Trivia Guide to the Pixar Movie, CARS
Did you know that many movies contain references to actual historical events or incorporate dates and places that are important to their creators’ lives without the viewer even noticing? If you pay attention to the slightest details, and research a little information, you might just learn that a movie has oodles of more information than what you only notice on the big screen.
The movie CARS was originally titled Route 66. The name was changed to CARS so as not to imply a connection with the TV show titled Route 66. Producer John Lasseter hatched the idea for CARS while taking a cross-country trip on Route 66 with his wife and sons. Upon returning to work, he contacted Michael Wallis, a famous historian on the subject. Wallis then took 11 Pixar animators on two different road trips across the route to research the film. The fictional town of Radiator Springs was inspired by real life locations along this historical road. The animators picked up artifacts en route - such items as wheat, thistles, snake skin and road kill, which is totally disgusting. Thus began the creation of one of Pixars’s top rated films to date.
Interestingly enough, some of the characters in this motion picture were inspired by real-life people. Doc Hudson’s character is based on a real racing team from the early fifties, with a car named the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet.” Also, the reason he told McQueen he was “out of date” and not wanted after recovering from his accident is the same reason the real Hudson Hornet ended its dominance of NASCAR around 1955.
“The King” is one big tribute to Richard Petty – The King of NASCAR. In his prime, he drove the #43 as pictured in the movie. Mr. Petty is also the voice of #43 in Cars. The King is a 1970 Plymouth Superbird, one of Petty’s most famous rides. The paint scheme is exactly the same as Petty’s original 1970 racecar, and is extremely stunning!
Fillmore is a late-1960’s Volkswagen Type 2, otherwise known as the Transporter, or "Microbus." It was a very popular vehicle among hippies in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and even made its way into popular culture. Fillmore was inspired by a Route 66 artist named Bob Waldmire who was a hippy himself and actually drove this popular road in his minibus. Fillmore is named after the famous Fillmore Auditorium or Fillmore West, a highly popular music venue from the 1960’s and 1970’s. In other words, it was the main location of music and arts for the counterculture, or "hippie,” movement.
The Piston Cup commentators, Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip, are based on and voiced by real sport commentators Bob Costas and Darrell Waltrip. Their names were "vehiclized" to create the corresponding characters (Cutlass is an Oldsmobile model).
Chick Hicks is yet another character whose name and number were carefully thought out. Chick’s car number is 86. The #86 is slang for 'thrown out'. Subsequently, he gets thrown out of his team at the end of the film. It is also a reference to Luxo Jr., the first short film produced by Pixar.
McQueen's original number was to be 57, director John Lassester’s birth year. It was later changed to #95 to represent the year that Toy Story was released: John Lasseter also produced this movie. The car in the final film who has the # 57 (who wins the race in the first teaser) vaguely resembles McQueen, and is probably an earlier production design for that character. The real-life person that was the human inspiration for McQueen was Michael Jordan. (1)Numbers are important and hold significance in the movie CARS. (2)The train that Lightning outruns is numbered A113 after the animation room at the California Institute of the Arts, where many Pixar animators studied. (3)Mater's license plate has the same number. (4)Fillmore’s plate also has a meaning.
(1) Not only are famous people and numbers depicted in this film, but the places also hold significant meaning. (2) The fictional track Motorspeedway of the South (MSS) is based on Bristol Motor Speedway, where NASCAR holds races for its premier series. (3) Lightning McQueen, being a first-year "Piston Cup" racer, displays the traditional yellow "rookie stripe" on his rear bumper. (4) This is fitting because the city Mack is seen driving through after leaving the track seems to be Nashville, Tennessee, considering most of the roads on the signs pass through Nashville. (5) It's also probable Mack would drive through Nashville on Interstate 40 after leaving Bristol. Sally’s Cozy Cone Motel's design is based on two motels along Rt. 66 which are located in Arizona and California. These were once two out of seven motels, with individual cabins shaped like tepees. All of these motels are restored and well- maintained. The name "Cozy Cone" was inspired by the Cozy Dog Drive-In restaurant in Illinois which lays claim to being birthplace of the corn dog.
The mountain shaped like a radiator cap that overlooks Radiator Springs is inspired by Tucumcari Mountain in Tucumcari. The mountain is the dominant feature in that region for miles around. Local high-school students repaint the town’s initial on the side of the mountain each year.
The Casa Della tire shop’s Leaning Tower of Tires is obviously inspired by the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy or the half-scale replica in Niles, Ill. — take your pick. But there also is a leaning water tower near Groom, Texas, that probably sparked imaginations in Pixar.
CARS Trivia Guide TCAP Questions
Directions: Use the Trivia Guide to CARS article to answer the following questions.
1. After which paragraph would the following information BEST be placed? Finally, any ordinary viewer of a film might not catch every small detail that writers place in movies, but you can bet there are elements carefully placed that give meaning to more than meets the eye. So, next time pay attention to the specifics and maybe your mind will be opened to a whole new world of trivial pursuits.
A. Paragraph #1 C. Paragraph 13
B. Paragraph #4 D. Not needed in this selection
2. Which sentence should be deleted in paragraph 4 because the information contains an opinion?
A. Sentence #1 C. Sentence #5
B. Sentence #3 D. Sentence #2
3. Which sentence does NOT belong in paragraph 2?
A. The movie CARS was originally titled Route 66. B. Wallis then took 11 Pixar animators on two different road trips across the route to research the film. C. The fictional town of Radiator Springs was inspired by real life locations along this historical road. D. The animators picked up artifacts en route - such items as wheat, thistles, snake skin and road kill, which is totally disgusting!
4. Which transitional expression should be added to the beginning of the second sentence in paragraph three? A. Therefore, C. As a result B. For example, D. However
5. Which sentence is an opinion? A. “The King” is one big tribute to Richard Petty – The King of NASCAR. B. Thus began the creation of one of PIXAR’s top rated films to date. C. The paint scheme is exactly the same as Petty’s original 1970 racecar, and is extremely stunning! D. The movie CARS was originally titled Route 66.
6. In paragraph 5, what type of context clue is given to help you determine the meaning of the word venue?
A. Antonym C. Definition/Restatement
B. Synonym D. Comparison 7. Why did the author write this article?
A. To inform the reader about how Route 66 got its name.
B. To persuade the reader to visit Route 66.
C. To inform the reader of the film’s background.
D. To entertain the reader with a funny story about the characters.
8. Which is the BEST way to rewrite the following sentence from paragraph 8?
It was later changed to #95 to represent the year that Toy Story was released: John Lasseter also produced this movie.
A. It was later changed to #95 to represent the year that Toy Story was released although John Lasseter produced this movie.
B. It was later changed to #95 to represent the year that Toy Story was released, and John Lasseter produced this movie.
C. Since Lasseter produced Toy Story, it was changed to #95 to represent the year it was released.
D. No change needed
9. Which of the following sentences does not belong in paragraph 8?
A. McQueen's original number was to be 57, director John Lassester’s birth year.
B. The car in the final film who has the # 57 (who wins the race in the first teaser) vaguely resembles McQueen, and is probably an earlier production design for that character.
C. The real-life person that was the human inspiration for McQueen was Michael Jordan.
D. No change is needed.
10. Which transitional expression should be added to sentence 2 in paragraph 9?
A. For example, the train that Lightning outruns is numbered A113…..
B. Therefore, the train that Lightning outruns is numbered A113…
C. As a result, the train that Lightning outruns is numbered A113…..
D. However, the train that Lightning outruns is numbered A113…. 11. Paragraph #9 would BEST be placed
A. After paragraph #1 C. Before paragraph #7
B. Before paragraph #5 D. Should not be moved
12. In paragraph 9, which sentence is not relevant?
A. Numbers are important and hold significance in the movie CARS.
B. The train that Lightning outruns is numbered A113 after the animation room at the California Institute of the Arts, where many Pixar animators studied. C. Mater's license plate has the same number.
D. Fillmore’s plate also has a meaning.
13. In paragraph 10, choose the sentence that contains information that does not belong.
A. Sentence 1 C. Sentence 3
B. Sentence 2 D. Sentence 4
14. Which sentence in paragraph 10 is the topic sentence?
A. Sentence 1 C. Sentence 4
B. Sentence 2 D. Sentence 5
15. What feature would enhance the photos in this article?
A. A definition of the place that is featured. C. A note telling where we could find the place on a map.
B. A caption revealing what the picture represents. D. No information is needed.