Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)
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Two brothers are forced to bond over a weekend while trying to navigate the pressures of middle school and a local talent show.
The story
Parents Frank and Susan Heffley instruct their sons, Greg and Rodrick, to spend more time together, offering 'mom bucks' as an incentive for their bonding. While Susan is away, Rodrick throws a wild party that Greg and his friend Rowley end up participating in. The brothers manage to bond during the event, but they are forced to clean up the mess before their parents return early. When the secret of the party is discovered, the brothers face consequences, leading to a weekend at their grandfather's retirement home where Greg meets his crush, Holly Hills.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Parents Frank and Susan Heffley tell their sons Greg and Rodrick that they need to spend more time together, incentivizing them with 'mom bucks' for a parenting column Susan is writing. When a local talent show is announced, Rodrick hopes it will be a big break for his band, Löded Diper. After Rodrick stains Greg's pants at church, causing a scandal, Susan, Frank, and Manny go on a trip, leaving the brothers home alone. Rodrick throws a wild party, and despite the initial chaos, Greg and Rodrick begin to bond. They frantically clean the house before their parents return early due to Manny being sick. After a series of lies and a bathroom door swap, the truth comes out when Frank finds photographic evidence of the party. The brothers are punished by spending a weekend at their grandfather's retirement home. There, Greg meets his crush, Holly Hills, who is also dealing with sibling issues. At the talent show, Rodrick is kicked out of his band, and Rowley's magic act faces difficulties. Greg strikes a deal with Susan to assist Rowley in exchange for Rodrick performing. The act is praised as a comedy skit, while Susan's dancing at the edge of the stage goes viral on YouTube, eventually leading to Rodrick reconciling with Greg.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Bowers
- Writers
- Jeff Judah · screenplay; Gabe Sachs · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Zachary Gordon · Greg Heffley; Devon Bostick · Rodrick; Rachael Harris · Susan Heffley; Robert Capron · Holly Hills; Steve Zahn · Frank Heffley
- Genres
- comedy; children's comedy; live action; animation
- Themes
- sibling rivalry; bonding; middle school life; reputation
- Tone and mood
- peppy; brightly lighted; sitcom-ish
- Premise and plot tags
- brothers; middle school; dysfunctional family; comedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2008 novel
- Franchise connections
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Content notes
- live action; animation
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, though it was a box office success in the US and Canada.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Production trivia
- The mall scene was filmed at Park Royal Mall in West Vancouver.; The roller rink scene was filmed at the PNE Agrodome because Vancouver lacked a real roller rink.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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