South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox film

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 American adult animated musical comedy film based on the animated sitcom South Park. The film was directed by series creator Trey Parker, who co-wrote with series co-creator Matt Stone and Pam Brady. It stars Parker, Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, and Isaac Hayes, all of whom reprise their roles from the series, with George Clooney, Eric Idle, and Mike Judge in supporting roles. The plot follows Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick as they sneak into an R-rated film starring the Canadian comedy duo Terrance and Phillip, after which they begin swearing. When the consequent moral panic culminates in the United States declaring war on Canada, Stan, Kyle and Cartman take it upon themselves to save Terrance and Phillip from execution, while Kenny tries to prevent a prophecy involving Satan and Saddam Hussein's intent to conquer the world.

Primarily centered on themes of censorship and scapegoating, the film also parodies and satirizes the animated films of the Disney Renaissance, musicals such as Les Misérables, and controversies surrounding the series itself. The film also heavily satirizes the Motion Picture Association of America; during production, Parker and Stone disputed with the MPAA, which returned the film multiple times with an NC-17 rating due to its frequent use of profanity. The film's songs were written by Parker and Marc Shaiman, the latter of whom composed the score.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on June 23, 1999, and was released theatrically in the United States and Canada the following week by Paramount Pictures, with Warner Bros. handling international distribution. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, soundtrack, humor and themes. Produced on a $21 million budget, it grossed $83.1 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated animated film until 2016, when it was beaten by Sausage Party. At the 72nd Academy Awards, the song "Blame Canada" was nominated for Best Original Song, but lost to Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart" from Tarzan. It has since been considered one of the greatest animated films of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="timelist" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Plot

One morning in South Park, Colorado, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski and his adopted brother Ike, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick visit the movie theater to see Terrance and Phillip's R-rated film, Asses of Fire. After being denied tickets, the boys pay a homeless man to accompany them. After watching the film, the boys begin swearing constantly. Their friends are impressed and also see the film, except for Wendy Testaburger, who becomes acquainted with transfer student Gregory, much to Stan's jealousy.

The next day, the boys start swearing at school and are sent to Mr. Mackey's office. When the children's parents find out, they are forbidden from seeing the film again, but do so multiple times. As per a bet with Cartman, Kenny sets his fart on fire (imitating a scene from the film), accidentally immolates himself and is rushed to the hospital, where he dies from a botched heart transplant. Kenny is denied entry to Heaven and descends into Hell, wherein he encounters Satan and his abusive partner Saddam Hussein. Meanwhile, Kyle's mother, Sheila, forms the Mothers Against Canada (M.A.C.) movement with other parents. Terrance and Phillip are arrested as war criminals; when the United States refuses to release them, Canada bombs the Baldwin family in retaliation. The US declares war on Canada and arranges to have Terrance and Phillip executed during a United Service Organizations (USO) show. After insulting Sheila repeatedly, Cartman is implanted with a V-chip, which administers an electric shock whenever he swears.

Satan prophesies that the war is a sign of the apocalypse and upon Terrance and Phillip's deaths, he will invade and conquer the Earth. After failing to persuade Satan to abandon Saddam, Kenny's ghost visits Cartman to warn him. Unable to reason with their mothers, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman form a resistance movement with their classmates to rescue Terrance and Phillip. At Gregory's behest, they recruit the French-accented, misotheistic Cristophe, nicknamed "the Mole". Kyle later hides Ike in their family's attic as Canadians are sent to internment camps. After the boys infiltrate the show, Stan and Kyle attempt to stall the execution, while Cartman attempts to deactivate the alarm as the Mole prepares to secure Terrance and Phillip. However, Kenny's ghost reappears before Cartman, who runs away in fear, forgetting to shut down the alarm. The Mole is discovered and fatally mauled by guard dogs.

The remaining boys try to warn their mothers about Satan's prophecy but are ignored as the execution commences. This execution is interrupted when the Canadian Army launches a surprise attack, resulting in a massive battle between the two armies. Cartman deactivates the electrical switch, allowing Terrance and Phillip to escape; the shock from the switch causes his V-chip to malfunction. Stan chases after them but is knocked out in an explosion. Horrified at what they incited, all the M.A.C. members except for Sheila decide to abandon their cause.

Stan reawakens before a sentient clitoris, who tells him to be self-confident to gain Wendy's affection. Stan leads the others to Terrance and Phillip, whom the United States Army have cornered. The children form a human shield as Kyle tries to reason with Sheila, faulting her for scapegoating others for his mistakes. While the soldiers begin to back down, Sheila refuses and shoots Terrance and Phillip dead, fulfilling Satan's prophecy. Saddam usurps Satan and demands that everyone bow to him. When Saddam insults Cartman, the latter's retort releases bolts of electricity from his hands. Subsequently, Cartman engages in profanity-laden tirades to attack Saddam, who continues to verbally abuse Satan, eventually causing him to snap and throw Saddam back into Hell, where he is impaled on a stalagmite.

Grateful for Kenny's support, Satan grants him one wish. Kenny wishes for everything to return to a pre-war state and parts with his friends before disappearing. South Park is restored as the casualties, including Terrance and Phillip, are undone. As the Americans and Canadians make peace, Sheila reconciles with Kyle, as does Wendy with Stan. For his sacrifice, Kenny is allowed to enter Heaven.

Cast

Template:Multiple image

Template:Main

Production

Development

South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone co-wrote South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, while Parker directed the film.

Development for the film began during production of South ParkTemplate:'s first season in January 1998.<ref name="nydailynews"/> Co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed a deal with Comedy Central that April which contracted the duo to produce episodes until 1999, as well as an unspecified amount to produce a film based on the series.<ref name="charlotte">Template:Cite news</ref> Part of Parker and Stone's conditions were that the film must at least receive an R rating, keeping it in line with the series' humor and its predecessor short films both titled The Spirit of Christmas. Parker stated that their desire was to approach the film from a more creative perspective and do more than a simple feature length episode.<ref name="nydailynews">Template:Cite news</ref> Despite alleged pressure from studio executives to tone down the film, Parker and Stone's conditions were ultimately honored by Paramount Pictures.

"They really wanted to be able to go beyond the South Park television show", Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox reported to TV Guide. "They really fought hard for and won the right to make an R-rated movie".<ref name="e">Template:Cite news</ref> Paramount executives went as far as preparing graphs displaying how much more revenue a PG-13-rated South Park film would potentially generate.<ref name="ew">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The William Morris Agency, which represented Parker and Stone, pushed for the film's production to begin as soon as possible, while public interest was still high, instead of several years into its run, as was the case with Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996).<ref name="pittsburgh">Template:Cite news</ref>

Casting

As in the television series, most of the characters are voiced by Parker, Stone, and Mary Kay Bergman. Isaac Hayes reprised his role as Chef, and audio samples of staff children Jesse Howell, Anthony Cross-Thomas and Franchesca Clifford were used for the voice of Ike Broflovski. Guest voices for the film include George Clooney as Dr. Gouache, Brent Spiner as Conan O'Brien, Minnie Driver as Brooke Shields, Eric Idle as Dr. Vosnocker, and Dave Foley as brothers Alec, Billy, Daniel and Stephen Baldwin.<ref name="ew"/>

Michael McDonald, who performs the closing track "Eyes of a Child", performs Satan's high notes in "Up There", and Howard McGillin provides Gregory's singing voice in "La Résistance (Medley)". Former The Police drummer Stewart Copeland voices a United States Army soldier. Mike Judge, creator of Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill, provides Kenny's voice in his sole speaking appearance at the end of the film.<ref name="ew"/> Although initially denied by Paramount, Metallica vocalist James Hetfield performs the track "Hell Isn't Good", which was confirmed by Parker in the 2009 Blu-ray commentary.<ref name="Commentary" />

Writing

The first season episode "Death" heavily influenced the film's screenplay; both plots center on the parents of South Park protesting Terrance and Phillip due to the perceived negative influence it has over their children. Parker stated, "After about the first year of South Park, Paramount already wanted to make a South Park movie, and we sort of thought this episode would make the best model just because we liked the sort of pointing at ourselves kind of thing."<ref name="ParkerComm">Template:Cite video</ref> During this time, the team was also busy with the second and third seasons of the series, the former of which Parker and Stone later described as "disastrous". As such, perceiving that the initial fervor would wane, they decided to write the film as a personal, fully committed musical.<ref name="blureview3"/>

Animation

The film was animated using Alias Wavefront PowerAnimator, running on SGI O2 and Octane workstations. Characters and individual scene elements were designed with texture mapping and shading that, when rendered, resemble the cutout animation of the short films and the series' first episode, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe".<ref name="animation">Template:Cite news</ref> The animation crew used a multiprocessor SGI Origin 2000 and 31 multiprocessor Origin 200 servers for both rendering and asset management. Backgrounds, characters and other items could be saved separately or as fully composited scenes, with convenient access at later points.<ref name="animation"/> "By creating flat characters and backgrounds in a 3D environment, we are able to add textures and lighting effects that give the film a cut-out construction paper stop-motion style which would have taken many more months if done traditionally," stated line producer Gina Shay.<ref name="animation"/> By the fifth season, the series transitioned to Maya.<ref name="faq-14may2001">Template:Cite web</ref> The studio now runs a 120-processor render farm that can produce 30 or more shots per hour.<ref name="apple">Template:Cite news</ref> The animation of South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut is therefore seen as an example of how South ParkTemplate:'s visual quality has improved in recent seasons.<ref name="growsup2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In the audio commentary on the 2009 Blu-ray release, Stone and Parker criticize how "bad and time consuming" the animation was during that time.<ref name="Commentary">Template:Cite AV media</ref> IGN described the animation as "fall[ing] somewhere within the middle ground—not quite cardboard cutouts, but not quite fully computerized either."<ref name="blureview1">Template:Cite web</ref> Nate Boss, in a review for High-Def Digest, commented, "There is no comparing the two, as the movie has a classic (for South Park, at least) animated feel, so full of the cut-outs we have grown to love, while the newer seasons sport a more computer processed feel."<ref name="blureview2">Template:Cite news</ref> The film, compared to the series at the time of its production, was animated in widescreen (1.66:1).<ref name="blureview3">Template:Cite news</ref> "Although the 'primitive' animation of South Park is supposedly a joke, it's really a secret weapon," wrote Stephanie Zacharek of Salon. "The simplicity of Parker and Stone's technique is what makes it so effective".<ref name="salon">Template:Cite news</ref>

Post-production

The crew alternated between the film and the series, pushing both to scheduling extremes; changes to the film were made as late as two weeks before its release as the crew continually disputed with Paramount:<ref name="rating2"/> "They wanted a Disney kind of trailer. We said no. They put together a totally un-South Park MTV video for the song 'What Would Brian Boitano Do?'. We had to go make our own version."<ref name="rating2"/> Paramount's first trailer for the film advertised it, according to Parker, as "the laughiest movie of the summer", and promoted it in a way that South Park "was completely against". Parker and Stone told the studio of their dissatisfaction with the trailer, and upon the creation of a second trailer with minimal changes, the two broke the videocassette in half before returning it to the studio. "It was war," said Stone in 2000. "They were saying, 'Are you telling us how to do our job?' And I was going, 'Yes, because you're fucking stupid and you don't know what you're doing.Template:'"<ref name="Playboy">Template:Cite journal</ref> In another instance, Paramount used the film's songs to create a music video for MTV. In accordance with broadcast standards, various parts were edited out; Parker described the final result as a "horrible little medley with all humor absent". The studio sent the original tape to Parker and Stone over the weekend with plans to send it to MTV on Monday to prepare it for a Wednesday airdate. Instead, Stone took the tape home, and Paramount threatened to sue Parker and Stone in response.<ref name="Playboy"/> Parker also noted that the title is an innuendo, and that "they (the MPAA) just didn't get it". The film was originally titled South Park: All Hell Breaks Loose, but was changed when the MPAA objected to the use of the word hell. Parker later revealed that the final title, which he personally considered worse, doubles as a reference to an uncircumcised penis.<ref name="HistorySP">Template:Cite news</ref>

Music

Template:Main Template:Listen The film's songs were written by Parker and the film's score composer Marc Shaiman. The fourteen songs in the film recall various Broadway musicals.<ref name="timemag">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The soundtrack also parodies many familiar Disney conventions, with several songs spoofing such films as Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.<ref name="reviewmusic"/> "Mountain Town" has been compared to Oklahoma! and Beauty and the BeastTemplate:'s "Belle", while "La Résistance (Medley)" was favorably compared to Les Misérables.<ref name="reviewmusic1">Template:Cite news</ref> "I'm Super" recalls "Be Our Guest" and South PacificTemplate:'s "Honey Bun", and "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch" echoes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; "Up There", "I Can Change" and the "Mountain Town (Reprise)" recall The Little MermaidTemplate:'s "Part of Your World", "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and "Part of Your World (Finale)"; and "Uncle Fucka" also drew comparisons to Oklahoma!, particularly in its coda.<ref name="timelist"/> "Hell Isn't Good", which accompanies Kenny's descent to Hell, was sung by an uncredited James Hetfield.<ref name="Commentary" />

The soundtrack received critical acclaim, with Entertainment Weekly describing it as "a cast album that gleefully sends up all the Hollywood musical conventions we're being deprived of".<ref name="reviewmusic">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The soundtrack was released June 15, 1999, by Atlantic Records. "Blame Canada" was frequently highlighted as one of the best songs in the album and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. "I was like, 'We're going to get nominated for an Academy Award for this.' I really was," Parker said. "I even told him [Shaiman]."<ref name="blame">Template:Cite news</ref> Shaiman spoke of the song, "We're making fun of people who pick ridiculous targets to blame anything about what's going on in their lives, so Canada was just the perfect, ridiculous, innocuous choice for a target."<ref name="blame"/> In 2011, Time called the soundtrack the "finest, sassiest full-movie musical score since the disbanding of the Freed unit at MGM."<ref name="timelist">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Release

The film's rating was lowered to R from an initial NC-17 following multiple appeals; some theaters stationed their ushers in front of their entrances to prevent underage patrons from sneaking into the film.

Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures (whose respective parent companies Viacom and Time Warner Entertainment via HBO formerly jointly owned Comedy Central) collaborated in distributing the film; Paramount released the film in the United States, while Warner Bros. distributed the film internationally.<ref name=afi/>

The film was rated R for "pervasive vulgar language and crude sexual humor, and for some violent images" by the Motion Picture Association of America.<ref name="pittsburgh"/> The board's objections to the film were described in highly specific terms in private memos by Paramount executives. The MPAA initially insisted on the more prohibitive NC-17 rating.<ref name="rating">Template:Cite news</ref> Of the six times the film was screened to the MPAA, it was designated NC-17 after five screenings,<ref name="rating2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> the last of which was two weeks before its scheduled release. A marketing agent from Paramount called Parker and Stone and explained that the studio "needed" an R. In response, Stone contacted executive producer Scott Rudin, who in turn called a Paramount executive and, in Stone's words, "freaked out on them". The film's rating was lowered to R the following day, with the original film intact.<ref name="Playboy"/> "The ratings board only cared about the dirty words; they're so confused and arbitrary," said Parker to The New York Times. "They didn't blink twice because of violence."<ref name="rating"/> During production of the film's trailer, the MPAA objected to certain words but found no issue with a scene in which soldiers are shot dead. "They had a problem with words, not bullets," he said.<ref name="rating"/> The MPAA gave Paramount specific notes for the film; in contrast, Parker and Stone's NC-17-rated Orgazmo, released in 1998 by Rogue Pictures, was not given any specifications on how to be acceptable for an R rating.<ref name="Playboy"/> One of these notes stated that if the script exceeded 400 swear words, the movie would be given an NC-17 rating. Parker and Stone responded to this by using 399. The duo attributed the R rating to the fact that Paramount and Warner Bros. are both members of the MPAA; the former denied these claims.<ref name="rating1">Template:Cite news</ref> In the United Kingdom, the film was given a 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Classification for "frequent coarse language and crude sexual references" with no edits made.<ref name="BBFC" /> In Australia, it was rated MA15+ (Mature accompanied for those under 15) by the Australian Classification Board. In Canada, the film received 18A and 14A certificates in most provinces, and a 13+ certificate in Quebec.

As predicted through the characters' actions in the film, there were numerous news reports of underage patrons unsuccessfully attempting to sneak into the film.<ref name="rating1"/> There were also reports of adolescents seeing the film under the pretense of purchasing tickets to Warner Bros.' Wild Wild West, which was released on the same date.<ref name="wild">Template:Cite news</ref> This was a result of an industry-wide crackdown on such attempts, as proposed by President Bill Clinton in response to the moral panic generated by the Columbine High School massacre two months before the film's release.<ref name="crackdown">Template:Cite news</ref> The film was cited, along with American Pie, as an explicit film released in the summer of 1999 tempting underage youth to sneak into theaters.<ref name="tempters">Template:Cite news</ref> There were similar reports of the film attracting an underage crowd when the film was released in the United Kingdom in August 1999.<ref name="tempters1">Template:Cite news</ref>

In the aftermath of Columbine in relation to the film's release, Parker was questioned whether he felt "youth culture [was] under fire", to which he commented: "[I]t's amazingly strange, because that climate is what the movie is all about, and we wrote it more than a year ago. So when [Columbine] happened, we were like, 'Wow.' What we wrote about in this movie came true in terms of people's attitudes. The movie is also about war, and then that happened, too."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Hayes responded to conservatives urging prudishness as a cure for society's ills: "If we give in to that and allow [entertainment] to become a scapegoat, you might wind up living in who-knows-what kind of state... If you believe in [your artistic vision] and you've got a moral conviction, take it to 'em!"<ref name="ewe">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The rating of the film later brought comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, which was released in theaters in a digitally altered and censored version two weeks after South Park;<ref name="usatodayreview"/> the original cut was rated NC-17 before Warner Bros. altered it to ensure an R rating. In response to these debates and controversy, Stone called the MPAA a "bumbling, irresponsible organization".<ref name="eyeswideshut">Template:Cite news</ref>

The film was theatrically re-released for two nights by Fathom Events on June 23 and June 26, 2024, to coincide with the film's 25th anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Promotion

Paramount's licensing arm significantly expanded retail distribution beyond specialty stores (Hot Topic, Spencer's) to major retailers (Target, J.C. Penney), which involved carefully stripping T-shirts of objectionable material.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Licensing industry observers credited Comedy Central with carving out a profitable niche in an industry dominated by partnerships linking fast-food restaurants and major film studios, which was particularly difficult for South Park, as fast-food chains did not want to associate with the series' content.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eventually, J.C. Penney ended its South Park tie-ins in April 1999 as a result of customer complaints.<ref name="jcpenney">Template:Cite news</ref> In July 1999, Parker and Stone appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote the film's release. During the interview, Parker and Stone showed a clip of the film in which O'Brien (Brent Spiner) hands over Terrance and Phillip to the US government before committing suicide. Upon seeing the clip, O'Brien responded that his interns thought that it was "really funny", but were annoyed that the Late Night set was portrayed as on the top floor of the GE Building, when it was really on the sixth floor.<ref>Late Night With Conan O'Brien; July 7, 1999</ref> The film also suffered negative publicity before release. It was initially reported that on the day of the Columbine massacre, a friend of the perpetrators, Chris Morris, was seen wearing a black T-shirt depicting characters from South Park.<ref name="columbine">Template:Cite news</ref> Both Parker and Stone are from Colorado, and Stone attended the nearby Heritage High School. Following the massacre, Stone took a three-day sabbatical: "Nothing seemed funny after that", he said.<ref name="rating"/> South Park was also, at the time, generally waning in popularity: ratings dropped nearly 40 percent with the premiere of the third season and, according to Entertainment Weekly, "it [wasn't] the pop-culture behemoth it was last year [1998]".<ref name="rating2"/> In response to the decline, Parker commented, "Suddenly we suck and we're not cool anymore. The funny thing is, last year we were saying the same things and we were hip, fresh, and cute. Now they're telling us we're pushing 30, we're failures, and we're sellouts."<ref name="rating2"/>

Home media

The film was released on DVD in the US on November 23, 1999, with a VHS release initially exclusively as a rental.<ref name="dvdrelease">Template:Cite news</ref> A traditional retail VHS release was issued on May 16, 2000.<ref name="vhsrelease">Template:Cite news</ref> The DVD contained three theatrical trailers for special features, which many criticized as being typical of "bare-bones" DVD releases.<ref name="dvdreview">Template:Cite news</ref> A LaserDisc release was issued on January 18, 2000; this release is markedly rare, as it was issued late in the format's lifespan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film was re-released on Blu-ray on June 30, 2009, ten years after its theatrical release. In addition to the trailers, this release featured an audio commentary from Parker and Stone and a special "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" music video. This release was sourced from the original film negative, which resulted in audio sync issues.<ref name="blureview">Template:Cite news</ref> IGN's Scott Lowe explained, "Although clearly aged, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut looks great and is free of the washed out, compressed imperfections of previous standard definition releases of the film."<ref name="blureview2"/> However, Michael Zupan of DVDTalk notes that an automatic digital scratch removal process may have inadvertently removed some intentional lines from the picture, notably during Cartman's first scene with the V-chip.<ref name="dvdtalk">Template:Cite news</ref> In the commentary, Parker and Stone, as well as other crew members, reveal that they had no recollection of making the film due to heavy scheduling.<ref name="blureview3"/><ref name="dvdtalk"/> The film was released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on June 25, 2024.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

Box office

On a $21 million budget, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut opened at number four behind Wild Wild West, Big Daddy, and Tarzan, with a gross of $14,783,983 over the four-day Independence Day weekend from 2,128 theaters for an average of $6,947 per theater ($11,090,000 and an average of $5,211 over three days) and a total of $19,637,409 since its Wednesday launch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It dropped to eighth place in its second weekend, grossing $7.1 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It went on to gross $52,037,603 in the United States and Canada, with the 3-day opening making up 22% of the final domestic gross. It made an additional $31.1 million internationally for a total of $83,137,603 worldwide.<ref name="boxofficemojo.com"/>

It was the highest-grossing R-rated animated film since Akira (1988), until it was surpassed by Sausage Party (2016), which grossed more than $140 million worldwide;<ref name="boxofficemojo.com"/> that record was, in turn, surpassed by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train in 2020, which grossed more than $500 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut has Template:A or an approval rating based on reviews from Template:RT data critics, and an average rating of Template:RT data. The website's consensus states: "Its jokes are profoundly bold and rude but incredibly funny at the same time."<ref>Template:Cite Rotten TomatoesTemplate:RT data</ref> On Metacritic it has a score of 73 out of 100 based on reviews from 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>Template:Cite Metacritic</ref> Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B−" on scale of A to F.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rita Kempley of The Washington Post described it as "outrageously profane" and "wildly funny", writing that "While censorship is the filmmakers' main target […] [Parker and Stone's] favorite monster is the Motion Picture Association of America, self-appointed guardians of the nation's chastity. It's all in good dirty fun and in service of their pro-tolerance theme."<ref name="review">Template:Cite news</ref> Stephen Holden of The New York Times regarded the film's "self-justifying moral" as "about mass entertainment, censorship and freedom of speech." He also praised Cartman's subjection to the V-chip as "the movie's sharpest satirical twist, reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange".<ref name="review2">Template:Cite news</ref> Entertainment Weekly graded the film an A− and commended the film's message in a post-Columbine society, as well as the musical numbers, which "brilliantly parody / honor the conventions of Broadway show tunes and, especially, the Disney-formula ditties that began with Alan Menken and Howard Ashman."<ref name="review3">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Writing for The Washington Post, Michael O'Sullivan neutrally regarded the film's offensive nature, commenting "Yes, the lampooning is more broad than incisive, but under the bludgeoning of this blunt instrument very few sacred cows are left standing."<ref name="review4">Template:Cite news</ref> Reviewing the film for Time, Richard Corliss wrote that "you may laugh yourself sick – as sick as this ruthlessly funny movie is."<ref name="time">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Corliss later named the film his fifth favorite animated film of all time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The film also had detractors, without noting the conservative family groups offended by the film's humor.<ref name="NPR">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Jack Mathews of the Daily News suggested the film's running time made Parker and Stone "run out of ideas".<ref name="review1">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Roger Ebert stated that the "vicious social satire" of the film both "offended" and "amazed" him. Ebert rated the film Template:Frac of 4 stars, calling it "the year's most slashing political commentary", but also wrote that "it is too long and runs out of steam, but it serves as a signpost for our troubled times. Just for the information it contains about the way we live now, thoughtful and concerned people should see it. After all, everyone else will."<ref name="ebert">Template:Cite news</ref>

Accolades

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Blame Canada". As a joke, Parker and Stone attended the 72nd Academy Awards ceremony in drag. It was later revealed on 6 Days to Air that they were high on LSD during the pre-show and the ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When "Blame Canada" was scheduled to be performed, ABC requested that lyrics be written to comply with their S&P department.<ref name="blame1"/> "It would be ironic to have to change the words in a movie about censorship," remarked Shaiman.<ref name="blame1">Template:Cite news</ref> The department was particularly critical of the song's use of the word fuck and allusions to the Ku Klux Klan. When Parker and Shaiman declined these requests, Robin Williams, a friend of Shaiman's, performed the song with black tape over his mouth and turned his back when profanities were sung.<ref name="blame2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The award ultimately went to Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart", as featured in Tarzan. In response, Parker and Stone ridiculed him in two consecutive episodes of the series' fourth season: "Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000" and "Timmy 2000".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In the DVD commentary for the latter episode, Parker states that they were "fully expecting to lose, just not to Phil Collins".<ref name="ParkerComm1">Template:Cite video</ref>

List of awards and nominations
Award / Film Festival Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result
Academy Awards March 26, 2000 Best Original Song Template:Plainlist for "Blame Canada" rowspan="5" Template:Nom
Annie Awards November 6, 1999 Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Mary Kay Bergman
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production Template:Plainlist
American Film Foundation March 2, 2000 E Pluribus Unum Award for Feature Film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Chicago Film Critics Association March 13, 2000 Best Original Score Template:Plainlist Template:Won
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards January 10, 2000 Best Animated Film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Template:Nom
Los Angeles Film Critics Association January 19, 2000 Best Music Template:Plainlist rowspan="3" Template:Won
MTV Movie Awards June 3, 2000 Best Musical Sequence Terrance and Phillip – "Uncle Fucka"
Motion Picture Sound Editors March 25, 2000 Best Sound Editing - Music - Animation Template:Plainlist
Best Sound Editing - Animated Feature South Park: Bigger. Longer & Uncut Template:Nom
New York Film Critics Circle Awards January 9, 2000 Best Animated Film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut rowspan="2" Template:Won
OFTA Film Awards 2000 Best Music, Original Score Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman
Best Animated Picture Trey Parker rowspan="2" Template:Nom
Best Music, Adapted Song "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch"
Online Film Critics Society Awards January 2, 2000 Best Original Score Marc Shaiman Template:Won
Golden Satellite Awards January 16, 2000 Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut rowspan="2" Template:Nom
Best Original Song "Mountain Town"
Village Voice Film Poll 2000 Best Film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Template:Draw

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Lists and records

Legacy

Following its release, MPAA president Jack Valenti stated that he regretted not giving the film an NC-17 rating.<ref name="usatodayreview">Template:Cite news</ref> In response to the film's controversy, the MPAA expanded its system with detailed descriptions adjacent to its ratings beginning in 2000.<ref name="ratingmpaa">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The film's use of profanity earned it a 2001 Guinness World Record for "Most Swearing in an Animated Movie" (399 profanities, including 139 uses of fuck; 128 offensive gestures; and 221 acts of violence).<ref name="Guinness2001">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Web.archive.org">Template:Cite web</ref>

In the song "Uncle Fucka", fuck is said 31 times. Throughout 2000, Blink-182 often ended songs on their The Mark, Tom and Travis Show Tour with lines from "Uncle Fucka". The lines can be heard on the band's live album, The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!).<ref name="blink">Template:Cite news</ref>

While the actual Saddam Hussein was on trial for genocide charges in 2006, Stone joked that the U.S. military was repeatedly showing Saddam the film as a form of torture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Parker and Stone were given a signed photo of Saddam by American soldiers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Subsequent film development

In 2007, during development of the "Imaginationland" trilogy, Parker and Stone described the possibility of producing it as a film but ultimately abandoned these plans amid a demanding production schedule.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Parker and Stone said in a 2008 interview that a theatrically released sequel would most likely be what concludes the series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2011, when the official South Park website FAQ was asked whether a sequel would be made, it was replied to with, "the first South Park movie was so potent, we're all still recovering from the blow. Unfortunately, at the current moment, there are no plans for a second South Park movie. But you never know what the future may bring, crazier things have happened..."<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

In 2013, Warner Bros. relinquished its rights to co-finance any further South Park films during their negotiations to co-finance Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. Previous efforts to produce another South Park film were complicated by both Paramount and Warner Bros. retaining certain rights to the IP. The deal mentioned that Paramount had the next five years to develop another film or else Warner Bros. regains the rights. It never came to be so Warner Bros. continues to share them with Paramount.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In August 2021, a series of 14 television specials was announced for Paramount+ as part of a multi-year deal with Parker and Stone, the first two of which premiered in November and December 2021.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="PostCOVID">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="press release">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="Hollywood">Template:Cite web</ref> The projects were originally announced as films, which Parker and Stone later denied.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

Template:Portal

Template:Clear

References

Template:Notelist Template:Reflist

Template:Sister project links

Template:South Park Template:New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film Template:Trey Parker and Matt Stone Template:Comedy Central Films Template:Warner Bros. theatrical animated features Template:Paramount theatrical animated features Template:Authority control

Template:Portal bar Template:Good article

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=South_Park:_Bigger,_Longer_%26_Uncut&oldid=159017"