Cloudy+with+a+Chance+of+Meatballs(film)

**Summary/Review**
Flint Lockwood has been inventing things that don't always make sense (such as spray on shoes) since he was a little kid. He had the support of his mother but when she died, he was left with his father who doesn't understand him. His father thinks he should give up being an inventor and instead work in the bait shop with him. When the community that he lives in, is in an economic crisis because their primary source of income (a sardine cannery) was shut down, Flint decides to try his latest invention, a machine that can turn water into food. But something goes wrong and the machine ends up in the atmosphere causing it to rain food. The shifty mayor tries to use this as a way to help their community, and an up and coming news intern (Sam Sparks) thinks that this story will boost her career. Along the way she befriends Flint and he helps her to be who she really is. Meanwhile as Flint uses his machine to make more food the machine malfunctions and threatens to destroy the town (via spaghetti tornado). Flint and Sam travel into the atmosphere and stop the machine just in time and his father is finally proud of Flint for who he is. [1] This film was loosely based off of the book by the same name which was published in 1978. //"“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”// is rated PG (parental guidance suggested), presumably for its spaghetti twister and feral Gummi bears." [2] I think this is a good family film because the only violence in the film is against attacking food, so there is no blood and guts. Also there is no language and the only romantic scene in the film is a kiss between Sam and Flint. I also think that children will especially enjoy Flint's pet monkey Steve and the rest of the silliness in the film.

**Director/Writer Bio.**
Chris Miller (pictured left) and Phil Lord (on the right) both wrote and directed //Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs//, which was released in 2009 by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. Miller and Lord started working together while both were at Dartmouth College, later moving to Los Angeles to develop animation projects for Disney. They placed their animated "Clone High" on MTV and moved on to working on a string of sitcoms as writers and producers, including the first season of "How I Met Your Mother." [3]

**Historical Context**
This movie was released in theaters in 3D which was a very popular film medium at the time, and has continued to be popular. This film was also the feature debut for Miller and Lord's writing and directing.

**Other Works (from Sony and Columbia)**
//Open Season, Surf's Up, The Smurfs, Arthur Christmas, Stuart Little, Stuart Little 2, Peter Pan// [4] [5]

**Awards**
This film did not win any awards. It was nominated for the following awards: Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film, Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature, two Visual Effects Society Awards and four Annie Awards. [6]

**Major Themes**
Family relationships, Being yourself, Dreams, Perseverance, Humor, Food

**Links**
[1] [] [2] [] [3] [] [4] [] [5] [] [6] []