The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning

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The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
Title card
Based onCharacters
by Gy Waldron
Written byShane Morris
Directed byRobert Berlinger
Starring
Narrated byGary Cole
ComposerJohn DeFaria
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers
CinematographyRoy H. Wagner
EditorDon Brochu
Running time95 minutes
Production companyWarner Premiere
Original release
NetworkABC Family
ReleaseMarch 4, 2007 (2007-03-04)
Related
The Dukes of Hazzard

The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning is a 2007 American made-for-television buddy comedy film and a prequel to the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard. An edited version of the film originally aired on ABC Family channel on March 4, 2007, and the 'R'-rated and unrated versions were released on DVD March 13.

Plot

Set in fictional towns of Georgia,

Uncle Jesse
in neighboring Hazzard County, sentenced to a summer of hard work on the farm.

Jesse is carrying on the family tradition of producing the best moonshine in the county. Bo and Luke quickly tire of farm work and take an interest in some of the local girls of Hazzard. Attempting to visit the Boar's Nest bar, they see Jesse meeting with Boss Hogg. Jesse is arranging for his regular bribe to the County Commissioner to look the other way from his illegal moonshine operation. The Duke boys inadvertently allow Hogg's prize pig to escape, and it falls off the roof and is injured. Furious, Boss Hogg demands a sizable amount of money from Jesse, due in two weeks, or he will foreclose on the farm.

Jesse believes his only recourse is his moonshine operation, but he cannot deliver enough in two weeks. Bo and Luke volunteer and set off to find a fast car to do the job.

The boys enlist the help of their cousin

the General Lee
is reborn.

The moonshine deliveries go well but before they raise enough money to pay off Hogg, the Boss declares Hazzard a dry county, and offers a $25,000 reward for anyone who uncovers an illegal moonshine operation. He will turn the Boar's Nest into an ice cream parlor.

Meanwhile, Daisy applies for a job at the bar to help raise the money. Hughie, the Boar's Nest bartender, says she is not the type of girl who should work there, and refuses her but she is smitten. She undergoes a makeover to impress him, cutting her jeans into very short shorts, wearing a shirt tied to show her midriff and letting her hair down. The bar patrons are all stunned by how good she looks, and Hughie hires her immediately and agrees to take her on a date.

Jesse then holds a large party to raise funds for the farm, but Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco arrest Jesse for illegal moonshine sales and seize Jesse's assets. Daisy, Bo and Luke visit him in jail, and he tells them that Boss is as corrupt as anyone, and the best way to get Jesse off is to find evidence of this. Bo and Luke soon discover Hogg's plan. He wants to convince all the county commissioners in Georgia to ban alcohol, thus paving the way for a thriving ice cream business. More importantly, with all the ridgerunners in jail, Hogg will then be free to make a fortune selling his own illegal alcohol, turning the Boar's Nest into a speakeasy.

Boss Hogg wants the Duke family still, which produces the best moonshine in the county. When Daisy finds out Hughie is Boss Hogg's nephew and only dated her to find out about the family secrets, she is devastated.

The Dukes kidnap Boss and ride off in the General Lee with the police following in pursuit. They threaten to drive into Hogg Ravine unless he tells them his plan. He is too scared not to tell, and his confession is broadcast over the

radio
thanks to Daisy's manipulation of Enos at the station. The Dukes then jump the ravine anyway (their first jump), and catch Hughie delivering illegal moonshine into Hazzard. The Dukes make Boss pay them the $25,000 reward, which they use to buy back the farm.

Fed up with Hogg, the citizens demand he reverse his dry county policy and free all the people he had arrested for selling moonshine. Just as it seems the 112-year-old candidate who always wanted to run for county commissioner will finally win, he dies, leaving Boss as the only candidate, and he is re-elected anyway. Hogg summarily pardons himself for his misdeeds, but is forced to release Jesse and the other moonshiners. As payback to Hughie for using her, Daisy kicks him into his jail cell before removing her shirt and leaving. Bo finally gets a driving instructor who passes him despite his wild driving, and Luke finally meets a girl who likes watching stuff blowing up. The cousins hop into the General Lee, headed off on their next adventure.

Cast

Home media

ABC Family
first aired an edited version of the film on March 4, 2007, prior to its DVD release. 'R'-rated and unrated versions were released on DVD March 13.

Production

The film was produced under Warner Bros.' Warner Premiere label with a budget of $5 million. Willie Nelson was the only actor to reprise his role from the previous film.

Reception

Reviews were generally negative. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 20% based on 5 reviews, with an average score of 3.5/10.[1]

References

  1. ^ "Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved April 18, 2018.

External links