GUEST COLUMN: "Hoot": Everything You Didn't Know You Wanted to Know About This 2006 Film

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"Hoot": Everything You Didn't Know You Wanted to Know About This 2006 Film

By Kevin Gardner

Made in 2006, "Hoot" is a family comedy based on Carl Hiaasen's novel. Wil Shriner wrote and directed the movie, and Walden Media and New Line Cinema produced it.

The film stars include Robert Wagner, Luke Wilson, Tim Blake Nelson, Brie Larson, Logan Lerman, and Neil Flynn. Much of the filming occurred in Florida, home to the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale. While the film was considered a "bomb" at the box office and got mixed reviews from critics, there's no question that kids of this era loved it.

An Overview of "Hoot"

The movie tells the story of a group of children working together to sell the habitat of a burrowing owl. The owl's habitat is located where the new, local pancake house is set to be constructed. The project's developer has plans to move forward with the construction, no matter the damage to the environment.

One of the unique aspects of this film is that it includes live burrowing owls. There is also music by Jimmy Buffet, who is also listed as a co-producer and seen in the movie as the science teacher, Mr. Ryan.

The Plot of "Hoot"

Roy A. Eberhardt, played by Logan Lerman, is a middle school student in the movie. He recently moved to Coconut Cove, Florida, with his parents played by Flynn and Warren from Montana. When he arrives at his new school, he is bullied by Dana Matherson, played by Eric Phillips. During the bullying, Lerman breaks Matterson's nose and is suspended from riding the school bus for three days. Eventually, Roy makes two friends with whom he begins to hang out.

At the same time, an unknown individual is thought to be responsible for sabotaging the construction site of "Mother Paula's Pancake House," which is being managed by the corrupt Chuck Muckle. Officer David Delinko (played by Luke Wilson) parks his police cruiser on the construction site to catch the person responsible. However, during his time there, he falls asleep, and the prankster vandalizes his car. Roy and his parents find out about all the pranks and vandalism the next morning in the paper.

Eventually, Roy finds out that they must kill the burrowing owls who live there to construct the pancake house. His new friend admits to the pranks that were done to help halt construction, and Roy decides to join the efforts to stop the destruction of the endangered owl's habitat.

The trio of friends lets the local officer and the rest of the town know about the presence of the owls. They also manage to wait for the owls to emerge, which leads to the arrest of Muckle. The owner of the new pancake house, Kimberly or Mother Paula, offers to convert the site into a preserve for the owl and fires Muckle publicly.

Roy and his parents remain in Florida, and the officer is promoted to detective. Dana, the bully, is sent to military school, and Muckle gets 90 days of community service. The land where the owl's life is transformed into a sanctuary so the owls can keep their home. Roy and his new friends live "happily ever after" at the end.

Watching "Hoot"

As you can see from the review above, "Hoot" is a movie filled with turmoil and problems the cast must overcome. While it did not get great ratings when it was released, it's still a heartwarming family film that you and your kids can enjoy together. For teachers, it's also a great film to show on a rainy day, as it is entertaining, funny, and informative. Check it out to see what you think of this "oldie but goodie."