document_title: Santa Claus: The Movie

question_text: who plays santa claus in santa claus the movie

text: Santa Claus: The Movie

text: Plot[edit]

text: Sometime in the 14th century, Claus is a woodcarver in his mid-50s who, with his wife Anya, delivers his gifts to the children of local villages. One night, Claus, Anya and their two reindeer, Donner and Blitzen, are caught in a blizzard and succumb to the cold weather. In death, they are transported to the vast "ice mountains, way up at the top of the world." Their expected arrival is heralded with the appearance of several elves, or as Claus's people call them in their legends, the Vendequm, led by the venerable and wise elf named Dooley. Claus and Anya also meet inventive elf Patch, and the more down-to-earth Puffy. Dooley tells Claus it is his destiny to deliver toys to the children of the world every Christmas Eve, which the elves will make in their large workshops. Donner and Blitzen are joined by six other reindeer and fed magic food that allows them to fly. When Christmas Eve comes, Claus is approached by the oldest of elves, the Ancient One, who renames him as "Santa Claus".

text: Centuries pass as the mythology of Santa is created, until the 20th century, where Santa is exhausted by the continuous workload he must do every year due to the world's increasing population. Anya suggests he enlist an assistant, to which Patch and Puffy compete to earn via a competition to produce the most toys in a limited amount of time. Patch uses a machine he has invented, and although he wins, it begins to produce shoddy works without his knowledge (due to putting the machines on a faster speed). During his annual deliveries, Santa befriends a homeless 10-year-old orphan boy named Joe in New York City and takes him for a flight around the skyscrapers of Manhattan in his sleigh. Santa lets Joe take the reins, who flies the sleigh underneath the Brooklyn Bridge much to Santa's horror, who then playfully gets his own back on Joe by having his reindeer perform the "Super Duper Looper", around the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center - an aerial trick that involves them doing a complete 360 degree turn, but Donner always fails due to acrophobia. Santa takes Joe on his deliveries where they meet 9-year-old Cornelia, a wealthy child and also an orphan who fed Joe one previous night.

text: On Christmas Day, Patch's toys begin to fall apart, prompting him to quit his job and let Puffy take over. Traveling to New York, Patch meets B.Z., Cornelia's step-uncle and a scheming executive of a toy company that faces a total shutdown by Congressional investigation due to unsafe products. Believing B.Z.'s toys are popular due to witnessing several toys being removed from a shop window, Patch decides to help B.Z. make better toys, using some of the reindeer feed to create lollipops which can make people fly and giving them to children for free (the latter fact causing B.Z. to sputter and yell, "FOR FREEEEE?!"). Patch also constructs a hovercraft called the Patchmobile to deliver the products like Santa and helps create a new holiday on March 25, which B.Z. deems "Christmas 2". Santa disapproves of Patch's actions (unaware the plan is to make Santa appreciate him again) and feels disheartened about continuing his job if the children of the world do not care anymore. Meanwhile, Patch is disturbed when B.Z. plans to turn himself into the face of Christmas, and asks Patch to develop candy canes which enable flight.

text: While Patch works at night, B.Z.'s assistant, Dr. Eric Towzer, appears at his house and reveals the candy canes will explode if exposed to heat. B.Z. proposes they flee to Brazil and let Patch take the fall for their criminal neglect, which Towzer eventually approves of, despite initially urging B.Z. to reconsider his actions as children are involved. Joe and Cornelia eavesdrop on the conversation, but Joe is caught and locked up in the basement of B.Z.'s factory. Patch finds Joe and discovers Santa made a carving for Joe that resembles him (which was unintentional, but pointed out by Anya). Thrilled that Santa remembers him, Patch and Joe set off in the Patchmobile to the North Pole. Cornelia sends a letter to Santa informing him of the situation. Despite Comet and Cupid having the Flu, Santa gathers up the other six reindeer and he arrives to pick Cornelia up. Santa and Cornelia pursue the Patchmobile, which is carrying a huge supply of candy canes on the verge of exploding. Santa convinces his reindeer to perform the Super Duper Looper in order to catch Patch and Joe as the Patchmobile explodes. Meanwhile, B.Z.'s crimes are uncovered when Cornelia calls the police. As Dr. Towzer and B.Z.'s chauffeur, Grizzard, are arrested, B.Z. attempts to evade the cops by eating several candy canes and tries to fly out of his office window only to fly up into the sky.

text: The film ends with the inhabitants of the North Pole celebrating the triumph with a joyous dance party, where Cornelia and Joe have been adopted by Santa, his wife and his elves, whilst B.Z., in spite of his pleas for help, is doomed to float off into the depths of space, among the equally-affected remains of the Patchmobile as the end credits roll.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
David Huddleston as Santa Claus, the Christmas figure who delivers presents to every child in the world on Christmas Eve.
Dudley Moore as Patch, a creative, inventive elf whose passion for and faith in the 20th Century is put to the test throughout the story.
John Lithgow as B.Z., the main antagonist – an unscrupulous toy manufacturer who uses Patch in a larger scheme to take over Christmas.
Judy Cornwell as Anya Claus, Santa's caring and supportive wife.
Burgess Meredith as the Ancient One, the oldest and wisest of the elves.
Jeffrey Kramer as Dr. Eric Towzer, B.Z.'s head of Research & Development.
Christian Fitzpatrick as Joe, a homeless 10-year-old orphan boy living on the hard streets of New York who befriends Santa and becomes Cornelia's best friend and conscience.
Carrie Kei Heim as Cornelia, B.Z.'s 9-year-old step-niece and orphan, who becomes Joe's conscience and best friend.
John Barrard as Dooley, Santa's #2 at the North Pole.
Anthony O'Donnell as Puffy, a bearded elf whose methodicalness foils against Patch's more radical progressiveness.
Melvyn Hayes as Goober, head of the Sewing Department.
Don Estelle as Groot, the elves' Senior Chef.
Tim Stern as Boog, first of Patch's three best friends.
Peter O'Farrell as Honka, second of Patch's three best friends.
Christopher Ryan as Vout, third of Patch's three best friends.
Keith Hayden as an Elf.
Shannon Spruill as Bratty Kid at Ballet Class
Nigel Paterson as bass-playing Elf in 'Season's Greetings' scene.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development and Filming[edit]

text: Conceived by Ilya Salkind in the wake of the apparently waning critical and U.S. box office success of 1983's Superman III and its immediate follow-up, 1984's Supergirl, Santa Claus: The Movie was directed by Jeannot Szwarc, who had directed Supergirl, from a story by David and Leslie Newman. David Newman, however, took sole screenplay credit. Pierre Spengler, Ilya's longtime partner, and the third key element of Team Salkind, joined Alexander's son as the project's producer. John Carpenter was originally offered the chance to direct, but also wanted a say in the writing, musical score and final cut of the movie. Carpenter's original choice for the role of Santa was Brian Dennehy.

text: Among the original choices to direct the film other than Carpenter were Lewis Gilbert, who, despite initial interest, could not agree with the Salkinds over certain aspects of the script. Robert Wise was also offered the chance to direct, but Wise had a different approach to the story. Guy Hamilton, who'd had to withdraw from directing Superman: The Movie in 1976 (because he was a tax exile, and, as such, could only spend 30 days in England, where the movie would be filming), was very interested in directing and lobbied hard for the chance to do so, but only on the condition that the film be shot either in Los Angeles, Vancouver or Rome. Ultimately, the Salkinds chose Szwarc because of their excellent working relationship on Supergirl which many executives at TriStar Pictures believed was a masterpiece and would also become a mega hit.

text: Santa Claus: The Movie was filmed in Buckinghamshire, England at Pinewood Studios, between August and November 1984. The film was photographed by Arthur Ibbetson, whose credits, among others, included the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). Santa Claus: The Movie was his final feature film. Serving as film editor was Peter Hollywood.

text: The production was designed by Anthony Pratt, with costume design concepts by Bob Ringwood. The visual effects unit, as well as several of the production staff, were Salkind stalwarts from the Superman films: Derek Meddings, director of visual and miniature effects; Roy Field, optical visual effects supervisor; and David Lane, flying and second unit director.

text: The documentary, Santa Claus: The Making of The Movie, which chronicles the film's production, is introduced by David Huddleston, speaking straight to the camera in character as Santa, with Dudley Moore serving as on-screen host. The voice over commentary is performed by Ted Maynard, who had also done voice-overs for the film's original UK trailer. The documentary originally aired in the United States on ABC, on Christmas Eve, 1987. Anchor Bay Entertainment's now-out-of-print 20th anniversary DVD of the film included this documentary as a bonus feature; the Lionsgate DVD and Blu-ray versions currently feature the 50-minute feature as well. The Blu-ray version, however, also features a brief chronicle of the filming of the " 'Christmas II' Press Conference" sequence, as well as additional deleted scenes cut from the original theatrical version.

text: Casting[edit]

text: Moore had always been the top choice to play the lead Elf in the movie, Ilya Salkind having remembered a scene in Arthur in which Liza Minnelli's character asks Moore if he is Santa's Little Helper. Moore was attached to the project virtually from the outset, and therefore had a say on both scripting and choice of director. Originally, David Newman's first-draft script called for the character to be named Ollie; but Moore decided instead that the name should be changed to Patch, Patch being the nickname of his own young son, Patrick. Moore was briefly considered to play the role of the 5th dimension imp "Mr. Mxyzptlk" in the Salkind's aborted original script from Superman III and for the role of Nigel in Supergirl. He turned down that role, but suggested his long time friend and comic partner Peter Cook for the part. Ilya Salkind, from the very beginning, had wanted an American actor to portray Santa Claus because he felt that the movie focused on a primary piece of Americana in much the same way that Superman: The Movie did. Brian Dennehy was the top choice of John Carpenter when he discussed the possibility of directing the film with the Salkinds. Jeannot Szwarc, however, felt that he needed an actor with more warmth than Dennehy, and toward that end, he had screen-tested such actors as David White (who, being in his late 60's, was considered too old for the role), and Moore's Arthur co-star Barney Martin. For a while, Ilya Salkind actively pursued Carroll O'Connor for the role before Szwarc showed him David Huddleston's screen-test, which won Salkind over.

text: For the role of B.Z., the producers wanted a star with a similar stature to Gene Hackman when he had played Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie. To this end, they offered the role to Harrison Ford who turned them down. They made offers to Dustin Hoffman, Burt Reynolds and Johnny Carson --- all of whom, for one reason or another, turned the part down. Eventually, John Lithgow was settled on after Salkind watched Terms of Endearment and realised that he had a Grinch-type look to him. The role of the Ancient Elf was written with James Cagney in mind; however, with Cagney being very weak in his old age, the legendary actor could not adequately assume the role, despite the fact that he liked the film's overall idea. Nonetheless, Cagney had no other choice but to turn the offer down, so Fred Astaire was considered. When this eventually came to nothing, Dudley Moore suggested his friend Burgess Meredith for the role, which he in the end won. At the time of the movie's announcement in the middle of 1983, the British Press carried reports that diminutive actors such as David Jason, Patrick Troughton and Norman Wisdom would be cast alongside Dudley as fellow Elves. This ultimately came to nothing.

text: Santa's elves[edit]

text: The elves in the film are portrayed as legendary beings known as the Vendequm. According to the Santa Claus: The Movie novelization written by science fiction/fantasy novelist Joan D. Vinge, the elves keep watch over all that happens in the world that borders their own magical realm. The Vendequm are described as being extremely fond of children since, after all, only children can see them, due to the innocence of their youth. The elves are fond of making things for children, and so they often journeyed out into the children's world, leaving their newly crafted toys where children would find them. According to the novel, with the passing of each new century, and as civilizations continued to rise and fall, it became more and more difficult and dangerous for the elves to venture too far out into the human world. Thus, the vast majority of the toys the elves made could not be given out, and were left to gather dust in their magnificent storeroom, the Toy Tunnel.

text: The novel also describes how, on a certain long-winter's night, the oldest and wisest elf of all, the Ancient One, foresaw the arrival of a man whose love for children would be equal to that of the elves. The Ancient One believed that this man would be the one to whom the elves would grant full immortality, along with the ability to deliver the elves' gifts to children all over the world.

text: In addition to Patch, Dooley, Puffy, Boog, Honka, and Vout, the film's screenplay and cast listing features three additional elves: Groot, the Elves' Senior Chef; Goober, the head of the Elves' tailoring shop, who crafts Santa's full red robes; and Goobler, who trains several of his fellow elves in the art of painting toys with their own beards.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Santa Claus: The Movie received negative reviews upon release, with a rating of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, from the 17 reviews counted.[1] Box Office Mojo lists the film's total United States box office gross as $23,717,291,[2] less than its $30–50 million production budget.[3]

text: Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert noted some positive points to the film, writing that the film "does an interesting job of visualizing Santa's workshop" and Santa's elves. He also praised the film's special effects, particularly the New York City fly-over sequence involving Santa. Ebert also had some praise for Lithgow's "nice, hateful performance", but wrote that "the villain is not drawn big enough." He ceded that young children would probably like most of the film, but that older children and adults are "likely to find a lot of it a little thin."[4]

text: Vincent Canby of The New York Times was less positive than Ebert, calling the production "elaborate and tacky". He described the film as having "the manner of a listless musical without any production numbers". Unlike Ebert, he offered little praise for the film's production design. Canby quipped that "Santa's workshop must be the world's largest purchaser of low-grade plywood" and that the flyover sequences with Santa "aren't great." The only praise he had for the film's acting was for John Lithgow, who Canby wrote "(gave) the film's only remotely stylish performance."[5] A more recent review by William Mager on BBC.co.uk's review section echoed Canby and Ebert's comments.[6]

text: In his book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, critic Alonso Duralde lists Santa Claus: The Movie in his chapter of worst Christmas movies ever. His reasons include weak plot, garish production design, blatant product placement (particularly for McDonald's, though Coke and Pabst Blue Ribbon are also prominent), and scenery-chewing overacting on the part of Lithgow. Duralde ultimately concludes that the film is "a train-wreck of a Christmas movie that's so very wrong that you won't be able to tear yourself away from it."[7]

text: Despite all this though the film has developed a cult following amongst those who have grown up with it, and become one of the definitive films to watch at Christmas, often being a seasonal television staple.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: The soundtrack score was composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, composer of the themes from The Pink Panther and Peter Gunn, with veteran lyricist and screenwriter Leslie Bricusse contributing five original songs. The song "It's Christmas (All Over The World)" was written by Bill House and John Hobbs with Freddie Mercury in mind. While it is known that Mercury recorded a demo for the House/Hobbs song at Pinewood Studios, he was never to make a full commitment to the project, as he and his Queen bandmates had already committed themselves to the Highlander soundtrack. In the end, Mercury turned down the project, stating that he felt that Queen had become overcrowded with requests to work on film soundtracks; as a result, Sheena Easton was ultimately chosen to record the tune. As mentioned on the DVD commentary of the movie by Jeannot Szwarc, Paul McCartney was asked to compose songs for the film. It is unknown why he did not do so in the end, but his song "Once Upon a Long Ago" had been indeed originally composed with the movie in mind.[8]

text:
"Main Title: Every Christmas Eve 1 and Santa's Theme (Giving)" (Mancini/Bricusse)
"Arrival of the Elves" (Mancini)
"Making Toys" (Mancini/Bricusse)2
"Christmas Rhapsody: Deck the Halls/Joy to the World/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/12 Days of Christmas/O Tannenbaum/The First Noel/Silent Night"
"It's Christmas Again" (Mancini/Bricusse)2
"March of the Elves" (Mancini)
"Patch, Natch!" (Mancini/Bricusse) 3
"It's Christmas (All Over The World)" (Bill House, John Hobbs)5
"Shouldn't Do That" (Nick Beggs, Stuart Croxford, Neal Askew, Steve Askew) 4
"Sleigh Ride over Manhattan" (Mancini)
"Sad Patch" (Mancini)
"Patch Versus Santa" (Mancini)
"Thank You, Santa" (Mancini/Bricusse) 2

tag: ol

text:
1Sung by Aled Jones
2Performed by the Ambrosian Children's Choir.
3Performed by the Ambrosian Singers
4Produced by Ken Scott and performed by Kaja
5Produced by Keith Olsen for Pogologo Corporation, and performed by Sheena Easton.

text: The soundtrack was originally released on record and cassette by EMI Records in 1985. Soon after, it went out of print and remained unavailable until 2009 when it was released on CD by Singular Soundtrack of Spain. This was a limited run of 1000 copies which sold out immediately upon release. In a rare situation for the label, this production suffered from several issues, most notably a master which had been subjected to heavy noise reduction resulting in a loss of sound quality. Additionally, the left & right channels had been erroneously flipped, a superficial re-edit had been performed on "It's Christmas (All Over the World)", and the song "Shouldn't Do That" by Kaja (Kajagoogoo) had been omitted due to licensing issues. These issues necessitated a replacement pressing to correct many of the problems, save for the licensing issue. The replacement pressing had the unfortunate side-effect of introducing the lossy copies into the secondary market. (To differentiate, the original lossy edition has SER 808 #1 stamped in the center. The replacement disc has SER 879 #1 stamped in the center.[9])

text: At the time of the 2009 release, Singular Soundtrack became merged with Quartet Records, allowing the label to produce increasingly high-profile projects. Though problematic, the Singular edition had been well-received and had garnered enough ongoing interest to warrant an expansion. In 2012, following a run of successful releases, Quartet Records revisited the earlier release of Santa Claus: The Movie, this time with an ambitious goal: a complete score release from the original scoring tapes.

text: The resultant December 2012 release was an unlimited deluxe three-disc set including sixty-four tracks totaling just under three hours of music, and a 32-page analysis by celebrated historian Jeff Bond.[10] Every piece of score music used in the film was included, as well as several outtakes and alternates. The original soundtrack, which differs from the music recorded for the film, was remastered from the original source material, and the pop songs found on the original soundtrack were all represented, including the Kaja song "Shouldn't Do That."

text: Comic book adaptation[edit]

text: Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation of the film by writer Sid Jacobson and artist Frank Springer in Marvel Super Special #39.[11][12]


document_title: Holstein Friesian cattle

question_text: when did the holstein cow come to america

question_tokens: when did the holstein cow come to america

root

text: Holstein Friesian cattle

text: Breed characteristics[edit]

text: Holsteins have distinctive markings, usually black and white or red and white in colour. On rare occasions some have both black and red colouring with white. Red factor causes this unique colouring. 'Blue' is also a known colour. This colour is produced by white hairs mixed with the black hairs giving the cow a blueish tint. This colouring is also known as 'blue roan' in some farm circles. They are famed for their large dairy production, averaging 22530 pounds of milk per year. Of this milk 858 pounds (3.7%) is butterfat and 719 pounds (3.1%) is protein.[2]

tag: p

text: A healthy calf weighs 40 to 50 kg (75-110 pounds) or more at birth. A mature Holstein cow typically weighs 680-770 kg (1500-1700 pounds), and stands 145-165 cm (58-65 inches) tall at the shoulder. Holstein heifers should be bred by 11 to 14 months of age, when they weigh 317-340 kg (700-750 pounds) or 55% of adult weight. Generally, breeders plan for Holstein heifers to calve for the first time between 21 and 24 months of age and 80% of adult bodyweight. The gestation period is about nine and a half months.[3]

text: History[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Near 100 BC, a displaced group of people from Hesse migrated with their cattle to the shores of the North Sea near the Frisii tribe, occupying the island of Batavia, between the Rhine, Maas, and Waal. Historical records suggest these cattle were black, and the Friesian cattle at this time were "pure white and light coloured". Crossbreeding may have led to the foundation of the present Holstein-Friesian breed, as the cattle of these two tribes from then are described identically in historical records.

text: The portion of the country bordering on the North Sea, called Frisia, was situated within the provinces of North Holland, Friesland and Groningen, and in Germany to the River Ems. The people were known for their care and breeding of cattle. The Frisii, preferring pastoral pursuits to warfare, paid a tax of ox hides and ox horns to the Roman government, whereas the Batavii furnished soldiers and officers to the Roman army; these fought successfully in the various Roman wars. The Frisii bred the same strain of cattle unadulterated for 2000 years, except from accidental circumstances. In 1282, floods produced the Zuiderzee, separating the cattle breeders of the modern day Frisians into two groups. The western group occupied West Friesland, now part of North Holland; the eastern occupied the present provinces of Friesland and Groningen, also in the Netherlands.

text: The rich polder land in the Netherlands is unsurpassed for the production of grass, cattle, and dairy products. Between the 13th and 16th centuries, the production of butter and cheese was enormous. Historic records describe heavy beef cattle, weighing from 2600 to 3000 pounds each.

text: The breeders had the goal of producing as much milk and beef as possible from the same animal. The selection, breeding and feeding have been carried out with huge success. Inbreeding was not tolerated, and (distinct) families never arose, although differences in soil in different localities produced different sizes and variations.[4]

text: United Kingdom[edit]

text: Up to the 18th century, the British Isles imported Dutch cattle, using them as the basis of several breeds in England and Scotland. The eminent Prof. Low recorded, "the Dutch breed was especially established in the district of Holderness, on the north side of the Humber; northward through the plains of Yorkshire. The finest dairy cattle in England...", of Holderness in 1840 still retained the distinct traces of their Dutch origin.[citation needed]

text: Further north in the Tees area, farmers imported continental cattle from the Netherlands, Holstein or other countries on the Elbe. Low wrote, "Of the precise extent of these early importations we are imperfectly informed, but that they exercised a great influence on the native stock appears from this circumstance, that the breed formed by the mixture became familiarly known as the Dutch or Holstein breed".[citation needed]

text: Holstein-Friesians were found throughout the rich lowlands of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the western provinces of Germany. The breed did not become established in Great Britain at the time, nor was it used in the islands of Jersey or of Guernsey, which bred their own special cattle named after the islands. Their laws prohibited using imports from the continent for breeding purposes.[4] After World War II, breeders on the islands needed to restore their breeds, which had been severely reduced during the war, and imported almost 200 animals. Canadian breeders sent a gift of three yearling bulls to help establish the breed.

text: The pure Holstein Breed Society was started in 1946 in Great Britain, following the British Friesian Cattle Society. The breed was developed slowly up to the 1970s, after which there was an explosion in its popularity, and additional animals were imported. More recently, the two societies merged in 1999 to establish Holstein UK.[5]

text: Numbers[edit]

text: Records on 1 April 2005 from Nomenclature for Units of Territorial Statistics level 1 show Holstein influence appearing in 61% of all 3.47 million dairy cattle in the UK:[6]

text:
Holstein-Friesian (Friesian with more than 12.5% and less than 87.5% of Holstein blood): 1,765,000 (51%)
Friesian (more than 87.5% Friesian blood): 1,079,000 (31%)
Holstein (more than 87.5% of Holstein blood): 254,000 (7%)
Holstein-Friesian cross (any of the above crossed with other breeds): 101,000 (3%)
Other dairy breeds: 278,000 (7%)

tag: ul

text: The above statistics are for all dairy animals possessing passports at the time of the survey, i.e. including young stock. DEFRA lists just over 2 million adult dairy cattle in the UK.[7]

text: Definition[edit]

text: Holstein in this instance, and indeed in all modern discussion, refers to animals traced from North American bloodlines, while Friesian refers to indigenous European black and white cattle.

text: Criteria for inclusion in the Supplementary Register (i.e. not purebred) of the Holstein UK herd book are:

text: CLASS A is for a typical representative of the Holstein or Friesian breed, as to type, size and constitution, with no obvious signs of crossbreeding, or be proved from its breeding records to contain between 50% and 74.9% Holstein genes or Friesian genes. If the breeding records show that one parent is of a breed other than Holstein-Friesian, Holstein, or Friesian, then such parent must be a purebred animal fully registered in a herd book of a dairy breed society recognised by the Society.

text: CLASS B is for a calf by a bull registered or dual registered in the Herd Book or in the Supplementary Register and out of a foundation cow or heifer registered in Class A or B of the Supplementary Register and containing between 75% and 87.4% Holstein genes or Friesian genes.

text: For inclusion in the Pure (Holstein or Friesian) herd book, a heifer or bull calf from a cow or heifer in Class B of the Supplementary Register and by a bull registered or dual registered in the Herd Book or the Supplementary Register, and containing 87.5% or more Holstein genes or Friesian genes will be eligible to have its entry registered in the Herd Book.[8]

text: Production[edit]

text: The breed currently averages 7655 litres/year throughout 3.2 lactations, with pedigree animals averaging 8125 litres/year over an average of 3.43 lactations.[5] By adding, lifetime production therefore stands at around 26,000 litres.

text: United States[edit]

text: History[edit]

text: American breeders began to become interested in Holstein-Friesian cattle around the 1830s. Black and white cattle were introduced into the US from 1621 to 1664. The eastern part of New Amsterdam (present day New York) was the Dutch colony of New Netherland, where many Dutch farmers settled along the Hudson and Mohawk River valleys. They probably brought cattle with them from their native land and crossed them with cattle purchased in the colony. For many years afterwards, the cattle here were called Dutch cattle and were renowned for their milking qualities.

text: The first recorded imports were more than 100 years later, consisting of six cows and two bulls. These were sent in 1795 by the Holland Land Company, which then owned large tracts in New York, to their agent, Mr. John Lincklaen of Cazenovia. A settler described them thus, "the cows were of the size of oxen, their colors clear black and white in large patches; very handsome".

text: In 1810, a bull and two cows were imported by the Hon. William Jarvis for his farm at Wethersfield, Vermont. About the year 1825, another importation was made by Herman Le Roy, a part of which was sent into the Genesee River valley. The rest were kept near New York City. Still later, an importation was made into Delaware. No records were kept of the descendants of these cattle. Their blood was mingled and lost in that of the native cattle.

text: The first permanent introduction of this breed was due to the perseverance of Hon. Winthrop W. Chenery, of Belmont, Massachusetts. The animals of his first two importations, and their offspring, were destroyed by the government in Massachusetts because of a contagious disease. He made a third importation in 1861. This was followed in 1867 by an importation for the Hon. Gerrit S. Miller, of Peterboro, New York, made by his brother, Dudley Miller, who had been attending the noted agricultural school at Eldena (Königlich Preußische Staats- und landwirthschaftliche Akademie zu Greifswald und Eldena; the latter today a locality of the former), Prussia, where this breed was highly regarded. These two importations, by Hon. William A. Russell, of Lawrence, Mass., and three animals from East Friesland, imported by Gen. William S. Tilton of the National Military Asylum, Togus, Maine, formed the nucleus of the Holstein Herd Book.[4]

text: After about 8,800 Holsteins had been imported, a cattle disease broke out in Europe and importation ceased.

text: In the late 19th century, there was enough interest among Friesian breeders to form associations to record pedigrees and maintain herd books. These associations merged in 1885, to found the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. In 1994, the name was changed to Holstein Association USA, Inc.[2]

text: Presidential cow[edit]

text: Perhaps the most famous Holstein was Pauline Wayne, which served from 1910 to 1913 as the official presidential pet to the 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft. Pauline Wayne lived and grazed on the White House lawn and provided milk for the first family. Pauline Wayne was the last presidential pet cow.

text: Production[edit]

text: The 2008 average actual production for all USA Holstein herds that were enrolled in production-testing programs and eligible for genetic evaluations was 23,022 pounds (10,443 kg) of milk, 840 pounds (380 kg) of butterfat and 709 pounds (322 kg) of protein per year.[9] Total lifetime productivity can be inferred from the average lifetime of US cows. This has been decreasing regularly in recent years and now stands at around 2.75 lactations, which when multiplied by average lactation yield above gives around 61,729 pounds (28,000 kg) of milk.[10]

text: The current national Holstein milk production leader is Bur-Wall Buckeye Gigi EX-94 3E, which produced 74,650 pounds (33,860 kg) of milk in 365 days, completing her record in 2016.[11]

text: The considerable advantage, compared to the UK, for example, can be explained by several factors:

text:
Use of milk production hormone, recombinant bST: A study in February 1999 determined the "response to bST over a 305-day lactation equaled 894 kg of milk, 27 kg of fat, and 31 kg of protein".[12] Monsanto Company estimates a figure of about 1.5 million of 9 million dairy cows are being treated with bST, or about 17% of cows nationally.[13]
Greater use of three-times-per-day milking: In a study performed in Florida between 1984 and 1992 using 4293 Holstein lactation records from eight herds, 48% of cows were milked three times a day. The practice was responsible for an extra 17.3% milk, 12.3% fat and 8.8% protein.[14] Three-times-a-day milking has become a common in recent years. Twice-a-day milking is the most common milking schedule of dairy cattle. In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, milking at 10- to 14-hour intervals is common.[15]
Higher cow potential (100% Holstein herds): European Friesian types traditionally had lower production performances than their North American Holstein counterparts. Despite Holstein influence over the last 50 years, a large genetic trace of these cattle is still present.
Greater use of total mixed ration (TMR) feeding systems: TMR systems continue to expand in use on dairy farms. A 1993 Hoard's Dairy survey reported 29.2% of surveyed US dairy farms had adopted this system of feeding dairy cows. A 1991 Illinois dairy survey found 26% of Illinois dairy farmers used TMR rations with 300 kg more milk per cow compared to other feeding systems.[16] The American type of operation (North and South America) is characterised by large, loose-housing operations, TMR feeding, and relatively many employees. However, dairy farms in the northeast US and parts of Canada differ from the typical American operation. There, many smaller family farms with either loose-housing or stanchion barns are found. These operations are quite similar to the European type, which is characterised by relatively small operations where each cow is fed and treated individually.[17]

text: Genetics[edit]

text: The golden age of Friesian breeding occurred during the last 50 years, greatly helped lately by embryo transfer techniques, which permitted a huge multiplication of bulls entering progeny testing of elite, bull-mother cows.

text: Osborndale Ivanhoe, b. 1952, brought stature, angularity, good udder conformation, and feet and leg conformation, but his daughters lacked strength and depth. His descendants included:

text:
Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation, b. 1965, often abbreviated RORA Elevation, was another top-notch bull. He sired over 70,000 Holstein cattle, with descendants numbering over 5 million; Elevation was named Bull of the Century by Holstein International Association in 1999.[18] Elevation was the result of a cross of Tidy Burke Elevation being used on one of the best ever Ivanhoe daughters, Round Oak Ivanhoe Eve. He was unsurpassed at the time for type and production.
Penstate Ivanhoe Star, b. 1963, sired daughters with similar stature and dairy traits as the Ivanhoes, but with higher production. He also notably sired Carlin-M Ivanhoe Bell, the great production bull of the 80s, known also for good udders, feet and legs. A present-day genetic disorder, complex vertebral malformation, has been traced to Carlin-M Ivanhoe Bell and Penstate Ivanhoe Star.
Hilltop Apollo Ivanhoe, b. 1960, sire of Whittier Farms Apollo Rocket, b. 1967, was the highest milk production bull of the 70s, and Wayne Spring Fond Apollo, b. 1970, was the first bull ever to have a milk transmission index of over 2,000 M and have a positive type index. "Wayne" had a very famous daughter, To-Mar Wayne Hay, that was dam of the great To-Mar Blackstar, b. 1983.

text: Cloning[edit]

text: Starbuck II, clone of the famous CIAQR sire Hanoverhill Starbuck, was born on 7 September 2000 in Saint-Hyacinthe. The clone is a result of the combined efforts of CIAQ, L'Alliance Boviteq Inc and the Faculté de médecine vétérinaire de l'Université de Montréal. The cloned calf was born 21 years and 5 months after Starbuck's own birth date and just under 2 years after his death (17 September 1998). The calf weighed 54.2 kg at birth and showed the same vital signs as calves produced from regular AI or ET. Starbuck II is derived from frozen fibroblast cells, recovered one month before the death of Starbuck.[19]

text: The Semex Alliance also cloned other bulls, such as Hartline Titanic, Canyon-Breeze Allen, Ladino-Park Talent and Braedale Goldwyn.

text: A huge controversy in the UK in January 2007 linked the cloning company Smiddiehill and Humphreston Farm owned by father and son team Michael and Oliver Eaton (also owners of the large, Birmingham-based stone product business, BS Eaton) with a calf that was cloned from a cow in Canada. Despite their efforts to block the farm from view of the press, news cameras broadcast this as breaking news among many of the country's top news stations.

text: Since then, this calf had been rumored to have been put down to protect the owners, the Eatons, from invasions of the press.[20]

text: British Friesian cattle[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: While interest in increasing production through indexing and lifetime profit scores saw a huge increase in Holstein bloodlines in the UK, proponents of the traditional British Friesian did not see things that way, and maintain these criteria do not reflect the true profitability or the production of the Friesian cow.

text: Friesian breeders say modern conditions in the UK, similar to the 1950s through to the 1980s, with low milk price and the need for extensive, low-cost systems for many farmers, may ultimately cause producers to re-examine the attributes of the British Friesian.

text: This animal came to dominate the UK dairy cow population during these years, with exports of stock and semen to many countries throughout the world. Although the idea of "dual-purpose" animals has arguably become outmoded, the fact remains that the Friesian is eminently suitable for many farms, particularly where grazing is a main feature of the system.

text: Proponents argue that Friesians last for more lactations through more robust conformation, thus spreading depreciation costs. There is the added advantage of income from the male calf, which can be placed into barley beef systems (finishing from 11 months) or steers taken on to finish at two years, on a cheap system of grass and silage. Very respectable grades can be obtained, commensurate with beef breeds, thereby providing extra income for the farm.

text: Such extensive, low-cost systems may imply lower veterinary costs, through good fertility, resistance to lameness, and a tendency to higher protein percentage and, therefore, higher milk price. An 800-kg Holstein has a higher daily maintenance energy requirement than the 650-kg Friesian.

text: Friesians have also been disadvantaged through the comparison of their type to a Holstein base. A separate "index" be composed to greater has been suggested to reflect the aspects of maintenance for body weight, protein percentage, longevity and calf value. National Milk Records figures suggest highest yields are achieved between the fifth and seventh lactations; if so, this is particularly so for Friesians, with a greater lift for mature cows, and sustained over more lactations. However, production index only takes the first five lactations into account. British Friesian breeding has certainly not stood still, and through studied evaluation, substantial gains in yield have been achieved without the loss of type.

text: History[edit]

text: Friesians were imported into the east coast ports of England and Scotland, from the lush pastures of North Holland, during the nineteenth century until live cattle importations were stopped in 1892, as a precaution against endemic foot and mouth disease on the Continent. They were so few in number, they were not included in the 1908 census.

text: In 1909, though, the society was formed as the British Holstein Cattle Society, soon to be changed to British Holstein Friesian Society and, by 1918, to the British Friesian Cattle Society.

text: The Livestock Journal of 1900 referred to both the "exceptionally good" and "remarkably inferior" Dutch cattle. The Dutch cow was also considered to require more quality fodder and need more looking after than some English cattle that could easily be out-wintered.

text: In an era of agricultural depression, Breed Societies notably had flourished, as a valuable export trade developed for traditional British breeds of cattle. At the end of 1912, the herd book noted 1,000 males and 6,000 females, the stock which originally formed the foundation of the breed in England and Scotland. Entry from then until 1921, when grading up was introduced, was by pedigree only.

text: No other Friesian cattle were imported until the official importation of 1914, which included several near descendants of the renowned dairy bull Ceres 4497 F.R.S. These cattle were successful in establishing the Friesian as an eminent, long-lived dairy breed in Britain. This role was continued in the 1922 importation from South Africa through Terling Marthus and Terling Collona, which were also near descendants of Ceres 4497.

text: The 1936 importation from the Netherlands introduced a more dual-purpose type of animal, the Dutch having moved away from the Ceres line in the meantime.

text: The 1950 importation has a lesser influence on the breed today than the previous importations, although various Adema sons were used successfully in some herds.

text: The Friesian enjoyed great expansion in the 1950s, through to the 80s, until the increased Holstein influence on the national herd in the 1990s[citation needed]; a trend which is being questioned by some commercial dairy farmers in the harsh dairying climate that prevails today, with the need to exploit grazing potential to the fullest.

text: Friesian semen is once again being exported to countries with grass-based systems of milk production. The modern Friesian is pre-eminently a grazing animal, well able to sustain itself over many lactations, on both low-lying and upland grasslands, being developed by selective breeding over the last 100 years. Some outstanding examples of the breed have 12 to 15 lactations to their credit, emphasising their inherent natural fecundity. In response to demand, protein percentages have been raised across the breed, and herd protein levels of 3.4% to 3.5% are not uncommon.

text: Whilst the British Friesian is first and foremost a dairy breed, giving high lifetime yields of quality milk from home-produced feeds, by a happy coincidence, surplus male animals are highly regarded as producers of high quality, lean meat, whether crossed with a beef breed or not. Beef-cross heifers have long been sought after as ideal suckler cow replacements.

text: Although understanding the need to change the Society's name to include the word Holstein in 1988, British Friesian enthusiasts are less than happy now that the word Friesian has been removed from the Society's name. With the history of the breed spanning 100 years, the British Friesian cow is continuing to prove her worth. The general robustness and proven fertility provide an ideal black and white cross for Holstein breeders seeking these attributes.

text: The disposal of male black and white calves continues to receive media attention, and would appear to be a waste of a valuable resource. One of the great strengths of the British Friesian is the ability of the male calf to finish and grade satisfactorily, either in intensive systems, or as steers, extensively. This latter system may become increasingly popular due to the prohibitive increase in grain prices. The robustness of the British Friesian and its suitability to grazing and forage systems is well known.

text: Compared to the Holstein the Friesian:

text:
Calves more frequently
Calves more often in their lifetimes
Needs fewer replacements
Provides valuable male calves
Has lower cell counts
Has higher fat and protein percent[21]

text: Polled Holsteins[edit]

text: The first polled Holstein was identified in the United States in 1889. Polled Holsteins have the dominant polled gene which makes them naturally hornless. The polled gene has historically had a very low gene frequency in the Holstein breed. However, with animal welfare concerns surrounding the practice of dehorning, the interest in polled genetics is growing rapidly.[22]

text: Red and white Holsteins[edit]

text: The expression of red colour replacing the black in Holsteins is a function of a recessive gene.[23] Assuming the allele 'B' stands for the dominant black and 'b' for the recessive red, cattle with the paired genes 'BB', 'Bb', or 'bB' would be black and white, while 'bb' cattle would be red and white.

text: History[edit]

text: This section needs more links to other articles to help integrate it into the encyclopedia. Please help improve this article by adding links that are relevant to the context within the existing text. (February 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Earlier 13th-century records show cattle of "broken" colours entered the Netherlands from Central Europe. Most foundation animals in the US were imported between 1869 and 1885. A group of early breeders decreed that animals of any colour other than black and white would not be accepted in the herd book, and that the breed would be known as Holsteins. There were objections, saying that quality and not colour should be the aim, and that the cattle should be called "Dutch", rather than Holsteins.

text: Only a small number of carriers were identified over the hundred-year span from the early importations until they were accepted into the Canadian and American herd books in 1969 and 1970, respectively. Most of the early accounts of red calves being born to black and white parents were never documented. A few stories of "reds" born to elite parents persist over time, as there is a tendency to credit the ancestor with the highest (closest) relationship to a red-carrier animal as the one that transmitted the trait, whereas sometimes it is the other parental line that has passed it on, even though the ancestor responsible may have entered the pedigree several generations earlier.

text: In 1952, a sire in an artificial insemination (AI) unit in the US was a carrier of red coat colour. Although the AI unit reported the condition and advised breeders as to its mode of inheritance, almost a third of the breeding unit's Holstein inseminations that year were to that red-carrier bull. That year, American AI units had used 67 red-factor bulls that had sired 8250 registered progeny. In spite of this, any change to the colour marking rules was rejected.

text: The Red and White Dairy Cattle Association (RWDCA) began registry procedures in 1964 in the United States. Its first members were Milking Shorthorn breeders, who wanted a dairy registry for the cattle they had bred in prior years, including some red and white Holsteins. The name was changed to the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association in 1966. When Milking Shorthorn breeders were looking for potential outcrosses to improve milk production, red and white Holsteins came into the picture, since the red colour factor is the same for both breeds. The RWDCA had adopted an "open herd book" policy, and the Red and White Holstein became the major player.

text: The red trait was thus able to survive the attempts to eradicate it that came from all sides of the Holstein industry. It was inevitable that even when a red calf was killed or sent to a grade herd, the herd owner rarely did anything to remove the dam from his herd and only hoped she would not have another red calf. Many red calves, born in both countries prior to the 1970s, were quietly disposed of, with a view to preserving the acceptance of their elite pedigrees.

text: Also, thousands of Holsteins were imported from Canada each year, and many were carriers. More than 14,000 Holsteins were exported to the United States in 1964 and again in 1965. This was at a time when both countries were debating the "red question". While the United States was trying to eliminate the red trait, the Canadian imports simply counterbalanced the US effort to reduce its incidence.

text: Canada's number one red-carrier sire in the 1940s was A B C Reflection Sovereign. His sons and grandsons in the 1950s and '60s spread the red gene throughout Canada and increased its frequency in the United States. Three of the biggest names siring Red and Whites in the United States were Rosafe Citation R, Roeland Reflection Sovereign, and Chambric A B C. The red trait was readily available in Canadian Holstein genetics.

text: Early on, there was criticism of the policy of the Canadian AI units to remove bulls found to carry red. A number of superior bulls were slaughtered or exported. The studs were simply supporting the Canadian policy to prevent the intensification of the red recessive in the breed. The phrase "carries the red factor" had to be included in the description, and excessive promotion of unproven red-factor bulls was discouraged. They later added the aim of permitting intelligent breeders to use any red-carrier sire that had an outstanding proof for production and type.

text: It became obvious that AI was the primary way of finding out which bulls were red carriers. Prior to AI, few red-carrier sires were uncovered because their service was limited to one or a few herds. Such herds often had no carrier females, and there was only a 25% chance that a carrier bull mated to a carrier female would produce a red calf. If a red and white calf were dropped, it was often concealed and quietly removed from the herd.

text: In 1964, the Netherlands Herd Book Society indicated a breakdown of 71% Black and White Friesian and 28% Red and Whites. A herd book that accepted Red and Whites had already been established in the United States. A separate herd book for Canadian Red and Whites was then established, following which Red and Whites became acceptable to the major Canadian (export) markets. The sales ring began to establish interest in the new breed.

text: The US Holstein-Friesian Association and its membership worked diligently from its early days until 1970 to eliminate the red trait from the registered population. However, once the door was open, red and whites began to appear in some of the more elite herds. The rush to get the best of Canadian breeding even prior to the opening of the herd book brought red calves to many dairymen who had never even seen one.

text: Canadian Red and Whites became eligible for registration in the herd book on July 1, 1969, through an alternate registry. Red and Whites were to be listed with the suffix –RED and Black and Whites with ineligible markings would be registered with the suffix –ALT. Both groups and their progeny would be listed only in the Alternate book and the suffixes had to be part of the name. In the Canadian herd books, all –Alt and -Red animals were listed in the regular herd book in registration number order and were identified with an A in front of their numbers. The Alternates were separate in name only. The A in front of the registration number was discontinued in 1976 and the –Alt suffix was dropped in 1980, but –Red was continued. It did not bar the registration of animals whose hair turned from red to black.

text: The US Holstein Association decided not to have a separate herd book for red and whites and off-color animals. The suffixes of –Red and –OC would be used, and numbering would be consecutive. The first red and white Holsteins were recorded with an R in front of their numbers. Two hundred and twelve males and 1191 females were recorded in the initial group of red registrations. Red and Whites registered in the Canadian herd book numbered 281 in 1969 and 243 in 1970.

text: An American Breeders Service ad in the Canadian Holstein Journal in 1974 on Hanover-Hill Triple Threat mentioned one of several colour variants that were not true red. Its existence was undoubtedly common knowledge among breeders in both countries, but until that time, it had not been mentioned in print. Calves were born red and white and registered as such, but over the first six months of age turned black or mostly black with some reddish hairs down the backline, around the muzzle and at the poll. The hair coat colour change became known as Black/Red and sometimes as Telstar/Red, since the condition appeared in calves sired by Roybrook Telstar. Telstar was the sire of Triple Threat, but nothing about this had hitherto been in print about Telstar, which was by then over 10 years old.

text: Black/Reds were often discriminated against when sold and were barred from Red and White-sponsored shows. In 1984, Holstein Canada considered recoding B/R bulls that had always been coded simply as red carriers, a designation that was not acceptable to all buyers. The breed agreed to change after checking with other breed associations and with the AI industry. In 1987, Holstein Canada and the Canadian AI industry modified their coding procedures to distinguish between Black/Red and true red colour patterns for bulls. Holstein Canada dropped the suffix Red as a part of the name in 1990, but continued to carry it as part of the birth date and other codes field.

text: Famous Holsteins[edit]

text:
Pauline Wayne, the US presidential cow
RORA Elevation, a prize-winning bull
Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, Bull with great genes for milk production
Missy, a prize winner from Canada
Belle Sarcastic, "unofficial mascot" of Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections.[24]
Lulubelle III, pictured on the cover of Atom Heart Mother from English rock band Pink Floyd
Kian (1997-2013), the first red Holstein bull whose semen has sold more than one million units worldwide[25]
Toystory (2001-2014), Holstein bull whose semen has sold more than 2.4 million units worldwide and has been estimated to have sired over 500,000 offspring[26]


document_title: The Fate of the Furious

question_text: who plays connor rhodes in fate of the furious

text: The Fate of the Furious

text: Plot[edit]

text: Dominic "Dom" Toretto and Letty Ortiz are on their honeymoon in Havana when Dom is challenged to a street race at an auto show by local racer Raldo. Dom races for Raldo's car, intending to give it to his cousin Fernando, while wagering his own show car. After narrowly winning the race, Dom allows Raldo to keep his car, earning his respect, and instead leaves his cousin with his show car. The next day, Dom is approached by elusive cyberterrorist Cipher, who coerces him into working for her.

text: Shortly after the encounter, Dom and his team, comprising Letty, Roman Pearce, Tej Parker, and Ramsey, are recruited by Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs to help him retrieve an EMP device from a military outpost in Berlin. During the getaway, Dom goes rogue, forcing Hobbs off the road and stealing the device for Cipher. Hobbs is arrested and locked up in the same high-security prison he helped imprison Deckard Shaw in. After escaping, both are recruited by intelligence operative Frank Petty/Mr. Nobody and his protégé, Eric Reisner/Little Nobody, to help the team find Dom and capture Cipher.

text: Deckard reveals that Cipher was the mastermind of previous encounters with the team, such as employing his brother Owen Shaw to steal the Nightshade device and orchestrating the attempted theft of God's Eye, Ramsey's software program. The team tracks Dom and Cipher to their very location just as they attack the base and steal God's Eye. When Dom begins to question Cipher's motives, she reveals that she has held Dom's ex-lover and DSS agent Elena Neves – as well as their son, whose existence Dom was previously unaware of – hostage in order to keep Dom loyal to her. Elena tells Dom that the child was born as a result of an unintended pregnancy, and that she wanted him to decide the child's first name, having already given him the middle name Marcos.

text: Cipher then sends Dom to New York City to retrieve a nuclear football held by the Russian Minister of Defence. Dom manages to evade her for a short time through a diversion created by Raldo, allowing him to meet with and persuade Deckard and Owen's mother, Magdalene Shaw, to help. The team intercepts Dom after he steals the nuclear football, but Dom escapes, shooting and apparently killing Deckard in the process. Cipher facilitates Dom's escape by hacking into all of the autonomous cars in the city and reprogramming them to auto-drive, wreaking havoc throughout the city. Letty catches up to Dom, but is ambushed and nearly killed by Cipher's enforcer, Connor Rhodes, before Dom rescues her. In retaliation, Cipher has Rhodes kill Elena in front of Dom.

text: Dom is then sent to Russia to use the EMP device to disable a nuclear submarine, enabling Cipher to hijack it and attempt to use its arsenal to trigger a nuclear war. They are once again intercepted by the team, provided with modified vehicles by Petty. Meanwhile, Deckard, who had faked his death and been extracted by Tego Leo and Rico Santos, former members of Dom's team, infiltrates Cipher's plane to rescue Dom's son at Magdalene's behest, with the help of Owen. Once Deckard reports that the child is safe, Dom turns on Cipher and kills Rhodes, avenging Elena's death, before rejoining his team. Outraged, Cipher launches an infrared homing missile at Dom, but he breaks away from his team and maneuvers around it, causing the missile to hit the submarine instead. The team quickly forms a vehicular blockade around Dom, shielding him from the ensuing explosion. When Deckard reaches the front of the plane and confronts Cipher, she makes her escape by parachuting out of the plane.

text: Petty and Reisner visit Dom and his team in New York City to report that Cipher is still at large. Hobbs is offered his DSS job back, but he declines in order to spend more time with his daughter. Deckard then arrives to return Dom's son, putting his differences aside with Dom and Hobbs in the process, and is accepted into their family. Dom decides to name his son Brian, after his friend and brother-in-law Brian O'Conner, and they celebrate.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, a former criminal and professional street racer who has retired and settled down with his wife, Letty. He is coerced by Cipher to work against his team.
Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs, a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent who allied with Dom and his team following their outings in Rio de Janeiro and Europe.
Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw, a rogue special forces assassin who was imprisoned by Hobbs and the DSS after his defeat in Los Angeles, who serves as an ally to help Dom's team take down Cipher.
Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz, Dom's wife and a former professional street racer.
Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, a former criminal from Barstow and a member of Dom's team.
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker, a mechanic from Miami and a member of Dom's team.
Scott Eastwood as Eric Reisner / Little Nobody, a law enforcement agent working under Mr Nobody.
Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey, a computer hacktivist and a member of Dom's team.
Elsa Pataky as Elena Neves, the mother of Dom's child and a former Rio police officer who moved to the United States to become Hobbs' new partner at the DSS.
Kurt Russell as Frank Petty / Mr. Nobody, an intelligence operative and the leader of a covert ops team which previously aided Dom and his team in taking down Deckard in Abu Dhabi.
Charlize Theron as Cipher, a criminal mastermind and cyberterrorist who coerces Dom into working against his team by holding Elena and their son hostage.

text: Tego Calderón and Don Omar reprise their roles from previous films as Tego Leo and Rico Santos, former members of Dom's team from the Dominican Republic and Rio de Janeiro, respectively. Luke Evans reprises his role from Fast & Furious 6 (2013) as Owen Shaw, Deckard's younger brother and a former Special Air Service (SAS) soldier who formerly opposed Dom's team in Europe, and who helps his brother in rescuing Dom's son. Kristofer Hivju appears as Connor Rhodes, Cipher's enforcer and right-hand man. Helen Mirren makes an uncredited cameo appearance as Magdalene Shaw, the mother of Deckard and Owen Shaw.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: Following the release of Furious 7 (2015), Vin Diesel said regarding a possible sequel:

text: I was trying to keep it close to the vest throughout the release. Paul Walker used to say that [an eighth film] was guaranteed. And in some ways, when your brother guarantees something, you sometimes feel like you have to make sure it comes to pass... so if fate has it, then you'll get this when you hear about it. [Furious 7] was for Paul, [the eighth film] is from Paul.[9]

text:
We're trying to do what we always do, which is try to come at it from a character point of view and figure out where the characters would go from here. I think the thing that's made The Fast and the Furious special is obviously we have incredible action and so on. But the thing that people really relate to the most is the characters. We're lucky that we have a lot of great characters. Unfortunately, we don't have Paul [Walker] anymore. His character... has moved on. But we feel like there's a lot still to be mined. That's where we're starting. We're really talking about the characters, where they all sit right now. It's a huge challenge.

—Neal H. Moritz, The Fast and the Furious franchise producer[10]

tag: div

text: Diesel further hinted at an eighth film on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when he stated that Kurt Russell's character would span multiple films. He also stated that the next film would take place in New York City.[11] Chris Morgan wrote his sixth script in the franchise, while Neal H. Moritz returned to produce. Moritz later stated, "[The story] is going to have to be something enticing for all of us. It has to be as good as or better [than Furious 7]".[12]

text: At the 2015 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Diesel announced the film for an April 14, 2017 release date.[13][14] On August 16, 2015, at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards (where Furious 7 received the award for Choice Movie – Action and Walker received the award for Choice Movie Actor – Action), Diesel gave the film the initial title Fast 8.[15] In September 2015, Diesel stated that the script had almost been completed,[16] and expressed interest in Rob Cohen, who directed the first film, to direct the eighth installment.[17] On October 14, 2015, Diesel announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray would direct the film.[18][19]

text: In July 2015, Moritz said that Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, would not appear in the film, following the use of CGI in the previous film after Walker died in a single-vehicle accident on November 30, 2013, with Moritz stating that his character had "moved on".[10] It had previously been reported that Paul's younger brother, Cody Walker, would either join the cast in a new role,[20] or replace his older brother in the role of O'Conner;[21] however, it was later announced that the character will not return to the franchise.[22] Moritz also said that the film would shift the focus of the franchise from a series of heist films to a spy caper, following a similar change in focus from street racing in Fast Five (2011).[23] In December 2016, the film was retitled The Fate of the Furious.[24]

text: Casting[edit]

text: Diesel, Russell and Michelle Rodriguez were the first to confirm their involvement in the film, and Tyrese Gibson and Chris Bridges both confirmed their return soon after.[25] Lucas Black had signed on to reprise his role from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift as Sean Boswell for Furious 7, and two more installments in September 2013, though he did not appear in Fate.[26] In May 2015, Dwayne Johnson confirmed his involvement in the film, additionally hinting at a possible spin-off film involving his character, Luke Hobbs.[27] Jason Statham also confirmed his return.[28] In April 2016, Charlize Theron and Kristofer Hivju were confirmed as additions to the cast, in villainous roles,[29][30] while Scott Eastwood also joined the film as a law enforcement agent.[31] On May 17, 2016, Diesel posted a photo on his Instagram page of himself and Elsa Pataky on set, indicating that she had also returned for the film,[32] and was followed two days later by a video on set with Nathalie Emmanuel, who also starred in the previous film.[33] In June 2016, Helen Mirren announced in an interview with Elle that she would appear in the film.[34] In July 2016, Don Omar tweeted that he and Tego Calderon would return to the franchise for the eighth picture.[35] During an interview with Chris Mannix on July 21, 2016, Lucas Black confirmed he would not appear in the eighth installment, due to scheduling conflicts.[36]

text: Filming[edit]

text: In keeping with the franchise's penchant for filming in "exotic" locations, such as Dubai and Rio de Janeiro, in January 2016 it was announced that Universal was seeking approval from the United States and Cuban governments to shoot part of the film in Cuba.[37][38] Principal photography began on March 14, 2016, in Mývatn, Iceland,[39][40] where strong winds sent a plastic iceberg prop flying into a paddock. The prop struck two horses: one was wounded and the other mortally injured; it was later euthanized.[41] In late April, filming began in Cuba's capital city, Havana.[42][43][44] In May, filming also took place in Cleveland, Ohio.[45][46] Franchise cinematographer Stephen F. Windon returned for the eighth installment.[47] Filming also took place in Atlanta and New York City.[48][not in citation given]

text: Music[edit]

text: Brian Tyler, who scored the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh installments, was tapped to compose the film score for the eighth picture.[49] A soundtrack album by Atlantic Records was released on April 14, 2017, coinciding with the film's US theatrical release.[50] The film's score album was released on April 27, by Back Lot Music.[51]

text: Release[edit]

text: The Fate of the Furious had its world premiere in Berlin on April 4, 2017.[52] The film was theatrically released in the United States on April 14, 2017, playing in 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX internationally, and received a day-and-date release across major markets such as Australia, the United Kingdom, China, and India, beginning on April 12, 2017.[53] The film was released day-and-date in 1,074 IMAX screens around the world, making it the widest day-and-date opening in IMAX history.[54]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The Fate of the Furious was released on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on July 11, 2017.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Fate of the Furious grossed $225.8 million in the United States and Canada and $1.013 billion in other territories for a worldwide total of $1.239 billion, against a production budget of $250 million ($350 million including marketing costs).[1] It is Universal Pictures' most ambitious worldwide distribution release in the studio's history. The film was released day-and-date in 64 territories worldwide, including almost all major markets (minus Japan), starting from April 12, 2017, and was projected to earn anywhere between $375–440 million in its five-day opening weekend.[55][56] By the end of the weekend, it ended up earning $539.9 million from nearly 23,000 screens, way above initial projections, to score the biggest global opening in cinematic history. It also marked the third time that a film earned over $500 million in a single weekend, after Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($529 million) and Jurassic World ($525.5 million).[57] In IMAX, the film made $31.1 million from 1,079 screens to record the biggest IMAX April debut and the fourth biggest overall.[57]

text: On April 30, it crossed the $1 billion threshold, becoming the second release of 2017 (following Beauty and the Beast), the fifth film released by Universal Pictures (after Jurassic Park, Furious 7, Jurassic World, and Minions) and the thirtieth film overall in cinematic history to gross over $1 billion.[58][59] It is currently the second highest-grossing film of the year, behind only Beauty and the Beast,[60] the second-biggest action film that is not a fantasy or superhero movie, behind Furious 7,[61] and is Universal's highest-grossing live-action release since Jurassic World back in June 2015.[62]

text: North America[edit]

text: Like many of its predecessors, The Fate of the Furious was released in the United States and Canada in the month of April, and like its immediate predecessor, occupied the lucrative Easter week holiday period slot, where it was expected to open with $100–125 million. It received the widest pre-summer release ever, at an estimated 4,304 venues, besting the 4,242 opening theater count of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice the previous March.[55][63][64][65] The film made $10.4 million from Thursday night previews from 3,310 theaters, the second-highest of the franchise behind Furious 7's $15.8 million.[7] On its opening day it grossed $45.6 million, with Thursday previews making up 22.8% of the amount, slightly better than the 23% for Furious 7.[66] Earning a total of $98.8 million on its opening weekend, the film scored the second biggest opening in the franchise (the third biggest adjusted for inflation) and the third biggest April debut, behind Furious 7 and The Jungle Book. It posted an almost identical weekend multiplier like its immediate predecessor (2.166x vs 2.18x).[67][68] However, this is not surprising considering how both films opened over Good Friday/Easter Sunday stretch. Scott Mendelson of Forbes magazine compared the opening to how Spectre (2015) opening fell from Skyfall (2012). One notable record the film set was the best opening for a film with an African American director, with Gray besting his own record set with Straight Outta Compton in 2015.[69]

text: Sticking to the franchise's famous and lauded habit of including a multi-ethnic cast of characters, the film played to audiences of all ethnicities. Domestically, Caucasians made up 41 percent of the audience, followed by Hispanics (26 percent), African-Americans (21) percent, Asians (11 percent), and Native American/Other (3 percent), according to comScore's exit polling service PostTrack. The pic skewed male at 58 percent, far more than the last film at 51 percent.[70][71] 2D ticketbuyers repped 57% of the film's opening compared to its predecessor's 71%. This means more die-hard moviegoers came out to watch the eighth instalment rather than people who do not typically go to the movies.[7]

text: While The Fate of the Furious's debut is 34% less than its predecessor's opening,[7] critics have noted that the debut is still considered a massive success and not a big let down given how it is the eighth installment in an action franchise. Universal Pictures was well aware that the robust debut of Furious 7 could not be duplicated[68] due to the wave of good reviews and publicity over the death of star Paul Walker, as well as the notion that the instalment was both a farewell to said actor and a kind of coronation for the franchise as a whole. Nevertheless, the film benefited from Easter holiday business with 74% of all K-12 schools off on Good Friday as well as a third of the nation's colleges.[7] The film comes out in the wake of its parent franchise celebrating 16 years of availability in cinemas. To wit, few film franchises which are close to 20 years old have demonstrated a box office ability to increase their openings with each installment over time or maintain them in close proximity in terms of debut numbers; James Bond film series, Batman film series, Jurassic Park franchise, and Star Wars franchise.[7]

text: Its hefty opening was followed by the second-biggest April Monday gross ever with $8.5 million, behind the seventh instalment. Its Sunday to Monday drop was 60% compared to its prequel's 57% drop which is far better than the Monday dropped witnessed by other April releases; The Jungle Book (-76%) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (-73%), albeit without the advantage of a school holiday.[72][73] Despite the entry of four new wide releases, critics and box office prognosticators kept a close watch on how much the film would drop in its second weekend.[74] The film fell precipitously on its second Friday earning $11.17 million for a 76% drop which is the biggest in the franchise's history, besting the 72% drops for both its two immediate predecessors. The steep decline maybe attributed not because of the onslaught of competitions, but rather due to the polarised reception received by the film and due to just 12% K-12 schools beings off compared to 74% on Good Friday.[75] It kept its hold at No. 1, albeit dropping about 61% in its sophomore frame for an estimated $38.4 million. That domestic drop is right in line with the 59-63% drops of the six previous instalment in the franchise’s on their second weekend out.[76] It topped the box office for three straight weekends, witnessing similar weekend-to-weekend percentage drops like its prequel, albeit earning lesser in terms of numbers.[77]

text: Outside North America[edit]

text: Internationally, The Fate of the Furious secured a release in 69 countries.[78] The film was projected to post an opening between $275–330 million from over 20,000 screens, with some analysts believing it could go as high as $350–400 million.[55][78][79] It opened Wednesday, April 12, 2017, in 8 countries, earning $17.9 million (including previews from 12 countries).[78] It opened in 33 more countries on Thursday, April 2, for a total of 41 countries, earning $58.4 million, marking Universal Pictures overseas' highest-grossing Thursday ever, and for a two-day total of $82.2 million.[78] It added 22 more countries on Friday, April 3, earning $112.1 million to score Universal International's highest grossing Friday of all time, for a three-day total of $194.8 million. The robust Friday take helped Universal push past $1 billion internationally in 2017 which is the second quickest ever and the studio's eleventh consecutive year overall the pass the mark. Morever, on the same day, the franchise crossed the $4 billion milestone.[78] In total, through Sunday, the film registered an opening of $441.1 million from 64 markets, setting new records for the biggest April international debut, Universal's biggest, and the biggest of all time overall (ahead of Jurassic World) – It is the first such film to open past $400 million in a single weekend with a bulk of it coming from China. Around $22.6 million came from (681) IMAX screens which is Universal's second biggest behind only Jurassic World.[57] It topped the international charts for a second consecutive term, adding another $158.1 million[80] after which it was surpassed by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, another film starring Diesel and Russel, in its third weekend.[81] In IMAX, the film has grossed north of $58 million.[81] On May 28, the film officially passed the $1 billion threshold to become the second film in the franchise, following Furious 7, and the sixth film to pass the said mark.[82][83]

text: It set the record for the biggest opening day of 2017 in every territory it has been released at, the biggest opening day of all time in 16 markets, Universal's biggest opening day ever in 22 territories and the biggest opening in the franchise in 38 markets. Moreover, it recorded the biggest paid previews of all time in Malaysia, Singapore, Venezuela, and Vietnam.[78] In terms of opening weekend, the film debuted at No. 1 in all markets where it set the biggest opening weekend of all time in 20 markets; Universal's biggest opening weekend ever in 28 markets; and the biggest opening in the franchise in 40 markets.[57][80][84] The top openings were recorded in China ($192 million), Mexico ($17.7 million), the UK and Ireland ($17.5 million), Russia ($14.2 million), Germany ($13.6 million), Brazil ($12.8 million), India ($10.7 million), Korea ($10.6 million), Middle East combined ($9.9 million), Taiwan ($9.3 million), France ($9.2 million), Australia ($9.5 million), Argentina ($9 million), Indonesia ($8.5 million), Italy ($6.7 million), Malaysia ($6.3 million), Spain ($6.1 million), Colombia ($4.9 million), Thailand ($4.9 million), Panama ($4.8 million),[57] and Romania ($1.7 million).[85] Comparing market-to-market performance, Furious 7 had an opening worth $250 million without China and Russia while The Fate of the Furious delivered $228.2 million debut, sans the two aforementioned markets.[57] In Japan, the film debuted with $7.5 million. Although that's a new record for the franchise, the film debuted at number three behind Disney's Beauty and the Beast and local film Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter – their robust second weekend earnings blocked the former from taking the top spot, making Japan one of the few markets where the film didn't open at No. 1.[81][86]

text: Expectations were high for the film's performance in China, as its predecessor set notable records and went on to become the biggest film release there (now the biggest Hollywood release). The film was rebranded in Chinese as The Fast and the Furious 8 to make clear its connection to Furious 7. After ticket sales began on April 2, the film pre-sold more than RMB 125 million ($18.1 million) worth of tickets before its release, breaking the previous record held by local film Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons three months prior. Moreover, it also set a record for the fastest IMAX advance sales, with RMB 16.5 million ($2.4 million), breaking the previous record held by Captain America: Civil War, according to leading local movie site Mtime.[55][87][88] In total, it pre-sold around $43.5 million tickets two hours before previews began, the biggest ever in the country.[78] It earned a record-breaking RMB 59.8 million ($8.7 million) from Thursday paid previews ($8 million excluding online ticketing surcharges which now count as grosses), breaking its predecessor's former record of RMB 52.5 million ($8.5 million in 2015; $7.6 million in 2017 exchange rates).[89][90] On Friday, the film was screened in approximately 158,000 screens, a new record for any film, breaking Warcraft's former 122,000 screen counts, and almost double the estimated 80,700 screen count of its predecessor.[91] By Friday noon, it had already grossed $30 million.[92] Buoyed by positive word-of-mouth – 9.4/10 user rating on mobile ticketing platform Maoyan, and 7.4/10 from reviews aggregator Douban – and effective marketing campaign, it set a new record for the biggest single-day ever at the Chinese box office, including previews. This was achieved at 7 p.m. local time.[90] In total, the film grossed an estimated RMB 452.8 million ($65.8 million) on its opening day, inclusive of previews and online ticketing surcharges, compared to the RMB 398 million ($57.8 million) posted by its predecessor. It is the first film in Chinese history to register above RMB 400 million ($58 million) in a single day.[93][78] Earning a total of RMB 1.323 billion ($192.2 million), according to Chinese sources and 190 million, according to Universal, in its debut weekend, it set a new milestone for three day opening weekend and overall the second best debut ever behind only local pic The Mermaid, which had the benefit of four days of previews over the New Year period in February 2016. An estimated $14 million came from 395 IMAX screens, the second biggest ever in the country, behind Warcraft.[57] Its three-day debut alone made it the biggest Hollywood release of 2017 and the third biggest overall. Factoring out online ticketing surcharges, the total comes to a slightly less-hefty RMB 1.245 billion ($182.2 million).[94] In just nine days, the film passed the historic RMB 2 billion ($300 million) and thereby became the biggest release of the year.[95] The film fell precipitously by 71.4% in its second weekend (from its $190 million debut), earning RMB 374 million ($54.3 million) for a massive 10-day total of RMB 2.19 billion ($318 million).[96][97] On April 30, it became the biggest Hollywood/foreign release of all-time with RMB 2.44 billion, surpassing its prequels former record of 2.41 billion. However, in terms of US currency, The Fate of the Furious ($381 million) is still behind Furious 7 ($391 million).[81][98] After three consecutive weeks of topping the charts, it slipped to fourth place after being dethroned by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from the top spot.[99] It has so far grossed a total of RMB 2.648 billion ($383.9 million) and is the country's second-biggest grosser ever, behind only The Mermaid.[62]

text: In India, the film secured a release across approximately 1,600–1,800 screens (1,000–1,200 screens less than its predecessor). Like other Hollywood releases, it was released in both 2K projections and normal projections, and dubbed in local languages such as Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. It is the first international film to be dubbed into the Kannada language. Despite clashing with local pic Begum Jaan, analysts believe the two films will not affect each other's performance, as they appeal to distinct moviegoers.[100][101][102] Universal had high hopes in the territory, after Furious 7 grossed an unprecedented $24.9 million in 2015, and became the biggest foreign release ever in the country at the time of its release (now the second biggest). The Central Board of Film Certification gave the film a UA rating (parental guidance suggested for children under 12), rather than an A for adults, after the studio agreed to cut several profanities (CBFC was willing to pass the film with an A certificate with no cuts but Universal wanted a UA certificate leading to the board censoring all profanities with few cuts).[103] It earned around ₹8.50 crore (US$1.3 million) net from Wednesday paid previews.[104] The following day it grossed ₹22.50 crore (US$3.5 million), including previews.[105] On its official opening day, it grossed ₹16.10 crore (US$2.5 million) for a three-day total of ₹38.60 crore (US$6.0 million).[106] Earning a total of $10.7 million, it set a new record for the biggest ever foreign opening in the country, toppling its prequel's former record. As such, it is the first foreign film to open north of $10 million.[78][107] Following its record breaking opening, it fell about 58% on its second weekend excluding previews, earning another $4 million for a two weekend total of over $17.4 million,[108] With over $19.2 million it is currently the biggest foreign release of the year.[109] However, in terms of net earnings – which is the base for box office calculations in India – the film was unable to break past the ₹100 crore (US$16 million) mark, stalling at around ₹85.59 crore (US$13 million). Despite a record breaking opening, it lost significant amount of screen counts and audiences thereafter, partly due to the release of Baahubali: The Conclusion.[110]

text: The biggest earning markets are China ($390.2 million), followed by Brazil ($41.6 million), the UK and Ireland ($37.4 million), Mexico ($36.8 million) and Germany ($32.1 million).[111][112][113] In Peru, it has become Universal's highest-grossing film ever.[111] With over $1 billion in international receipts and representing a boffo 82% of the film's total worldwide gross, it is currently the seventh-biggest overseas earner behind Avatar, Titanic, Furious 7, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Jurassic World.[114]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The Fate of the Furious received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 66% based on 241 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Fate of the Furious opens a new chapter in the franchise, fueled by the same infectious cast chemistry and over-the-top action fans have come to expect."[115] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score 56 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[116] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[117]

text: Mike Ryan of Uproxx gave the film a positive review, writing: "This isn't my favorite of the series – that's still Furious 7 (it's hard to top those jumps from skyscraper to skyscraper, but this is a worthy entry). These movies know what they are. These movies know they are fun. These are fun movies!"[118] Owen Gleiberman of Variety, in his positive review of the film, wrote: "Most franchises, after eight films, are feeling a twinge of exhaustion, but this one has achieved a level of success – and perpetual kinetic creative energy – that's a testament to its commercial/cultural/demographic resonance." He also wrote "If this series, over the last 16 years, has taught us anything, it's that just when you think it's about to run out of gas, it gets outfitted with an even more elaborate fuel-injection system."[119]

text: Conversely, David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a C− and called it the worst entry of the franchise, saying: "As much a mess of conflicting tones and styles as it is of locations, this setpiece – like the rest of Gray's movie – feels like a heap of random parts that were thrown together in the hopes that fate might somehow weld them into a roadworthy vehicle. It's exhausting."[120] J.R. Kinnard of PopMatters magazine gave a lukewarm review, writing: "It's unlikely that devotees will consider The Fate of the Furious one of the stronger entries in the series. Still, the filmmakers and actors are clearly dedicated to making a quality product, avoiding the complacency that often plagues action sequels."[121] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, saying: "Moments after Dom has gone rogue and apparently wants to kill them, they're making jokes. As they're racing through the streets of New York City or skidding along the ice in Russia, killing bad guys and narrowly avoiding getting killed themselves, they're crackin' wise. Even within this ludicrous universe, it's jarring to hear these supposedly smart folks, who refer to themselves as 'family,' acting like idiots who don't seem to care if they live or die, or if their friends survive."[122]

text: Professor of international political economy Richard E Feinberg has commented on the political significance of the film's opening setting of Havana in the context of shifting US-Cuban relations, calling the eighth installment, "Hollywood's love letter to Havana".[123] He writes, "In the Cuban sequence's dramatic climax, Dom wins his hard-fought one-mile race ("a Cuban mile") against a tough local competitor, by a nose. The loser is gracious: 'You won my car and you earned my respect,' he admits to the FF hero. Dom's response is equally magnanimous: 'Keep your car, your respect is good enough for me.' In this instance, FF8 captures the essence of the relations between the United States and Cuba: it's all about mutual respect."[123]

text: Sequel[edit]

text: On February 3, 2016, Universal Pictures set initial release dates for the two remaining films in the franchise. The first, tentatively titled Fast & Furious 9, is scheduled to be released on April 19, 2019.[8]

text: Notes[edit]


document_title: My Cousin Vinny

question_text: who played sheriff farley in my cousin vinny

text: My Cousin Vinny

text: Plot[edit]

text: Driving through Alabama in their 1964 Buick Skylark convertible, Billy Gambini and Stan Rothenstein, college students from New York who just got scholarships to UCLA, shop at a convenience store and accidentally shoplift a can of tuna. After they leave, the store clerk is robbed and killed, and Billy and Stan are arrested for the murder. Due to circumstantial evidence and a confession to the shoplifting that is misconstrued as one to the shooting, Billy is charged with murder, and Stan as an accessory. Billy's mother reminds him there is an attorney in the family: his cousin Vinny. Vincent LaGuardia Gambini travels there, accompanied by his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito. Although he is willing to take the case, Vinny is a personal injury lawyer from Brooklyn, newly admitted to the bar, and with no trial experience.

text: Vinny manages to fool the trial judge, Chamberlain Haller, about being experienced enough for the case. His ignorance of basic courtroom procedures, dress code, and his abrasive attitude cause the judge to repeatedly hold him in contempt. Much to his clients' consternation, Vinny does not cross-examine any of the witnesses in the preliminary hearing. Except for lack of a murder weapon, it appears that the district attorney, Jim Trotter III, has a strong case that will lead to convictions. After Vinny's poor showing at the hearing, Stan fires him and uses the public defender, John Gibbons, and nearly convinces Billy to do the same.

text: Despite his missteps, Vinny shows that he is able to make up for his inexperience with an aggressive and perceptive questioning style. Vinny quickly discredits the testimony of the first three witnesses, and Billy and Stan's faith is restored.

text: On the trial's third day, Trotter produces a surprise witness, FBI analyst George Wilbur, who testifies that the pattern and chemical analysis of the tire marks left at the crime scene are identical to the tires on Billy's Buick. With only the lunch recess to prepare his cross-examination and unable to come up with a strong line of questioning, Vinny lashes out at Lisa. However, Vinny realizes that one of Lisa's photos holds the key to the case: the flat and even tire marks going over the curb reveal that Billy's car could not have been used for the getaway.

text: After requesting a records search from the local sheriff, Vinny drags Lisa into court to testify as an expert witness. During Vinny's questioning, Lisa testifies that only a car with an independent rear suspension and positraction could have made the tire marks; and the only one that could be mistaken for Billy's 1964 Buick Skylark is a 1963 Pontiac Tempest with the same color and tires. Vinny re-calls George Wilbur, who confirms this. Vinny then re-calls the local sheriff, who testifies that two men who fit Billy and Stan's descriptions were just arrested in Georgia for driving a stolen green Pontiac Tempest, and were in possession of a gun of the same caliber used to kill the clerk. Trotter moves to dismiss all charges. The judge congratulates Vinny and, as they drive away, he and Lisa bicker about their wedding plans.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Joe Pesci as Vincent LaGuardia “Vinny” Gambini
Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito
Ralph Macchio as Bill Gambini
Mitchell Whitfield as Stan Rothenstein
Fred Gwynne as Judge Chamberlain Haller
Lane Smith as Jim Trotter III
Bruce McGill as Sheriff Dean Farley
Austin Pendleton as John Gibbons
Chris Ellis as J.T.
James Rebhorn as George Wilbur
Maury Chaykin as Sam Tipton
Paulene Myers as Constance Riley
Raynor Scheine as Ernie Crane
Michael Simpson as Neckbrace
Lou Walker as Grits Cook
Kenny Jones as Jimmy Willis

text: Release[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: With a budget of $11 million, My Cousin Vinny was more successful than anticipated, grossing $52,929,168 domestically and $11,159,384 in the foreign markets, bringing its overall total to $64,088,552.[2]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The film received generally positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 85%, based on 52 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "The deft comic interplay between Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei helps to elevate My Cousin Vinny's predictable script, and the result is a sharp, hilarious courtroom comedy."[3]

text: Tomei won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 65th Academy Awards in 1993.[4]

text: Director Lynn has a law degree from Cambridge University,[5] and lawyers have praised the accuracy of My Cousin Vinny's depiction of courtroom procedure and trial strategy,[6] with one stating that "[t]he movie is close to reality even in its details. Part of why the film has such staying power among lawyers is because, unlike, say, A Few Good Men, everything that happens in the movie could happen—and often does happen—at trial".[7] One legal textbook discusses the film in detail as an "entertaining [and] extremely helpful introduction to the art of presenting expert witnesses at trial for both beginning experts and litigators",[8] and criminal defenders, law professors, and other lawyers use the film to demonstrate voir dire and cross examination.[6]

text: Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judge Richard Posner praised My Cousin Vinny[9] as being

text: particularly rich in practice tips: how a criminal defense lawyer must stand his ground against a hostile judge, even at the cost of exasperating the judge, because the lawyer's primary audience is the jury, not the judge; how cross-examination on peripheral matters can sow serious doubts about a witness's credibility; how props can be used effectively in cross-examination (the tape measure that demolishes one of the prosecution's eyewitnesses); how to voir dire, examine, and cross-examine expert witnesses; the importance of the Brady doctrine ... how to dress for a trial; contrasting methods of conducting a jury trial; and more.

text: John Marshall Law School professor Alberto Bernabe wrote that "Vinny is terrible at the things we do teach in law school, but very good at the things we don't":[10]

text: [How to] interview clients, to gather facts, to prepare a theory of a case, to negotiate, to know when to ask a question and when to remain quiet, to cross examine a witness forcefully (but with charm) in order to expose the weaknesses in their testimony

text: United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia cited My Cousin Vinny as an example of the principle that a client can choose his own lawyer,[11] but United States Senator John Kennedy told nominee Matthew S. Petersen that having seen the film did not qualify one to be a federal judge.[12] The authors of Reel Justice: The Courtroom Goes to the Movies (2006) gave the film its highest rating along with several films based on real trials, such as Judgment at Nuremberg and Breaker Morant.[13] In 2008 the ABA Journal ranked the film #3 on its list of the "25 Greatest Legal Movies",[4] and in 2010 ranked Pesci's character as #12 on its list of "The 25 Greatest Fictional Lawyers (Who Are Not Atticus Finch)".[14]

text: Lynn, an opponent of capital punishment, believes that the film expresses an anti-death penalty message without "preaching to people", and demonstrates the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. Lawyers find the film appealing, according to the director, because "there aren't any bad guys", with the judge, prosecutor, and Vinny all seeking justice. Lynn stated that both he and Launer sought to accurately depict the legal process in Vinny, favorably comparing it to Trial and Error, for which he could not make what he believed were necessary changes.[5]

text: Proposed film sequel[edit]

text: In an interview on March 14, 2012, the film's screenwriter, Dale Launer, talked about a sequel he had written involving Vincent Gambini practicing law in the United Kingdom. Marisa Tomei dropped out. The studio hired another screenwriter to rework the script without Tomei's character. Eventually, the project was shelved.[15]

text: Novel sequel series[edit]

text: In 2017, author Lawrence Kelter began a My Cousin Vinny novel series with Back to Brooklyn, which is intended to be in the spirit of The Thin Man series. With the setting updated to contemporary times, the series depicts the further cases of Vinny Gambini with Mona Lisa operating as his investigator.[16]

text: Album[edit]

text: Pesci later reprised the Vincent LaGuardia Gambini character for his 1998 album Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You, which contains the song "Yo, Cousin Vinny." The album cover portrays Pesci in a red suit similar to the usher suit he wore in the film.