Over the Hedge

A closer look at the story

Waking up from their long winter sleep, Verne the turtle and his woodland friends are in for a big surprise: while they slept, a tall, lush hedge has been planted right through the middle of their forest, and beyond it a brand-new suburb has sprung up. Just then they meet RJ, an opportunistic raccoon who tries to convince them to cross over to the other side, where, he says, there is no limit to what they can get from their human neighbours. But RJ has a hidden agenda: he owes a debt of food and needs this mixed little community of animals to help him pay it back. The adventure he starts for his own benefit will also teach him what it means to be a family. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, the 83-minute 2006 film features the voices of Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell and Wanda Sykes in a family animation.