Pixar "Cars" Drives Interest in Historic
Route 66
Pixar's
newest animated film "Cars" opened at
almost 4,000 theaters last weekend. Set in large
part on historic Route 66, the film is already
having an impact on the many businesses that have
struggled for years to keep the story of America's
most famous highway alive.
Philipsburg,
MT (PRWEB) June 12, 2006 -- Pixar's newest
animated offering, "Cars" opened at
almost 4,000 theaters last weekend and is predicted
to be the summer's first blockbuster. In addition,
the $70 million dollar offering from Disney appears
to have sparked an interest in American history
in much the same way "A Bug's Life"
stimulated children's curiosity about insects.
"We've
seen a big jump in interest in our Route 66 films,
even before the film opened," said Jim Jenner
whose Montana-based film company www.66films.com
offers four documentaries on the famous highway.
"The cartoon could be the biggest thing to
happen to the historic highway in many years.
It's great."
"Cars"
tells the story of a NASCAR race car that accidently
gets off the interstate and into "Radiator
Springs", a Route 66 town that suffered when
the freeway replaced what John Stienbeck called
the "Mother Road", the famous two lane
highway that ran from Chicago to Santa Monica.
In
creating the new film Pixar went to great pains
to understand the history and texture of Route
66, beginning more than six years ago by enlisting
Route 66's best known expert, author Michael Wallis,
whose "Route 66: The Mother Road" is
credited with stimulating the rebirth of the highway
when it was published in 1990.
Wallis,
who is also featured in Jenner's documentaries,
spent months on the highway with Pixar's team
and ultimately was asked to be the voice of the
Sheriff in the new film.
"I've
worked with a lot of creative people in my career"
said Wallis from his home in Tulsa, OK, "But
I've never met any group that matches the wonderful
group Pixar assembled for this film. They managed
to perfectly capture the essence of Highway 66
and I believe many thousands of people will now
want to know more about its history and explore
the highway on their own."
According
to Jenner, the Pixar film will likely have far
reaching effects on the businesses and museums
along the old highway and those companies, like
his, that work to keep the story of the road alive.
"It
may be a cartoon, but Pixar has done a terrific
job in helping people understand that this wonderful
two-lane road represents a different era, and
a different pace, than today's boring interstate
highways." said Jenner, "It's bound
to increase visitors for the businesses that fight
to stay open out there. For us it means that millions
of people will realize what a compelling story
the preservation of historic Route 66 really is.
They are sure to seek out books and documentary
films that tell the whole story," said Jenner
Among
his award-winning documentaries Jenner expects
to do well are "Route 66: An American Odyssey"
which chronicled the history of Route 66 as told
by Wallis and songwriter Bobby Troupe, who penned
"Get Your Kicks on Route 66", first
recorded by Nat King Cole and subsequently by
over a hundred other artists, and now featured
in "Cars".
Another
documentary he expects to benefit is "Route
66: Return to the Road", which appeared on
PBS and featured actor Martin Milner, who starred
in the 1960's TV-Series named after the highway.
"Return to the Road" was heralded as
"glorious" by MOTORTREND magazine and
documented Milner, in a 1961 Corvette, revisiting
the highway some thirty years after his TV show
first brought it fame. Both films were Directed
by John Paget.
"It's
more than a funny and heartwarming story about
the "Mother Road", said Jenner "
'Cars' could prove to be the mother lode for all
the people who have struggled for years to help
the public appreciate what a unique part of American
history Route 66 represents."
PACCOM,
INC.
Contact: Jim Jenner
Phone: 406-859-8001
Website: www.66films.com