We're the Millers
We're the Millers is a 2013 American crime comedy film directed by Rawson M. Thurber and starring Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Quinn, and Ed Helms. The film's screenplay was written by Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders, and John Morris, based on a story by Fisher and Faber. The plot follows a small-time pot dealer (Sudeikis) who convinces his neighbors to help him by pretending to be his family, in order to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States.
We're the Millers | |
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Directed by | Rawson Marshall Thurber |
Screenplay by |
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Story by |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Barry Peterson |
Edited by | Mike Sale |
Music by |
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Production companies |
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $37 million[2] |
Box office | $270 million[3] |
The film was released on August 7, 2013, by New Line Cinema through Warner Bros. Pictures. Despite mixed reviews, it grossed $270 million worldwide during its theatrical run, against a $37 million budget. It was nominated for four People's Choice Awards, and six MTV Movie Awards, winning two.
Plot
A low-level marijuana dealer living in Denver, David Clark, is robbed of his money and stash, some of which he owes to his drug supplier, Brad Gurdlinger. Gurdlinger forces him to smuggle marijuana from Mexico to clear his debt. Realizing that one man attempting to get through customs would be suspicious, David hires a stripper neighbor stage-named Rose, a 19-year-old runaway named Casey, and his awkward 18-year-old neighbor Kenny to pose as a bogus family called the "Millers".
When the Millers reach the compound, they find out that the amount of marijuana they are picking up is not "a smidge" as Gurdlinger had informed them, but actually two tons' worth. The Millers are stopped by a police officer, who surmises that they are carrying drugs. David pays him a bribe, and the Millers go on their way. The Millers are detained at the border, but the border agents are distracted by noncitizens and let the Millers go them without inspecting the RV.
Because of the extra load from the marijuana on the RV, one of the radiator hoses breaks. A family called the Fitzgeralds (consisting of Don, Edie, and Melissa) who the Millers had encountered at the border catches up to them and tows their RV to a repair shop. On the way to the shop, David learns that Don Fitzgerald is a DEA agent. Kenny develops a crush on Melissa. After Kenny reveals that he has never kissed a girl, Casey and Rose give him kissing lessons; Melissa sees them.
It turns out that Gurdlinger misled David, and that his plan is to steal the marijuana from cartel boss Pablo Chacon. The next day, when the Millers head to the shop to pick up the RV, Chacon and his henchman, One-Eye, wait for them and prepare to kill them. The Millers tell Chacon that they aren't a real family and that they didn't know they were stealing from him. Rose is given a chance to prove that she is a stripper by dancing, and when she gets close to Chacon, she turns a steam vent onto him. The Millers then escape in the RV, with Kenny behind the wheel. Due to Kenny's erratic driving, the RV veers off the highway. A tarantula crawls up Kenny's leg, biting his testicle.
After Kenny has a severe allergic reaction to the bite, the Millers head to the hospital. This setback further delays the delivery of the drugs, but David renegotiates with Gurdlinger for a fee of $500,000 on the condition that he arrives that night. When Kenny is finally released from the hospital, David rushes him to the RV in a wheelchair and accidentally tips him over. In the ensuing argument, David inadvertently reveals how much he is getting paid, in comparison to how little he offered to pay each of the others. Casey, Rose, and Kenny are disgusted by the revelation, and David leaves them at the local carnival. After a young man named Scottie P gets fresh with Casey, Rose knocks him down.
Shortly after leaving, David regrets abandoning his companions and returns, begging them to come back with him. They agree to do so. On their way to the RV, One-Eye discovers them and is about to shoot them, but Don comes out of his camper and subdues him. Chacon then comes around the corner with Melissa held at gunpoint and is about to kill them all, but is momentarily distracted by the 4th of July fireworks. David and Kenny subdue him. David kisses Rose, and Kenny kisses Melissa. Don arrests Chacon, but lets the Millers leave.
When David delivers the drugs to Gurdlinger, DEA agents arrest Gurdlinger. The agent in charge is Don, who tells David that he will have to remain in witness protection until the trial of Gurdlinger and Chacon. He then adds that anyone that was a witness to the crime will be in protection as well. The Millers are then seen together at a suburban house where several marijuana plants are growing in the garden.
Cast
- Jason Sudeikis as David Clark, a drug dealer who forms the Millers. He poses as Rose's husband and as Casey and Kenny’s father.
- Jennifer Aniston as Rose O'Reilly/Sarah, a stripper hired by David to pose as his wife and as the mother of his hired kids, Casey and Kenny.
- Will Poulter as Kenny Rossmore, a socially awkward 18-year-old neighbor of David's who is hired to pose as his and Rose's teenage son and Casey's brother.
- Emma Roberts as Casey Mathis, a 19-year-old runaway from neglectful parents, and thief, hired by David to pose as his and Rose's teenage daughter and Kenny's sister.
- Ed Helms as Brad Gurdlinger, a drug lord who hires David to smuggle marijuana from Mexico and one of the film's two main villains.
- Nick Offerman as Don Fitzgerald, Edie's husband, Melissa's father and a DEA agent who befriends the Millers.
- Kathryn Hahn as Edie Fitzgerald, Don's wife and Melissa's mother.
- Molly Quinn as Melissa Fitzgerald, Don and Edie's teenage daughter and Kenny's love interest.
- Tomer Sisley as Pablo Chacon, a Mexican drug lord and one of the film's two main villains.
- Matthew Willig as One-Eye, Pablo's henchman.
- Luis Guzmán as a Mexican cop who demands a bribe from the Millers.
- Thomas Lennon as Rick Nathanson, a former college classmate of David's.
- Mark L. Young as Scottie P, a kiddie ride attendant who befriends and later sexually harasses Casey.
- Ken Marino as Todd, the sleazy owner of the strip club where Rose works.
- Laura-Leigh as Kymberly, one of Rose's fellow strippers.
- Scott Adsit as Doctor.
- Sam Richardson as TSA Agent.
Production
Development of the movie first began in 2002.[4] Steve Buscemi, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman were all attached at one point to play David Clark, and Peter Cattaneo had signed on to direct at one point. Burr Steers and eventual rewriters Sean Anders and John Morris were considered to direct.[5][6] In April 2012, various sources broke the news that Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis were in talks to star in the film.[7][8] Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Ed Helms and Kathryn Hahn were added in July.[9][10]
Production began in Wilmington, North Carolina, on July 23, 2012.[9] Filming also took place in New Mexico.[11] It was presented during the 2013 Traverse City Film Festival.[12]
Release
The film was released in theaters on August 7, 2013, in the United States,[13] and on August 23, 2013, in the United Kingdom. It was released on September 18, 2013, in France, and was released on November 8, 2013, in Spain.
Home media
We're the Millers was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 19, 2013, by Warner Home Video.[14][15] The DVD was released as a two-disc special edition, containing two versions of the film: the original theatrical version, and the "unrated" extended cut with 8 minutes of new material and 45 minutes of featurettes, outtakes and deleted scenes.
Reception
Box office
We're the Millers grossed over seven times its $37 million budget, earning over $150 million in North America and $119 million internationally for a worldwide total of $270 million.[13]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 49% based on 160 reviews with an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "We're the Millers squanders its potential with an uneven, lazily assembled story."[16] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[18]
Accolades
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
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2013 | Key Art Awards | Best Trailer – Audio/Visual | Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Trailer Park | Nominated |
2014 | People's Choice Awards[19] | Favorite Movie Actress | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated |
Favorite Comedic Movie Actress | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated | ||
Favorite On-Screen Chemistry | Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis | Nominated | ||
Favorite Comedic Movie | We're the Millers | Nominated | ||
British Academy Film Awards | BAFTA Rising Star Award | Will Poulter | Won | |
Empire Awards | Best Male Newcomer | Will Poulter | Nominated | |
MTV Movie Awards[20][21] | Best Female Performance | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated | |
Best Breakthrough Performance | Will Poulter | Won | ||
Best Shirtless Performance | Jennifer Aniston | Nominated | ||
Best Kiss | Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Jennifer Aniston | Won | ||
Best Song from a Movie | Will Poulter – Waterfalls | Nominated | ||
Best Comedic Performance | Jason Sudeikis | Nominated | ||
Teen Choice Awards[22] | Choice Movie Actress: Comedy | Emma Roberts | Won | |
Choice Movie: Liplock | Emma Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Will Poulter | Nominated | ||
Choice Movie: Hissy Fit | Jason Sudeikis | Nominated | ||
2015 | Casting Society of America | Big Budget Comedy | Lisa Beach, Sarah Katzman, Lisa Mae Fincannon, Jeremy Gordon, Beth Lipari, Dana Salerno | Nominated |
Possible sequel
On February 25, 2014, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema announced that a sequel to We're the Millers was in development, titled We're Still the Millers, with Adam Sztykiel writing the script.[23] As of 2022, there have still been no updates on the possible sequel.
References
- "WE'RE THE MILLERS (15)". British Board of Film Classification. June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- McClintock, Pamela (August 6, 2013). "Box Office Preview: 'Elysium' Aims for $35 Million-Plus Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- "We're the Millers (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- Eisenberg, Eric (July 26, 2011). "Jason Bateman To Play A Middle-Aged Pot Dealer In We're The Millers". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
- White, James (September 7, 2010). "New Line High Again On We're The Millers". Empire. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- Kit, Borys (November 3, 2005). "Arnett eyeing 'Millers' role for New Line". The Holywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 5, 2006. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- Fernandez, Jay; Kit, Borys (April 9, 2012). "Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis in Talks to Star in New Line's 'We're the Millers'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- White, James (December 5, 2006). "Aniston Could Say We're The Millers". Empire. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- Abrams, Rachel (July 13, 2012). "Emma Roberts in talks for 'We're the Millers'". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- McNary, Dave (July 12, 2012). "Kathryn Hahn joins 'Millers' cast". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- "'We're the Millers' to film in NM – Albuquerque Business First". Bizjournals.com. September 5, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- "Traverse City Film Festival gets underway Tuesday with early showing of "We're the Millers," starring Jennifer Aniston". The Oakland Press. July 29, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- "We're the Millers (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- "We're the Millers (DVD)". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- "We're the Millers (Blu-ray)". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- "We're The Millers (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- "We're the Millers". Metacritic. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- Finke, Nikki (August 12, 2013). "'Elysium' #1 But Can't Break $30M, 'The Millers' #2, 'Planes' #3, 'Percy Jackson: Monsters' #4; 'Smurfs 2' Now $156M Global". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- "People's Choice Awards: Fan Favorites in Movies, Music & TV – PeoplesChoice.com". Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- "2014 MTV Movie Awards: Full Nominations List". MTV. March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- "MTV Movie Awards: Winners List". Variety. April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- Nordyke, Kimberly (August 10, 2014). "Teen Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
- Anderton, Ethan (February 25, 2014). "New Line Hires 'Due Date' Writer to Script 'We're the Millers' Sequel". firstshowing.net. Retrieved February 25, 2014.