boy who wants to a hero but his being inexperienced causes him to mess up. He joined the PJ Masks in "Meet Armadylan". His powers are Earthquake to shake the ground, super strength to lift any heavy objects, like Gekko, Roll himself up into a ball to attack his opponents and he can also dig underground to go underneath the ground.

text: Villains[edit]

text:
Romeo (voiced by Alex Thorne in the series, Carter Thorne in the short films) - The main villain in the series. He is a mad scientist who comes up with a variety of devices from his mobile lab. His favorite inventions (as said in "Owlette's New Move") are his Robot, his La-Boggin, his Track-A-Whacker, and Radical Romeo Remote. He once took over the city in "Gekko and the Mayhem at the Museum".
Luna Girl (voiced by Brianna Daguanno) - The secondary villain with a Luna Magnet device. This once included a giant Moon-Ball, which could steal objects and swallow her enemies. She once teamed with her all time enemies while defeating Romeo in "Gekko and the Mighty Moon Problem".
Night Ninja (voiced by Trek Buccino in Season 1, Devan Cohen in the short films and Season 2) - A ninja who is the tertiary villain. He and Romeo once teamed up in "Catboy and the Shrinker".
Ninjalinos - The minions of Night Ninja.
Wolfy Kids / Howler, Rip, and Kevin (voiced by Ethan Pugiotto) - The quaternary villains. They are the new kids that turn to werewolves when the full moon is out.

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Cameron (voiced by Tristan Samuel in Season 1 and Jonah Wineberg in Season 2) - A boy in the same class as PJ Masks when they attend school during the day as civilians. He once scared Amaya with a T-Rex cutout the same way Connor did earlier in "Owlette's Terrible Pterodactyl Trouble", but Connor learned his lesson and tells Cameron not to do it. In "Catboy's Cuddly", he was revealed to have a sister, who attends the same school.
Teacher (voiced by Rob Tinkler) - An unnamed adult male who teaches Connor, Greg, and Amaya's class. When things disappear, he thinks it's strange.
Jayden Houston - A popular singer that is known for his golden microphone. His microphone was stolen by Luna Girl in "Catboy's Tricky Ticket", but was later recovered by the PJ Masks.
Master Fang - The protagonist of his own comic book and TV series. He is largely looked up to by Greg and Connor, but Amaya doesn't seem to care about him much. He is known for his signature sword which was stolen by Night Ninja in "Catboy and Master Fang's Sword".
Kick McGee - Master Fang's unseen sidekick. His persona is often used by during missions.
Flossy Flash - A female comic book superhero that is looked up to by Owlette. Owlette prefers her over Master Fang and Kick McGee who are favored by Catboy and Gekko.
The Announcer (voiced by Ron Pardo) - A male voice that is heard in every episode. He is never seen, but is known for saying his signature introduction sequence.
Robette - One of Romeo’s inventions. It began to try to take over the world herself in "Catboy and Gekko's Robot Rampage". This was due to a loose screw and was later resolved. During the episode, Romeo's original robot became jealous of Robette, which resulted in the robot running away. This was also later resolved and Romeo became friends with Robot again. She returned again in Season 2.

text: Episodes[edit]

text: SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally airedFirst airedLast aired15226September 18, 2015 (2015-09-18)February 17, 2017 (2017-02-17)Shorts–20July 31, 2017 (2017-07-31)December 1, 2017 (2017-12-01)252[9]TBAJanuary 15, 2018 (2018-01-15)TBA

tag: table

text: Production[edit]

text: PJ Masks is a British/French coproduction by Entertainment One, Frog Box, and TeamTO.[10] The series was renewed for a second season consisting of 52 11-minute segments in June 2016;[4] the second season premiered on January 15, 2018. On January 22, 2018, a third season was announced. It is set to be released in June 2019. [11]


document_title: List of Dallas Mavericks seasons

question_text: when was the last time the mavericks missed the playoffs

text: List of Dallas Mavericks seasons

text: Table key[edit]

text:
COY
Coach of the Year

Finish
Final position in league or division standings

GB
Games behind first-place team in division[a]

Italics
Season in progress

Losses
Number of regular season losses

FMVP
Finals Most Valuable Player

MVP
Most Valuable Player

ROY
Rookie of the Year

SMOY
Sixth Man of the Year

SPOR
Sportmanship Award

Wins
Number of regular season wins

text: Seasons[edit]

text: Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2017–18 season.

text:
NBA Champions
Conference Champions
Division Champions
Playoff berth

text:
Season
League
Conference
Finish
Division
Finish
Wins
Losses
Win%
GB
Playoffs
Awards
Ref.

1980–81
NBA
Western
12th
Midwest
6th
15
67
.183
37
—
—
[2]

1981–82
NBA
Western
10th
Midwest
5th
28
54
.341
20
—
—
[3]

1982–83
NBA
Western
8th
Midwest
4th
38
44
.463
15
—
—
[4]

1983–84
NBA
Western
4th
Midwest
2nd
43
39
.524
2
Won First Round (SuperSonics) 3–2
Lost Conference Semifinals (Lakers) 4–1
—
[5]

1984–85
NBA
Western
4th
Midwest
3rd
44
38
.537
8
Lost First Round (Trail Blazers) 3–1
—
[6]

1985–86
NBA
Western
4th
Midwest
3rd
44
38
.537
7
Won First Round (Jazz) 3–1
Lost Conference Semifinals (Lakers) 4–2
—
[7]

1986–87
NBA
Western
2nd
Midwest
1st
55
27
.671
—
Lost First Round (SuperSonics) 3–1
—
[8]

1987–88
NBA
Western
3rd
Midwest
2nd
53
29
.646
1
Won First Round (Rockets) 3–1
Won Conference Semifinals (Nuggets) 4–2
Lost Conference Finals (Lakers) 4–3
Roy Tarpley (SIX)
[9]

1988–89
NBA
Western
9th
Midwest
4th
38
44
.463
13
—
—
[10]

1989–90
NBA
Western
6th
Midwest
3rd
47
35
.573
9
Lost First Round (Trail Blazers) 3–0
—
[11]

1990–91
NBA
Western
12th
Midwest
6th
28
54
.341
27
—
—
[12]

1991–92
NBA
Western
12th
Midwest
5th
22
60
.268
33
—
—
[13]

1992–93
NBA
Western
13th
Midwest
6th
11
71
.134
44
—
—
[14]

1993–94
NBA
Western
13th
Midwest
6th
13
69
.159
45
—
—
[15]

1994–95
NBA
Western
10th
Midwest
5th
36
46
.439
26
—
Jason Kidd (ROY)[b]
[17]

1995–96
NBA
Western
T-12th
Midwest
5th
26
56
.317
33
—
—
[18]

1996–97
NBA
Western
11th
Midwest
4th
24
58
.293
40
—
—
[19]

1997–98
NBA
Western
10th
Midwest
5th
20
62
.244
42
—
—
[20]

1998–99[c]
NBA
Western
11th
Midwest
5th
19
31
.380
18
—
—
[22]

1999–00
NBA
Western
9th
Midwest
4th
40
42
.488
15
—
—
[23]

2000–01
NBA
Western
5th
Midwest
3rd
53
29
.646
5
Won First Round (Jazz) 3–2
Lost Conference Semifinals (Spurs) 4–1
—
[24]

2001–02
NBA
Western
4th
Midwest
2nd
57
25
.695
1
Won First Round (Timberwolves) 3–0
Lost Conference Semifinals (Kings) 4–1
—
[25]

2002–03
NBA
Western
3rd
Midwest
2nd
60
22
.732
—
Won First Round (Trail Blazers) 4–3
Won Conference Semifinals (Kings) 4–3
Lost Conference Finals (Spurs) 4–2
—
[26]

2003–04
NBA
Western
5th
Midwest
3rd
52
30
.634
6
Lost First Round (Kings) 4–1
Antawn Jamison (SIX)
[27]

2004–05
NBA
Western
4th
Southwest
2nd
58
24
.707
1
Won First Round (Rockets) 4–3
Lost Conference Semifinals (Suns) 4–2
—
[28]

2005–06
NBA
Western
4th
Southwest
2nd
60
22
.732
3
Won First Round (Grizzlies) 4–0
Won Conference Semifinals (Spurs) 4–3
Won Conference Finals (Suns) 4–2
Lost NBA Finals (Heat) 4–2
Avery Johnson (COY)
[29]

2006–07
NBA
Western
1st
Southwest
1st
67
15
.817
—
Lost First Round (Warriors) 4–2
Dirk Nowitzki (MVP)
[30]

2007–08
NBA
Western
7th
Southwest
4th
51
31
.622
5
Lost First Round (Hornets) 4–1
—
[31]

2008–09
NBA
Western
6th
Southwest
3rd
50
32
.610
4
Won First Round (Spurs) 4–1
Lost Conference Semifinals (Nuggets) 4–1
Jason Terry (SIX)
[32]

2009–10
NBA
Western
2nd
Southwest
1st
55
27
.671
—
Lost First Round (Spurs) 4–2
—
[33]

2010–11
NBA
Western
3rd
Southwest
2nd
57
25
.695
4
Won First Round (Trail Blazers) 4–2
Won Conference Semifinals (Lakers) 4–0
Won Conference Finals (Thunder) 4–1
Won NBA Finals (Heat) 4–2
Dirk Nowitzki (FMVP)
[34]

2011–12[d]
NBA
Western
7th
Southwest
3rd
36
30
.545
14
Lost First Round (Thunder) 4–0
—
[37]

2012–13
NBA
Western
10th
Southwest
4th
41
41
.500
19
—
—
[38]

2013–14
NBA
Western
8th
Southwest
4th
49
33
.598
13
Lost First Round (Spurs) 4–3
—

2014–15
NBA
Western
7th
Southwest
4th
50
32
.610
6
Lost First Round (Rockets) 4–1
—

2015–16
NBA
Western
6th
Southwest
2nd
42
40
.512
25
Lost First Round (Thunder) 4–1
—

2016–17
NBA
Western
11th
Southwest
5th
33
49
.402
28
—
—

2017–18
NBA
Western
13th
Southwest
4th
24
58
.293
28
—
—

text: All-time records[edit]

text:
Statistic
Wins
Losses
Win%

Regular season record (1980–present)
1,539
1,529
.502

Postseason record (1980–present)
91
105
.464

All-time regular and post-season record (1980–present)
1,630
1,634
.515

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ The formula is as followed:

G
a
m
e
s

b
e
h
i
n
d

=

(

T
e
a
m

A
′

s

w
i
n
s

−

T
e
a
m

B
′

s

w
i
n
s

)
+
(

T
e
a
m

B
′

s

l
o
s
s
e
s

−

T
e
a
m

A
′

s

l
o
s
s
e
s

)

2

{\displaystyle \mathrm {Games} \ \mathrm {behind} ={\frac {(\mathrm {TeamA's} \ \mathrm {wins} -\mathrm {TeamB's} \ \mathrm {wins} )+(\mathrm {TeamB's} \ \mathrm {losses} -\mathrm {TeamA's} \ \mathrm {losses} )}{\mathrm {2} }}}

Jump up ^ Kidd shared Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons.[16]
Jump up ^ Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, and all 29 teams played a shortened 50 game regular season schedule.[21]
Jump up ^ Due to a lockout, the season did not start until December 25, 2011 and all 30 teams played a shortened 66-game regular season schedule.[35][36]

tag: ol


document_title: Handicap International

question_text: where is the headquarter of handicap international situated

text: Handicap International

text:
Handicap International

Founded
1982

Type
Non-governmental organization

Location

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Area served

Worldwide

Employees

3,500 (field staff)

Website
Handicap International

text: Handicap International is an organization which does not depend on any government, created in 1982 to provide help in refugee camps in Cambodia and Thailand. Headquartered in France and Belgium, since its creation, it has opened branches in six other countries : Switzerland, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the United States.

text: It is an organization which is independent of all governments, which aims to help disabled and vulnerable people in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster.[1]

text: More than 3,500 field staff are currently located in more than 60 countries worldwide.[1]

text: Handicap International is one of the 6 founding members of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.[2] Since February 2005, the organization has also been calling for a ban on cluster munitions and conducting research documenting the human impact of these weapons. Handicap International is a founding member of the Cluster Munition Coalition, an international civil society campaign that works to erase the production and storage of all the munition.[3] In February 2006, Belgium became the first country to enact such a ban as a result of Handicap International's public awareness and advocacy efforts.[4] Handicap International has been a vocal advocate of the Convention on Cluster Munitions(CCM), an international treaty banning the use, transfer and stockpile of these weapons adopted on 30 May 2008 in Dublin, Ireland. There are currently 68 states that have ratified the CCM and 43 non-ratifying signatories.[5]

text: Handicap International won the prize of the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, a $1.5 million prize, for its commitment to disabled people living in situations of poverty, exclusion, conflict or natural disasters. It is also a member organization of the International Disability and Development Consortium.

text: History and beginnings[edit]

text: Handicap International was Founded in France in 1982,[6] by Two French doctors to help the ones who suffered because of the landmines in Cambodian refugee camps. The first orthopedic centers were set up in refugee camps in Thailand, Cambodia, Burma and Laos. Simple, locally available equipment was used by Handicap International, enabling immediate, effective and practical aid to the process, and competent local teams to carry on the work. In 1986, Handicap International Belgium was set up, and the organization began to extend its work to other countries.


document_title: Uncle Sam

question_text: who drew the first image of uncle sam

question_tokens: who drew the first image of uncle sam

text: Uncle Sam

text: Earlier personifications[edit]

text: The earliest known personification of the United States was as a woman named Columbia, who first appeared in 1738 (pre-USA) and sometimes was associated with another female personification, Lady Liberty. With the American Revolutionary War came Brother Jonathan, a male personification, and Uncle Sam finally appeared after the War of 1812.[7] Columbia appeared with either Brother Jonathan or Uncle Sam, but her use declined as a national personification in favor of Liberty, and she was effectively abandoned once she became the mascot of Columbia Pictures in the 1920s.

text: According to an article in the 1893 The Lutheran Witness, Uncle Sam was simply another name for Brother Jonathan:

text: When we meet him in politics we call him Uncle Sam; when we meet him in society we call him Brother Jonathan. Here of late Uncle Sam alias Brother Jonathan has been doing a powerful lot of complaining, hardly doing anything else. [sic][8]

text: A March 24, 1810 journal entry by Isaac Mayo states:

text: weighed anchor stood down the harbour, passed Sandy Hook, where there are two light-houses, and put to sea, first and second day out most deadly seasick, oh could I have got on shore in the hight [sic] of it, I swear that uncle Sam, as they call him, would certainly forever have lost the services of at least one sailor.[9]

text: Evolution[edit]

text: The precise origin of the Uncle Sam character is unclear, but a popular legend is that the name "Uncle Sam" was derived from Samuel Wilson, a meatpacker from Troy, New York who supplied rations for American soldiers during the War of 1812. There was a requirement at the time for contractors to stamp their name and where the rations came from onto the food they were sending. Wilson's packages were labeled "E.A – US." When someone asked what that stood for, a co-worker jokingly said, "Elbert Anderson [the contractor] and Uncle Sam," referring to Wilson, though the "US" actually stood for United States.[10] Doubts have been raised as to the authenticity of this story, as the claim did not appear in print until 1842.[11] Additionally, the earliest known mention definitely referring to the metaphorical Uncle Sam is from 1810, predating Wilson's contract with the government.[9] As early as 1835, Brother Jonathan made a reference to Uncle Sam, implying that they symbolized different things: Brother Jonathan was the country itself, while Uncle Sam was the government and its power.[12]

text: By the 1850s, the names Brother Jonathan and Uncle Sam were being used nearly interchangeably, to the point that images of what had previously been called "Brother Jonathan" were being called "Uncle Sam". Similarly, the appearance of both personifications varied wildly. For example, one depiction of Uncle Sam in 1860 showed him looking like Benjamin Franklin,[13] while a contemporaneous depiction of Brother Jonathan[14] looks more like the modern version of Uncle Sam, though without a goatee.

text: Uncle Sam did not get a standard appearance, even with the effective abandonment of Brother Jonathan near the end of the American Civil War, until the well-known "recruitment" image of Uncle Sam was first created by James Montgomery Flagg during World War I. The image was inspired by a British recruitment poster showing Lord Kitchener in a similar pose. It is this image more than any other that has influenced the modern appearance of Uncle Sam: an elderly white man with white hair and a goatee, wearing a white top hat with white stars on a blue band, a blue tail coat, and red-and-white-striped trousers.

text: Flagg's depiction of Uncle Sam was shown publicly for the first time, according to some, on the cover of the magazine Leslie's Weekly on July 6, 1916, with the caption "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?"[1][15] More than four million copies of this image were printed between 1917 and 1918. Flagg's image was also used extensively during World War II, during which the U.S. was codenamed "Samland" by the German intelligence agency Abwehr.[16] The term was central in the song "The Yankee Doodle Boy", which was featured in 1942 in the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy.

text: There are two memorials to Uncle Sam, both of which commemorate the life of Samuel Wilson: the Uncle Sam Memorial Statue in Arlington, Massachusetts, his birthplace; and a memorial near his long-term residence in Riverfront Park, Troy, New York. Wilson's boyhood home can still be visited in Mason, New Hampshire. Samuel Wilson died on July 31, 1854, aged 87, and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, New York.

text: In 1989, "Uncle Sam Day" became official. A Congressional joint resolution[17] designated September 13, 1989 as "Uncle Sam Day", the birthday of Samuel Wilson. In 2015, the family history company MyHeritage researched Uncle Sam's family tree and claims to have tracked down his living relatives.[18][19]