Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Will Ferrell plays an indelibly stupid NASCAR driver from North Carolina named Ricky Bobby. Thanks to Ricky’s pal and wingman, Cal (John C. Reilly, slumming with no shame) – they call themselves Shake and Bake – Ricky is riding high with a white-trash wife, two incredibly bratty sons and the feeling that his career is being watched over by the baby Jesus. Ricky has no interest in the grown-up Jesus. Working again with his ANCHORMAN director and co-writer Adam McKay, Ferrell is a smart actor with a natural clown’s gift for playing dumb. That makes for a delicious contrast in his scenes with Sacha Baron Cohen as Ricky’s archrival Jean Girard, a gay French Formula Un driver with an outrageous accent, a flouncy husband (Andy Richter), a mad desire to kiss Ricky full on the lips and a habit of reading Camus and sipping a macchiato while racing. (Peter Travers)