''Ramona and Beezus'' is a 2010 American

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

adventure comedy The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film adaptation based on the Ramona series of novels written by

Beverly Cleary Beverly or Beverley may refer to: Places Australia * Beverley, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Beverley, Western Australia, a town * Shire of Beverley, Western Australia Canada * Beverly, Alberta, a town that amalgamated with the City ...

.Vena, Jocely
"Selena Gomez To Star In 'Ramona and Beezus' Movie."

MTV.com MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

, 2009-02-06.Kilday, Gregg
"Young actresses cast for 'Beezus and Ramona.'"

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

, 2009-02-05. It was directed by Elizabeth Allen, co-produced by

Dune Entertainment RatPac Entertainment, LLC was an American media and entertainment company that financed and produced motion pictures, television, documentaries, live theater, and podcasts. The company was owned by Brett Ratner and James Packer. History Dune ...

, Di Novi Pictures, and

Walden Media Walden Media, LLC is an American independent studio that develops, produces and finances feature films and television series for the U.S. and global markets. Its films focus on stories of courage drawn from biographies, historical events, and li ...

, written by Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay, and produced by

Denise Di Novi Denise Di Novi is an American film producer and director. Early life She is the daughter of jazz musician Gene DiNovi. When Di Novi was three years old, her family moved to Los Angeles from New York, where her father had been a Bebop jazz music ...

and

Alison Greenspan Alison Sheryl Greenspan (December 2, 1972 – June 27, 2021) was an American film and television producer. Alison Greenspan spent her childhood in Virginia and Boca Raton, Florida with her mother Ann, father Stephen and sister Melissa. Later sh ...

with music by

Mark Mothersbaugh Mark Allen Mothersbaugh (; born May 18, 1950) is an American musician and composer. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead vocalist and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose " Whip It" was a top 20 single in the US ...

. The film stars

Joey King Joey Lynn King (born July 30, 1999) is an American actress. She starred as Ramona Quimby in the comedy film '' Ramona and Beezus'' (2010) and gained wider recognition for her lead role as a late-blooming teenager in ''The Kissing Booth'' film ...

and

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...

in the title roles. Though the film's title is derived from ''

Beezus and Ramona ''Beezus and Ramona'' is a 1955 children's novel written by Beverly Cleary. It is the first of Cleary's books to focus on Ramona Quimby and her sister Beatrice, known as Beezus. ''Beezus and Ramona'' is realistic fiction, written from nine ...

'', the first of Cleary's Ramona books, the plot is mostly based on the sequels ''

Ramona Forever ''Ramona Forever'' is a humorous children's novel written by Beverly Cleary. The seventh book in the Ramona Quimby series, continues the story of Ramona, her older sister, Beezus, and their family. They are finally old enough to stay home tog ...

'' and ''

Ramona's World ''Ramona's World'' is the eighth and final book in the Ramona Quimby series by Beverly Cleary. Ramona and her sister Beezus are growing up. Ramona is in the fourth grade now, and for the first time she has a best girl-friend, Daisy Kidd. At ...

''. ''Ramona and Beezus'' was released by

Fox 2000 Pictures Fox 2000 Pictures was an American film production company within The Walt Disney Studios. It was a sister studio of the larger film studios 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures, specializing in producing independent films in mid-range ...

on July 23, 2010, and grossed $27 million. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the acting of King and Gomez.

Plot

An adventurous and creative third-grader named Ramona Quimby often finds herself in trouble at school and at home and usually spends time with her neighbor and best friend, Howard Kemp. When her father Robert loses his job and the family falls into severe debt, Ramona's efforts to earn money end up backfiring in humorous ways. She repeatedly embarrasses her older sister, Beatrice, in front of Henry Huggins the paperboy (who is also Beatrice's crush) by calling her the family nickname, "Beezus". Although he had worked as an executive in a company since Beezus's birth, Robert quarrels with Dorothy (his wife and the girls' mother) when he considers pursuing a new, more creative career. Meanwhile, Ramona's visiting aunt Beatrice, her sister's namesake, is one of the few who accepts her despite all her eccentricities. After a car-painting accident involving Bea's old flame Hobart, who happens to be Howard's uncle, Ramona gives up her money-making schemes. The next day, she ruins her school portrait by cracking a raw egg in her hair and making a face when the photographer asks her to say "Peas" instead of "Cheese". Ramona's worries increase the following day, when her classmate Susan reveals that after her own father lost his job, her parents divorced and her father moved to

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

. The news makes Ramona physically sick, and Robert has to pick her up early from school, interfering with a sudden job interview. Instead of being angry, Robert decides to spend the rest of his day drawing a mural with Ramona. While Ramona and Beezus attempt to make dinner for their parents, the pan catches fire while Beezus is on the phone with Henry. During the ensuing argument, Henry overhears that Beezus loves him. Still upset, Ramona goes to feed her cat Picky-Picky but is devastated to find him dead. The girls' private funeral for their friend helps them reconcile. A job offer for Robert in

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

leads Ramona's parents to decide to sell their house. As the family touches up the garden during an open house, Ramona inadvertently initiates a water fight with the neighbors, which floods the neighbors' backyard and exposes a box that Hobart buried there years ago. The box contains mementos of Bea and Hobart's teenage romance, and in light of their rekindling relationship, he proposes to her. Hesitantly, Bea accepts, and the family begins planning the impromptu wedding. Furious her aunt broke her promise not to get "reeled in" with Hobart again, Ramona rushes home, seeking solace in the attic. The fragile floorboards break, leaving her legs dangling from the ceiling during the open house. After they clear out, Robert scolds her for her lack of maturity. Feeling unwanted, Ramona decides to run away. Unable to convince her not to leave, Dorothy helps her pack. Opening the heavy suitcase at a bus stop, Ramona discovers that Dorothy intentionally made it heavy to keep her from getting far. Inside, Dorothy packed a book of Robert's sketches of Ramona. Her family finds her soon afterward and everyone is happily reunited. At Bea and Hobart's wedding, Ramona saves the day when she finds the wedding ring Howard had dropped. During the reception, Beezus and Henry share a kiss and dance together, risking it as they were moving. Robert gets another job offer, this one at Ramona's school, as her teacher Mrs. Meachum recommended him as the new art teacher after she saw the mural that he and Ramona made. Ramona is delighted they won't have to move and that her parents are reconciling. Before Bea and Hobart leave for their honeymoon in

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

, Ramona gives Bea a locket with her school picture, and Bea says Ramona is "extraordinary".

Cast

Production

In 2009, it was announced that Elizabeth Allen would direct a film adaptation of the Ramona series of novels written by

. The film, ''Ramona and Beezus'', would be released in cinemas on July 23, 2010.

and Alison Greenspan spent $15 million to produce the film with writers Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay. Filming took place in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

acquired distribution rights to the film.

composed the music for the film.

, and Di Novi Pictures co-produced the film.

Release

''Ramona and Beezus'' was released in theaters on July 23, 2010 by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

and

to 2,719 theaters nationwide. The film was rated G by

MPAA The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, the mini-major Amazon MGM Studios, as well as the video streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. F ...

, becoming the studio's fourth film to be rated G since 1997's ''

Anastasia Anastasia (from ) is a feminine given name of Greek and Slavic origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe. Origin The name Anastasia originated during the Early Christianity, early d ...

''. The trailer was released on March 18, 2010, and was shown in theaters along with ''

How to Train Your Dragon ''How to Train Your Dragon'' is a media franchise from DreamWorks Animation and loosely based on the book series How to Train Your Dragon (novel series), of the same name by British author Cressida Cowell. It consists of three feature films: '' ...

'', '' The Last Song'', ''

Despicable Me ''Despicable Me'' is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It centers on a supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions ...

'', ''

Toy Story 3 ''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The third installment in the Toy Story (franchise), ''Toy Story'' series, it was directed by Lee Unkrich, the editor ...

'', and

's other films, including ''

Diary of a Wimpy Kid ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' is an American illustrated children's novel series and media franchise created by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. The series follows Greg Heffley, a middle-schooler who illustrates his daily life in a dia ...

'' and ''

Marmaduke ''Marmaduke'' is a newspaper comic strip revolving around the Winslow family and their Great Dane, Marmaduke, drawn by Brad Anderson (cartoonist), Brad Anderson from November 15, 1954 to 2015. Publication history The strip was created by wri ...

''. The film premiered in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on July 20, 2010. It was released in Irish and British cinemas October 22, 2010.

Critical reception

''Ramona and Beezus'' earned generally positive reviews. On the review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, 71% of 90 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's consensus reads, "If ''Ramona and Beezus'' fails to capture the essence of its classic source material, it's sunny, sweet, and wholesome." On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the film holds a score of 56 out of 100, based on 29 reviews. Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...

gave the film a grade "A−". Eric Snider of Film.com said that "The resulting story is a jumble, and there are too many side characters, but golly if it isn't pretty darned infectious." Jason Anderson of the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'' gave ''Ramona and Beezus'' a good review, saying that " 'Ramona and Beezus''is a lively affair, largely thanks to the sweet and snappy screenplay by Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay and to the appealing performances by the cast."

Box office

The film opened at #4, grossing under $3 million on its opening day. It brought in $7.8 million during its opening weekend, earning it #6 at the box office. Over its first week, it earned nearly $12.7 million. As of November 20, 2010, its total gross stands at $26.6 million, surpassing its $15 million budget. The film made £84,475 on its first weekend in the UK, debuting at number 14 in the box office chart.

Home media

The film was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

and

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

combo pack on November 9, 2010.

Soundtrack

The accompanying

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...

was released on July 28, 2010 by

Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group which focuses on pop, rock, alternative, hip hop and country genres, also specializing in recordings for a more mature audience not suitable for the flagship Wal ...

. The film's soundtrack includes "Live Like There's No Tomorrow", performed by

Selena Gomez & the Scene Selena Gomez & the Scene was an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2008, its last lineup consisted of vocalist Selena Gomez, drummer Greg Garman, bassist Joey Clement, keyboardist Dane Forrest, and guitarist Drew Ta ...

. The song was digitally released as a soundtrack single on July 13, 2010 and serving as a promotional single from the band's second album, ''

A Year Without Rain ''A Year Without Rain'' is the second studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album was released on September 17, 2010, via Hollywood Records. Gomez worked with Rock Mafia duo Tim James and Antonina Armato, as well as Fef ...

'' (2010). # " Walking on Sunshine" –

Aly & AJ Aly & AJ is an American pop rock duo consisting of sisters Aly Michalka, Alyson "Aly" Michalka (born 1989) and AJ Michalka, Amanda Joy "AJ" Michalka (born 1991) from Torrance, California. They signed with Hollywood Records and in 2005, they rele ...

# "

Eternal Flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which ca ...

" –

The Bangles The Bangles are an American all-female band, all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1981. They are known for hit singles during the 1980s that made them one of the most successful pop rock groups of the decade. The band’s biggest ...

# "Peanut Butter Jingle" – Ali Dee and the Deekompressors # " (Let's Get Movin') Into Action" –

Skye Sweetnam Skye Alexandra Sweetnam (born May 5, 1988) is a Canadian Rock music, rock and Heavy metal music, metal singer. She first entered the music industry in 2003 with the release of her debut single "Billy S." More than a year later, her debut studio ...

featuring

Tim Armstrong Timothy Ross Armstrong (born November 25, 1965) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid (band), Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup T ...

# "

Here It Goes Again "Here It Goes Again" is a song by American rock band OK Go, the fifth single released from their second studio album, '' Oh No'' (2005). It was the band's only single to chart on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 until " I Won't Let You Down" in Nove ...

" –

OK Go OK Go is an American Rock music, rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band is composed of Damian Kulash (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar, bass, backing vocalist, v ...

# "

A Place in This World "A Place in This World" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her debut studio album, ''Taylor Swift'' (2006). She wrote it with Robert Ellis Orrall and Angelo Petraglia, while Nathan Chapman handled its production. Bi ...

" –

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

# "How I Love You" – Rob Laufer # "Everybody" –

Ingrid Michaelson Ingrid Ellen Michaelson (born December 8, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "The Way I Am (Ingrid Michaelson song), The Way I Am" and her 2014 single "Girls Chase Boys", both of which achieved success ...

# " Say Hey (I Love You)" –

Michael Franti Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, documentarian, and rapper. Known for his participation in many musical projects, most with a political and social emphasis, including the Beatnig ...

& Spearhead # "Live Like There's No Tomorrow" –

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramona And Beezus 2010s American films 2010s children's comedy films 2010 comedy films 2010s English-language films 2010 films 20th Century Fox films American children's comedy films American films with live action and animation Dune Entertainment films Films about families Films about sisters Films based on children's books Films directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum Films produced by Denise Di Novi Films scored by Mark Mothersbaugh Films set in Portland, Oregon Films shot in Vancouver Walden Media films