Over the Hedge is a 2006 American animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Based on the comic strip of the same name created by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, the film was directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick (in the latter's feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton and Kirkpatrick, and features an ensemble voice cast that includes Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, Wanda Sykes, and Nick Nolte. Set in Indiana, the film centers on a raccoon named RJ, who is forced to deliver food to a bear named Vincent after accidentally destroying his stockpile of food, whereupon he manipulates a family of woodland animals who have recently awakened from hibernation into helping him steal food in order to speed up the process.
Over the Hedge was theatrically released in the United States on May 19, 2006, as the first film by DreamWorks Animation to be distributed by Paramount. Upon release, the film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $339.8 million worldwide on an $80 million budget.
Plot
In a deserted Indiana picnic area, a raccoon named RJ attempts to steal a stockpile of food from a sleeping American black bear named Vincent after failing to obtain food from a vending machine. While doing so, he accidentally wakes Vincent up and the pile is destroyed in the ensuing confrontation. Vincent is angered and almost eats RJ, but relents when the raccoon offers to replace all of his food in one week before the moon is full. However, Vincent warns RJ that if he fails, he will track him down and kill him.
The next morning, a family of woodland animals consisting of an ornate box turtle named Verne, who is the family's leader; an American red squirrel named Hammy; a striped skunk named Stella; two North American porcupine parents named Lou and Penny and their children Spike, Bucky and Quillo; and a Virginia opossum father and daughter Ozzie and Heather awaken from hibernation on the first day of spring, only to discover that most of the forest they've lived in has been turned into a housing development that is separated from the little forest remaining by a giant hedge. Seeing the animals as an opportunity to help pay off his debt, RJ meets and encourages them to traverse the hedge and steal food from the humans. Despite Verne's concerns, the rest of the family join RJ in stealing and stockpiling food and other human stuff, unaware of his true intentions. Gladys Sharp, the neighborhood Home Owners Association president, takes notice of the animal problem and hires exterminator Dwayne LaFontant to get rid of them.
A worried Verne attempts to return the pile of food in order to avoid Dwayne. As RJ tries to stop him, the food ends up destroyed following a chase from an excited Rottweiler named Nugent. RJ blames Verne for the destruction of the food while Verne attempts to convince his family not to follow RJ for their own safety, but fails after inadvertently insulting them, destroying their trust in him and causing them to abandon him in favor of RJ. That night, Gladys has Dwayne cover her yard in animal traps, including a federally illegal contraband device called the Depelter Turbo, which turns the entire yard into a death trap when activated.
Verne apologizes to RJ for his actions and reconciles with the other animals. On the night of the full moon, RJ sees that Gladys has bought a massive stockpile of food and enlists the help of the animals to invade her home and steal it. Hammy successfully disables the Depelter Turbo while Stella steals Gladys' pet Persian cat Tiger's collar, which enables entry into the house's pet door, by posing as a cat and seducing him. The animals stockpile another wagon full of food, but just as they're about to leave at sunrise, RJ sees a can of chips and becomes determined to get them as Vincent had specifically requested them. While trying to justify his motivation to get the chips, RJ reveals his true intentions for the food to the animals just as Gladys comes downstairs and catches them red-handed. RJ escapes with the food while Verne and the other animals are captured by Dwayne, who puts them all in cages. Dwayne takes them away in his truck to dispose of them.