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 series Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

The film stars Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Devon Bostick, Connor and Owen Fielding, and Chloë Moretz. Although it is rated PG for mild humor and language, the TV spot was played on "kid friendly" Nickelodeon network. This film was released to mixed reviews, and is based on the first "Wimpy Kid" Book.

Plot
The film opens with Rodrick (Devon Bostick), who wakes up 12-year-old Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) to get out of Greg's bed. In the movie, Greg is anxious to start middle school, confident he will easily become the school's most popular kid. However, Greg worries about how his "uncool" best friend, Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron), will fit in. While Rowley is a good friend who helps Greg escape his terrorizing older brother, Rodrick, Greg worries that Rowley's "dorky" clothes and personality will embarrass both of them.

On their first day, Greg and Rowley meet Angie (Chloë Moretz), a seventh grader who works for the school’s paper. Throughout the school year, Angie gives Greg and Rowley information about the workings of middle school, which she believes was created to store kids while they make the awkward transition between children to teenagers. Classmate Chirag Gupta (Karan Brar) 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 (Harrison Houde) initiated the Cheese Touch; anyone who touches the cheese becomes an outcast until they 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 backfire. His popularity quickly drops as he loses to Patty Farrell (Laine MacNeil), Greg’s arch-enemy, in Scholastic wrestling (taught by Coach Malone (Andrew McNee). While Greg and Rowley go trick-or-treating they anger teenagers by threatening to call the cops on them after they spray him and Rowley with a fire extignuisher, and then damages their Ford F150 with a weed whacker. Greg joins the geeky Safety Patrol alongside Rowley. While playing a game Greg invented; breaks Rowley's arm during winter time. 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 ideas.

Greg and Rowley’s friendship falls apart after Greg allows Rowley to unwittingly take the blame for a mistake 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 (Alex Ferris). Greg tries to move on by having a sleep over with Fregley (Grayson Russell), 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 in the middle of 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 a 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.

The kids return and find the partially eaten 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 it backfires as everyone runs away from Greg, who now has the Cheese Touch. 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", 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
Brad Simpson said that they will make a movie for all the books. Also an actor (not in the movie) that has access to sites says the casting is complete and the film is entering preproduction. This means that there will be 5 movies. Chloe Moretz would not be playing on Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 because actress Peyton R.List would play Holly Hills.

Cast

 * Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, the main protagonist of the film, who is also the narrator. He is bullied by other kids at school and somewhat Rodrick. 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 waste-land".
 * Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, the deuteragonist of the film. He is not as socially awkward as he is 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 Conner and Owen Fielding trying out for the role at the last minute, these fears were canceled out.
 * Chloë Moretz as Angie Steadman, Greg's pretty classmate. She is based on Holly Hills, Greg's love interest in the books, and is almost exactly like her.
 * Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta, Greg's friend. He saves Greg from getting the Cheese Touch on one occasion.
 * Greyson Russell as Fregley, Greg's odd classmate.
 * Alex Ferris as Collin Lee Greg's backup friend.
 * Jake D. Smith as Archie Kelly, One of Greg's partners in the school play.
 * Rob LaBelle as Mr. Winsky
 * Jennifer Clement as Mrs. Flint
 * Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell a "nerdy" classmate of Greg's. She joins the wrestling unit in the film, attacking Greg unexpectedly. Greg worried about her because Coach Malone is sad and is not going to help Greg.
 * Harrison Houde as Darren Walsh, Greg's classmate who is infamous for starting the cheese touch.

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 Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Movie tie-in book
Amulet Books (an imprint of ABRAMS) acquired the rights to publish The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, a book which has been 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.

Trivia

 * Some things like Greg's fish that appear in later books appear in the movie