Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010 film)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (also known as Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Movie) is a 2010 American live-action/animated feature film directed by Thor Freudenthal and based on the best-selling first book in the illustrated novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid series created by Jeff Kinney.

Plot
The film starts with Rodrick Heffley, who wakes up Greg Heffley as a prank to make him think it's time for school. Greg is anxious to start middle school but confident that he will easily become the school's most popular kid. However, Greg worries about how his unusual best friend, Rowley Jefferson, will fit in. While Rowley is a good friend who helps Greg escape his older brother, Rodrick, Greg worries that Rowley's clothes and personality will embarrass the both of them.

On their first day, Greg and Rowley meet Angie Steadman, a 7th grader who works for the school’s paper. Throughout the school year, Angie tells Greg and Rowley why they shouldn't enjoy middle school. Classmate Chirag Gupta tells Greg and Rowley the story behind the moldy slice of Swiss cheese laying on the blacktop; upon touching the cheese, a kid named Darren Walsh initiated the Cheese Touch; anyone who touches the cheese becomes an outcast until they can pass on the cheese touch by touching someone else. The last Cheese Touch was taken away by a German exchange student named Dieter Müller.

Greg is determined to be voted a "class favorite" and listed in the yearbook, but each of his attempts to do so backfires. His popularity quickly drops as he loses to Patty Farrell, Greg’s arch-enemy, in wrestling (taught by [Coach Malone]].

In late October, Greg and Rowley went trick-or-treating, they outraged some teenagers by threatening to call the police on them after the teens sprayed him and Rowley with a fire extinguisher, and eventually damaged their with a weed whacker. The teens kept chasing Greg and Rowley until they ran into the Devil Worshipper Woods.

Greg joins the Safety Patrol alongside Rowley. While playing a game Greg invented; he breaks Rowley's arm during wintertime. In school, everyone notices Rowley's broken arm and Rowley becomes very popular, much to Greg’s dismay. Rowley's popularity increases when he beats Greg to become the school paper's cartoonist, despite Greg's dismissal of his farts.

Greg and Rowley’s friendship falls apart after Greg allows Rowley to unwittingly take the blame for a mistake that Greg made during Safety Patrol. After Greg tells Rowley the truth and tries to make light of the situation, Rowley berates him for being a bad friend who cares about nothing but himself. Rowley then leaves him and befriends a kid named Collin Lee. Greg tries to move on by having a sleepover with Fregley, the weirdest and 201st most popular (past the bottom) kid in school, but Fregley's sugar-induced hyperactivity is too much for him to take. He then tries to pursue popularity without Rowley by auditioning for the school play of The Wizard of Oz but ruins the performance by starting an apple-throwing fight with Patty when she makes him mad by accusing him of trying to ruin the performance.

At the school, mother-son dance, Greg's mother (Rachael Harris) suggests Greg ask Rowley to go out for ice cream with them. However, Rowley tells Greg that he's already going out for ice cream with Collin. Later, Greg is excited when Rowley comes up to him in school but is disappointed when he learns Rowley only wants a game back. Greg refuses to return the game, causing them to get into an argument. Kids gather around them, wanting them to fight, but are quickly dispelled when the teenagers that Greg and Rowley had angered on Halloween, were looking for revenge. The teenagers force Rowley to eat the Cheese. They are about to force Greg to eat the remainder when Coach Malone, arrives and chases the teenagers away & recognizes one named Pete Hosey.

The kids return and find the partially eaten The Cheese. Patty begins to accuse Rowley, but Greg steps in and takes the blame. He picks up the Cheese and makes a profound speech about the ridiculousness of the Cheese and other middle school institutions, but Patty ruins it when she shouts that Greg has the Cheese Touch causing everyone to run away from him. Greg and Rowley make up, and Angie approaches them to compliment Greg for his bravery. Greg and Rowley make it into the class favorites list as "cutest friends", Greg becomes popular on the popularity rank to 202 and Patty gets the Cheese Touch without her knowing when she hugged Rowley (who still actually had the Cheese Touch) while handing out yearbooks, and the film ends with Greg, Rowley, and Angie laughing and Greg narrating that he still has the summer and next year ahead of him.

Sequel
The sequel, based on the second book in the Wimpy Kid series, Rodrick Rules, was released on March 25, 2011. The film was directed by David Bowers, and it has Holly Hills making her debut in the film series, replacing Angie.

Cast

 * Zachary Gordon, Nathaniel Marten, and Dylan Bell as Greg Heffley, who is the main protagonist of the film, as well as the narrator. He thinks that middle school is the worst idea ever invented, and apparently, other kids agree with him, one girl saying that middle school is an "intellectual wasteland".
 * Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, the deuteragonist of the film. He is not as socially awkward as he is in the books, but he does cause some embarrassing moments, such as telling Bryce Anderson that he has a "cute butt".
 * Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Greg’s mother. Like in the books, she sometimes makes Greg look like a wimp.
 * Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Greg’s father.
 * Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Greg’s older brother. Like his character in the books, his advice is often unhelpful, such as telling Greg not to talk to anyone or sit down next to anyone if he (Greg) is going to be able to survive middle school. He also calls Rowley on one occasion a "baby hippo".
 * Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg’s annoying little brother. Many fans feared that Manny was not going to appear in the film, but with twins Connor and Owen Fielding trying out for the role at the last minute, these fears were canceled out.
 * Chloë Moretz as Angie Steadman, Greg’s friend. She is a seventh-grader who works for the school paper and guides Greg and Rowley through Middle School during the film.
 * Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta, Greg’s friend. He saves Greg from getting the Cheese Touch on one occasion.
 * Grayson Russell as Fregley, Greg’s odd classmate.
 * Alex Ferris as Collin Lee Greg’s backup friend. Later, temporarily becomes Rowley’s "best friend".
 * Jake D. Smith as Archie Kelly, One of Greg’s partners in the school play.
 * Rob LaBelle as Mr. Winsky, the head of Safety Patrol.
 * Jennifer Clement as Mrs. Flint, Greg’s teacher.
 * Laine MacNeil and Madison Bell as Patty Farrell a nerdy-looking, selfish brat classmate of Greg’s and also arch enemy.
 * Harrison Houde as Darren Walsh, Greg’s classmate who is infamous for starting the Cheese touch
 * Severin Korfer as Dieter Muller, A German exchange student who took the Cheese Touch with him back to his homeland.
 * Aidan Gebert, Cameron Krpan, and Paolo Tolfo as Löded Diper Bandmates, Rodrick’s friends.
 * Raugi Yu as Vice Principal Roy, the Vice Principal who appears on tv giving news.
 * Andrew McNee as Coach Malone, the PE teacher.
 * Belita Moreno as Mrs. Norton, the drama teacher.
 * Nicholas Carey as Pete Hosey, one of the teenagers who bullied Greg and Rowley on Halloween and in May.
 * Samuel Patrick Chu as Wade, one of the teenagers who bullied Greg and Rowley on Halloween and in May.
 * Donnie McNeil as Carter, one of the teenagers who bullied Greg and Rowley on Halloween and in May.
 * Samantha Page as Shelly, one of Greg’s classmates.
 * Ava Hughes as Marley, one of Greg’s classmates.
 * Owen Best as Bryce Anderson, one of Greg’s classmates who said to have a “cute butt”.
 * Cainan Wiebe and Peter New as Quentin, a jerk who teased about what Rowley said to Greg.
 * Cole Heppell as the side-kick of Quentin
 * Karin Konoval as Mrs. Irvine, the woman who thought Rowley terrorized the kindergartners.
 * Kaye Capron as Mrs. Jefferson, Rowley mother.
 * Alf Humphreys as Robert Jefferson, Rowley father.
 * Talon Dunbar as Arthur, one of Greg’s partners in the school play.
 * Naomi Dane as Cheese Touch Victim 1, a girl who got the Cheese Touch.
 * Willem Jacobson as Cheese Touch Victim 2, a boy who got the Cheese Touch.
 * Sean Bygrave as Coach Brewer, a coach who demonstrates with Coach Malone on wrestling.
 * Maxine Miller as an elderly woman, a woman who got wet by Greg's dad.
 * Taya Clyne as granddaughter, a girl who got wet by Greg’s dad.
 * Nikki Frazer as a Girl at lunch.
 * Greta Makena Gibson as a Girl at lunch.
 * Nathan Smith, Kinua McWatt, and 5 Unknowns as Kindergartners.
 * Adom Osei as Marty Porter, the school treasurer.
 * Rylee Stiles as Preston Mudd, the athlete of the month.
 * Ryan Grantham as Rodney James, Kid who played the Shrub in the school play.
 * Brent Chapman as Mr. Parnell, teacher who showed the "It's Awesome To Be Me" video.
 * Ethan Shankaruk as Snot Kid. One of Greg’s classmates.
 * Jesse Wheeler as Unpopular 80s Boy. A kid who appears in the It's Great to be Me video.
 * Paul Hubbard as Brock Branigan P.I.
 * Brett Dier as 80s Breakdancer
 * Brandon Barton as 80s Jock Boy.
 * Cindy Busby as 80s Popular Girl.
 * Alicia Takase Lui, Jay Sidhu, Tori Christianson, Emerald Schreier, Benjamin D. Mitchell, Haris Cash, and Maria Crudo as Audition Kids.
 * Michael Fredrick Arnold as Janitor (Uncredited).
 * Shane Briscoe as Funny Dad
 * Unknown as Benny Wells
 * Bryce Hurless as Extra (Uncredited)
 * Joshua Rush as Extra (Uncredited)

Voices

 * Alistair Abell as Male Reporter
 * L.J Benet as Voice (Uncredited)
 * Cooper Cowgill as ADR Voice
 * Makenna Cowgill as ADR Voice
 * Jack Cygan as ADR Voice
 * Rylee Fansler as ADR Voice
 * Johnny Gillcomb as ADR Voice
 * Alexander Haney as ADR Voice
 * Angela Hanee as ADR Voice

Production
The filming of Diary of a Wimpy Kid wrapped up on October 16, 2009, and the film was released in the United States on March 19, 2010. It combines live-action with animation and is directed by Thor Freudenthal, with Zachary Gordon starring as Greg Heffley.

The official trailer for Wimpy Kid was released on the Internet on January 21, 2010 and was shown in theaters with Tooth Fairy. A poster for the film was released shortly after, and the second trailer was shown with .

Movie tie-in book
Amulet Books (an imprint of ABRAMS) acquired the rights to publish The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, a book which was completed by #1 bestselling author Jeff Kinney that was released in a one-day national laydown on Tuesday, March 16, 2010. It gives how Jeff Kinney's bestselling book in cartoons became to be a 20th Century Fox film adaptation. It also includes some all-new illustrations and full-color never-before-seen movie stills, storyboards, preliminary concept drawings, and also behind the scenes to humorously chronicle the making of the movie.

Reception
Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 101 reviews, gives the film an approval rating of 53%. The consensus given is: "Unlike its bestselling source material, Diary of a Wimpy Kid fails to place a likable protagonist at the center of its middle-school humor – and its underlying message is drowned out as a result." It also holds a "mixed or average" rating of 56 at Metacritic, based on 26 reviews. Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing "It's nimble, bright and funny. It doesn't dumb down. It doesn't patronize. It knows something about human nature." Glenn Whipp of the Associated Press was less positive, saying, "In transferring the clean, precise humor of Kinney's illustrations and prose to the big screen, the material loses just a bit of its charm." At the Movies host David Stratton gave the film one star while co-host Margaret Pomeranz gave it half a star. Stratton called the film "tiresome" and said there was "nothing remotely interesting in Thor Freudenthal's direction or the screenplay." Pomeranz disliked the character of Greg Heffley, saying "I really thought he was unpleasant. I did not want to spend time with him. I could not wait for the end of this film."

Differences between film and book

 * The humor is now slapstick rather than satire
 * There is a new character named Angie Steadman.
 * Greg eats lunch on the cafeteria floor. But in Hard Luck, on page 88, Greg also sits on the floor because there was no room when Fregley started chewing gum with his belly button.
 * At the part where Rowley is forced to eat the cheese Greg picks it up and says he ate it but in the book, he does not pick it up.
 * Patty Farrell is considered a bully toward Greg, but in the book, she has a minor role.
 * During the end of the movie Patty hugs Rowley and tells him "Stay, cute". Similar to how in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, Holly Hills puts the same thing in Rowley's yearbook.
 * Greg terrorizes the kindergartens by pushing them one by one to a muddy ditch. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid, he chased them with worms that were on the stick.
 * In the book, Greg created Zoo Wee Mama, not Rowley.

Trivia

 * Rowley mentions the fact that he went to Guatemala, despite the fact that Guatemala is in Central America, not South America.
 * This is the first film in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series.
 * Some things like Greg’s fish that appear in later books appear in the movie.
 * Despite the movie receiving mixed reviews from critics, it received positive reviews from fans of the book series. However, some fans consider the book to be better than the movie.
 * Things Rodrick does that torment Greg include: Trick Greg into thinking it is a school day when it is actually 4:00 in the morning, Chase Greg around the house and then lock him in his room.
 * In the scene when Greg is playing Twisted Wizards with Rowley at the Jefferson house you can see that Greg and Rowley are playing a Nintendo Wii.
 * In this and in the Rodrick Rules film opens with Greg narrating the opening.
 * Rodrick’s band is named "Loded Diaper" with the "a" removed.
 * Near the beginning, you can see the movie Ice Age in the background briefly, Ice Age is also a film produced by 20th Century Fox Studios.
 * The Wilhelm scream sound effect is used while Greg and Rowley were playing the Twisted Wizard game.
 * The piece of cheese on the blacktop is digital, a silicone piece was used for adding the effects for the cheese.
 * This movie was nominated at the 2011 Kid's Choice Awards.
 * Angie has never been seen in the other movies.
 * In The Last Straw, Dog Days (movie), and the very end of the online book, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the yearbooks appear.
 * There was also a book about the Wimpy Kid movies called: The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary.

Goofs

 * When Rowley hands Greg the Zoo Wee Mama comic he says "I put you in the comic this week." It's just the one with the acid puddle and squirrel with no change from the original drawing he made at Greg's house.
 * Greg takes Manny off the toilet, who leaves on the right. Susan is carrying Manny, but she comes from the left.
 * In the scene right before Rowley asks Greg if he "Wants to come over and play", Greg walks out, and you see a girl walking down the stairs behind him. When they show Rowley, the girl is again seen coming out of the school.
 * When Greg first enters class on the first day of school, Greg Heffley is written on the blackboard. In the next shot, it is gone. In the shot after that, he writes his name on the board.
 * After their first meeting with Angie under the bleachers, Greg makes an excuse about hearing the whistle signaling the end of P.E. class before dragging away Rowley by grabbing his right wrist/hand. But in the next shot, as they retreat, Greg is shown leading Rowley by the left wrist, not the right.
 * In the scene where Greg and Rowley are walking the kindergartners, Pete Hosey and his friend drive by, slowly looking at them all standing in a line. In the next scene when Greg and Rowley are laughing about not getting caught, the kindergartners are in a different order.
 * Some of the foam from the fire extinguisher is sprayed onto Greg. Two shots later, Greg is clean.
 * When Greg is confessing to Rowley about scaring the smaller children, the hallway is busy with a woman in red quickly approaching them. A second later, the hall is empty and the woman has vanished. Then she reappears and brushes past Rowley.
 * A witch decoration by the stairs in the Heffley house is moving around. In another shot, the witch is still. If you look carefully when Greg and Rowley are outside, the witch is moving again.
 * When Rodrick pulls in with the Loded Diper van, he hits a trash can, and it goes rolling up the road. When it shows Rodrick getting out, and he closes his door, the trash can is then sitting by his front bumper.
 * When Patty pins Greg, and Angie takes the picture, her hair is down, but in the newspaper, her hair is curved up.
 * In the scene when Greg runs out of Fregley's house, he leaves the door open. In the next shot, when he is hugging his dad, the door is closed.
 * As Greg and Rowley are forced to eat on the floor, a milk carton lands on Greg's tray when two guys empty their trash. When Fregley comes to sit with them, the milk carton is gone.
 * When Greg opens the school door at the start of the movie, a trash can is knocked over and is completely full. Over the summer, the trash cans would have been emptied and it was the begging of the first day back and so would've been almost empty.
 * Greg goes down on his popularity chart from 19 to 72. The 19th place would then be vacant. Rowley later fills the 19th spot. Greg later goes down from 72 to 202. The 72nd spot is vacant, but it is not filled because Greg is in spot 202 of 201.