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It's not a diary, it's a movie.
The film’s US tagline

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (also known as Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Movie) is an 2010 American live-action feature film, and the first installment of the film franchise, directed by Thor Freudenthal, based on the best-selling first book in the illustrated novel series Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. After Diary of a Wimpy Kid, it was a huge success in the box office and most fans were satisfied. Although, it got mixed reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. This movie is rated PG by the Motion Picture Assocation of America for some rude humor and language.

The film stars Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Devon Bostick, Connor and Owen Fielding, and Chloë Moretz.

It is considered a box office success, making $75.7 million on a $15 million budget and was second on the weekend box office, behind Alice in Wonderland (2010).

Plot

At the beginning of the movie, Rodrick Heffley plays a prank on Greg Heffley by pretending it's time for school and waking him up. Greg is eager to begin middle school and believes he'll become the most popular student. However, he's concerned about how his quirky best friend, Rowley Jefferson, will fit in. Even though Rowley is supportive and helps Greg avoid his older brother, Rodrick, Greg frets that Rowley's childish attire and behavior will cause them both to feel embarrassed.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Animation Scene

One of the movie's many animation scenes.

On their first day, Greg and Rowley meet Angie Steadman, a 7th grader who works for the school’s paper during P.E. Throughout the school year, Angie tells Greg and Rowley why they shouldn't enjoy middle school. Classmate Chirag Gupta tells Greg and Rowley the story behind the cheese laying on the blacktop: upon touching The Cheese, a kid named Darren Walsh touched the cheese and got the Cheese Touch, and anyone who touches the cheese becomes infected with it until they can pass on the Cheese Touch by touching someone else. The last Cheese Touch victim was taken away by a German exchange student named Dieter Müller, which he moved away to Düsseldorf due to having problems with talking.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Greg, Rowley, Chirag, and the Cheese

Chirag Gupta explaining the horrors of the Cheese to Greg and Rowley.

Later, Greg and Rowley are caught in Rodrick's room. Rodrick then chases Greg and threatens to "kill him". But Rowley leaves, and Greg makes it to his own room and locks himself in as Rodrick swears he will wait for him to come out. Eventually Greg has to use the bathroom but Rodrick refuses to let him use the bathroom, so Greg continues to stay in his room. As time passes by, Greg tries his best to hold it, but becomes more desperate. Eventually Greg cannot hold it anymore and out of desperation suits up in a football outfit to protect himself from Rodrick. Greg runs to the bathroom and finally relieves himself, but Rodrick surprises him, then gets urinated on.

Greg is determined to be voted a "class favorite" and listed in the yearbook, but each of his attempts to do so backfires. His popularity quickly drops as he loses to Patty Farrell, Greg’s archenemy, in wrestling (taught by Coach Malone). While Greg and Rowley go trick-or-treating, they anger teenagers by threatening to call the police on them after they spray him and Rowley with the fire extinguisher and then damaging their Ford F-150 with a weed whacker. Greg joins the Safety Patrol alongside Rowley. While playing a game Greg invented, riding a Big Wheel and Greg temp to knock it down, one day, he breaks Rowley's arm during wintertime, so Rowley has to wear a cast. In school, everyone and the girls notice Rowley's broken arm and Rowley becomes very popular, much to Greg’s dismay. Rowley's popularity increases when he beats Greg to become the school paper's cartoonist, despite Greg hating on his comic.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Safety Patrol

Greg's safety patrol fantasy.

Greg and Rowley’s friendship falls apart after Greg allows Rowley to unwittingly take the blame for a mistake that Greg made during Safety Patrol, and Greg's mistake was thinking he saw the teens and pushed them into a muddy hole. After Greg tells Rowley the truth and tries to make light of the situation, Rowley describes him for being a bad friend who cares about nothing but himself. Rowley then leaves him and befriends a kid named Collin Lee (Alex Ferris). Greg tries to move on by having a sleepover with Fregley, the weirdest and the least most popular (past the bottom) kid in school, but Fregley's sugar-induced hyperactivity is too much for him to take. He then tries to pursue popularity without Rowley by auditioning for the school play of The Wizard of Oz but ruins the performance by starting an apple throwing fight with Patty Farrell when she makes him mad by accusing of trying to ruin the performance.

At the school mother-son dance, Greg's mother suggests Greg ask Rowley to go out for ice cream with them; however, Rowley tells Greg that he's already going out for ice cream with Collin. Later, Greg is excited when Rowley walks over to him at school and thought that he wanted to be friends again but gets disappointed when Rowley only wants his video game back due to Collin sleeping over at his house. Greg refuses to return the video game and Rowley gets mad not liking the way Greg is fussing with him, causing them to get into an argument. Kids gather around them, wanting them to witness a brawl. However, the kids quickly run away as the teenagers that Greg and Rowley encountered on Halloween arrive, seeking revenge. The teenagers prevent Greg and Rowley from escaping and briefly argue about what they will do to the two. The teenagers forced Rowley to eat the Cheese and are about to do the same thing to Greg when Coach Malone arrives, and the teenagers flee.

The kids return and find the partially eaten cheese. Patty begins to accuse Rowley, but Greg steps in and unintentionally takes the blame. He said he picked up the Cheese and ate it and then makes a profound speech about the ridiculousness of the Cheese and other middle school institutions, but Patty ruins it when she shouts "Greg has the Cheese Touch!" causing everyone to run away from him. Rowley becomes surprised not believing that Greg actually covered for him which he truly appreciates, so Greg asks Rowley if he wanted to come over to Greg's house after school and "play" and Rowley immediately considers the invite. Greg and Rowley officially become friends again, and Angie approaches them to compliment Greg for his bravery. Greg and Rowley make it into the class favorites list as "Cutest Friends" in the yearbook. Greg becomes popular on the popularity rank to 202; Patty gets the Cheese Touch without her knowing when she hugged Rowley (who still actually had the Cheese Touch) while handing out yearbooks; and the film ends with Greg, Rowley, and Angie laughing and Greg narrating that he still has the summer and next year ahead of him. This is the mark of the end of the film.


Deleted Diary Pages

Fregley's Scavenger Hunt: Fregley hunts for some odd things.

Chirag's Trail of Tears: Chirag teaches you what to do when bullied in middle school.

Fregley's Shuffle: Fregley teaches you the most important thing about dancing: you gotta have a beat!

Mom Drops Greg off at School: Susan drops Greg off at school, only to humiliate him by calling him "sweetie pie". (This scene is seen in the trailer.)

Greg and Rowley Jump Over the Wall: To avoid the 3 teenagers on Halloween night, Greg and Rowley climb over a wall, losing half their Nutter Butters.

Mr. Winsky's Safety Patrol Assignment: Mr Winsky informs Greg and Rowley that they'll drop the Kindergarteners at their daycare every day after school, only for one of the kindergarteners to ask why Greg looks so grumpy.

Mom Suggests Friendship Card: While shopping for groceries, Susan suggests Greg gets Rowley a "friendship card" to make up.

Greg Meets Fregley's Mom: After Greg enters Fregley's house, he meets Fregley's mom making clothes.

The Cheese Touch: Greg talks about how having the Cheese Touch is good, due to privacy and personal space.

These scenes can be found on the 2010 DVD.



Sequel

Main article: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011 film)

The sequel, based on the second book in the Wimpy Kid series, Rodrick Rules, was released on March 25, 2011. The film was directed by David Bowers, replacing Thor Freudenthal, and it has Holly Hills making her debut in the film series, replacing Angie.

Cast

Voices

  • Alistair Abell as Male Reporter
  • L.J Benet as Voice (Uncredited)
  • Cooper Cowgill as ADR Voice
  • Makenna Cowgill as ADR Voice
  • Jack Cygan as ADR Voice
  • Rylee Fansler as ADR Voice
  • Johnny Gillcomb as ADR Voice
  • Alexander Haney as ADR Voice
  • Angela Hanee as ADR Voice

Production

The filming of Diary of a Wimpy Kid wrapped up on October 16, 2009, and the film was released in the United States on March 19, 2010. It combines live action with animation and is directed by Thor Freudenthal, with Zachary Gordon starring as Greg Heffley.

The official trailer for Diary of a Wimpy Kid was released on the Internet on January 21, 2010, and was shown in theaters with Tooth Fairy. A poster for the film was released shortly after (which was then replaced by the one we know now) and the second trailer was shown with Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Timeline

Here is a timeline of events that happened after producing the movie from Jeff Kinney's perspective.

March 4th: We kicked off the tour in New York City with a special screening for 600 kids in New York. We got interviewed by new Children's Literature Ambassador Katherine Paterson, who wrote classics like Bridge to Terabithia. We got to walk the read carpet and meet fans of the books. It was a blast!

March 5th: We had our big television debut in Boston. We appeared on a few different stations and got to experience the excitement of live television. Then we headed back to the hotel where we sat down for a round of newspaper interviews. Then we visited a school, where the mayor declared it "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Day" in Boston. We started spotting movie posters on billboards and buses, which was really exciting. We started a contest to see who could spot the most ads. As of right now, Zach is winning with nine.

March 6th: We had a day off, which we spent together in my home town. All of our families had a lot of fun over a spaghetti dinner. It was awesome seeing my own kids interacting with these future movie stars. For the record, my four-year-old beat Zach in a game of Super Mario Kart.

March 7th: Back on the road, this time for a Philadelphia Flyers game. They showed the movie trailer on the JumboTron, and we got interviewed as well. Then we signed posters in the lobby. The highlight of the night was when two of the hockey players got in a fight, and one of them seemed more interested in fixing his hair than actually fighting. Zach has been mimicking the guy ever since.

March 8th: We had a round of television and print interviews in our hotel. It was very cool.... they set up a t.v. studio in a ballroom at the hotel, and that's where we did our interviews. Robert told us that he got interested in acting after he memorized lines from Thomas the Tank Engine. Afterwards, we went to the Philadelphia Free Library and met a few hundred enthusiastic fans. We had a great time there.

March 9th: Off to Atlanta. We had a big event at Kid Empowerment Day and played a giant game of Wimpy Kid Says. I have to admit I got tricked and dropped out of the game early. Zach and Robert made it to the bitter end.

March 10th: From Atlanta, we went to Chicago, the Windy City. We did a book signing for about 600 kids in a giant Borders store. It was great to share the signing table with Zach and Robert, who have become pros. The fans were great and we had an awesome time!

March 11th: We did press interviews in our hotel in Chicago, and then I headed back home to Boston. The boys stayed behind for some schooling (ha!). We're all excited to get back together in New York and do this for one more week! March 13th: Robert Capron's family and mine joined forces and invited some family and friends to a special screening of the movie in New England. We had a great time, and it was great to see Robert get the praise he deserves for his portrayal of Rowley.

March 14th: Another special screening, this time for my family and friends in Virginia, near the area where I grew up. This was a special event for me, because my brother, Scott, has a song in the movie, and it was a lot of fun to be there for his song's big debut.

March 15th: Back on the road for the last week of our media tour! We started off the week in New York, where we did a "press junket." For the press junket, we sat down in front of the t.v. cameras and took interview after interview. Every five minutes or so, a new interviewer would walk in the room, sit down, and start asking questions. This went on for about six hours. It was fun, but exhausting. I don't know how movie stars do it! Zach and Robert handled their interviews like pros.

March 16th: We started our day bright and early on the Today Show. It was a blast. Al Roker immediately asked Zach about a scene in the movie where he pees on Rodrick. It was hysterical. After that, we did a few more t.v. and radio interviews. We were horsing around a lot when the cameras were on and got a talking-to from Zach's mom about "professionalism." We ended our night at a New York Rangers hockey game.

March 17th: We traveled to Stamford, Connecticut, to officially launch the Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, the book I wrote about the movie-making process. Thor Freudenthal, the talented director of the movie, came out to join us on stage and to sign posters afterwards.

March 18th: Just one day until the movie's release! We spent Thursday at Riverside Elementary in Fairfax, Viriginia. Riverside Elementary won the School Library Journal's contest and got to have a special premiere of the movie in their gym. It was a very cool Hollywood-type event, with a red carpet and everything. The school's safety patrols handled security, which I thought was genius.

March 19th: The end of the road. We all headed back home. I rode back on the plane and sat next to Robert. I knew it was the last day Zach and Robert would be anonymous. After the movie came out, they'd be stars. It was great sharing this experience with them. I'll never forget it!

March 20th: Success! The movie did really well at the box office over the weekend. Everyone is hoping this means we'll get to make a sequel. Thanks, everyone, for coming out to see the movie!

 

Movie tie-in book

Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams Books) acquired the rights to publish The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, a book that was completed by Jeff Kinney. It was released in a one-day national laydown on Tuesday, March 16, 2010. It explains how Jeff Kinney's bestselling book in cartoons became to be a 20th Century Fox film-adaptation. It also includes some all-new illustrations and full-color never-before-seen movie stills, storyboards, preliminary concept drawings, and also behind the scenes to humorously chronicle the making of the movie.

Reception

The reception of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie in 2010 was generally positive, particularly among its target audience of children and pre-teens. Directed by Thor Freudenthal and based on Jeff Kinney's popular book series, the film aimed to capture the humor and essence of the source material. One of the strengths of the movie was its faithful adaptation of the beloved book. Fans appreciated seeing the characters they had grown to love come to life on the big screen, with Zachary Gordon portraying the main character, Greg Heffley, in a manner that resonated with audiences. The film managed to capture the awkwardness, humor, and relatable experiences of middle school life, which were central themes in Kinney's books. Critics acknowledged the film's ability to appeal to its target demographic, praising its humor and the cast's performances. The movie's blend of live-action and animation, mirroring the style of the book's illustrations, was also well-received for its creative and visually engaging approach. While Diary of a Wimpy Kid primarily targeted a younger audience, many parents and adults found the film enjoyable as well. The humor was often clever and layered, allowing for a family-friendly viewing experience. The film's success was further evidenced by its box office performance, demonstrating that it not only pleased fans but also drew a wide audience.

Book Parallels

  • Rodrick pranking Greg about being late for school is adapted. In the film, Rodrick does this 2 weeks before Greg starts school, while in the book, he does it a few days into the summer.
  • Rowley eating the Cheese is adapted. In the film, Greg claims to have eaten it instead, while in the book, he claims to have thrown it away.
    • In addition, the teenagers leave after Greg lies about having a dairy allergy, while in the movie, they leave after Coach Malone arrives.
  • At the end of the movie, Patty hugs Rowley and tells him "Stay cute". This adapts a similar page from Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, where Holly Hills puts the same thing in Rowley's yearbook. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012 film) this is what Holly Hills ALSO puts in Rowley's book.
  • Rowley creating Zoo-Wee-Mama is adapted, where in the book, Greg creates it instead.
  • Greg and Rowley going down Snake Road is adapted. In the film, it was changed into the Devil Worshipper Woods.
  • Rowley becoming friends with Collin is adapted from the book. In the book, Collin was Greg's backup friend.
  • Greg wanting to be a tree for the play came from watching the movie in the book, while in the film, Chirag told Greg about what the trees did.

Movie Only Differences

  • The humor is now slapstick rather than satire.
  • Angie Steadman and Coach Malone are the only characters in the film that didn't appear in any of the books.
  • Patty Farrell has a larger role, and is portrayed as a bully to Greg, and gets more screen time in the movies compared to the books.
  • Greg drops the kindergarteners into construction pit instead of chasing them with a worm when taking Rowley’s place during safety patrol.
  • Greg won the cartoonist contest first in the book, but quit the job early because Mr. Ira completely changed the stories for his Creighton the Cretin comics. In the movie, Rowley wins the contest instead of Greg.
  • Patty Farrell had glasses in the book, but in the movie, she doesn't have glasses.
  • In the movie, there was a part where Greg goes to a Mother and Son dance to help reconcile with Rowley. but this never happens in the book.
  • Patty never wrestled Greg in the book.
  • The song for The Wizard of Oz auditions in the book is My Country 'Tis of Thee, while in the film, the song is Total Eclipse of the Heart. In addition, in the book, Greg gives an intentionally terrible performance since he was forced to join the play, but tries his best at singing in the movie.
  • In the book, a few boys watched Greg and Rowley attempting to fight, while in the film, all of the students watched Greg and Rowley attempting to fight.
    • Also, in the book, the scene of the cheese and the scene of Greg standing up for Rowley is set on two different days. In the film, it's the same day.
    • The cheese disappeared in the book, but in the film, the cheese was half-eaten.
  • The wrestling unit is portrayed differently in the movie. In the book, the wrestling unit was part of the school’s PE program, but in the movie, it is a club that Greg and Rowley take part in.
  • The Wizard of Oz play ends differently than in the movie. In the book, the play ends because of one of the apples that are thrown hits Patty’s glasses and breaks them. In the movie, the play ends abruptly because of the rampage going on with the apples.
  • The scene of Manny reading Rodrick’s heavy metal magazine is changed. In the book, Manny brings it to a show and tell and Susan is told from a call. In the movie, Greg tricks Manny to read the magazine by putting a treat meant for Rodrick inside the bag containing the magazine so that Greg can get Rodrick in trouble.
  • Greg owns a Big Wheel much earlier in the movie compared to the book, where he got the Big Wheel as a Christmas present from Rowley.

References

Trivia

  • This film was the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie made.
  • Some things like Greg’s fish that appear in later books appear in the movie.
  • In the scene where Greg is playing Twisted Wizard with Rowley at the Jefferson house, Greg and Rowley are playing on a Nintendo Wii.
  • This and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film) opens with Greg narrating the opening.
  • During the rehearsal of The Wizard of Oz, one kid can be seen playing Mario Kart DS on a black DSi. The race course seen is Waluigi Pinball.
  • Near the beginning, the movie Ice Age is seen in the background briefly. Ice Age is also a film produced by 20th Century Fox Studios.
  • The Wilhelm scream sound effect is used while Greg and Rowley were playing the Twisted Wizard game.
  • The piece of cheese on the court is digital. a silicone piece was used for adding the effects of the cheese aging over the months.
  • This movie was nominated at the 2011 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards.
  • There was also a book about the Wimpy Kid movies called: The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary.
  • There's an extra scene where Greg talks about how he used the Cheese Touch to his advantage during the last few weeks of school. The scene was likely cut due to time constraints and because it seemed irreverent. The scene is available on the DVD and Blu-Ray release of the film as a extra.
  • In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown, Greg states that in the events of this movie (the 6th grade year), Rowley won Class Clown.

Goofs/Errors

  • Rowley mentions the fact that he went to Guatemala, even though Guatemala is in Central America, not South America.
  • When Rowley hands Greg the Zoo Wee Mama comic he says "I put you in the comic this week." It's just the one with the acid puddle and squirrel with no change from the original drawing he made at Greg's house.
  • Greg takes Manny off the toilet, who leaves on the right. Susan is carrying Manny, but she comes from the left.
  • In the scene right before Rowley asks Greg if he "Wants to come over and play", Greg walks out, and a girl is seen walking down the stairs behind him. When they show Rowley, the girl is again seen coming out of the school.
  • When Greg first enters class on the first day of school, Greg Heffley is written on the blackboard. In the next shot, it is gone. In the shot after that, he writes his name on the board.
  • After their first meeting with Angie under the bleachers, Greg makes an excuse about hearing the whistle signaling the end of P.E. class before dragging away Rowley by grabbing his right wrist/hand. But in the next shot, as they retreat, Greg is shown leading Rowley by the left wrist, not the right.
  • In the scene where Greg and Rowley are walking the kindergartners, Pete Hosey and his friend drive by, slowly looking at them all standing in a line. In the next scene when Greg and Rowley are laughing about not getting caught, the kindergartners are in a different order.
  • Some of the foam from the fire extinguisher is sprayed onto Greg. Two shots later, Greg is clean.
  • When Greg is confessing to Rowley about scaring the smaller children, the hallway is busy with a woman in red quickly approaching them. A second later, the hall is empty and the woman has vanished. Then she reappears and brushes past Rowley.
  • A witch decoration by the stairs in the Heffley house is moving around. In another shot, the witch is still. When Greg and Rowley are outside, the witch is moving again.
  • When Rodrick pulls in with the Loded Diper van, he hits a trash can, and it goes rolling up the road. When it shows Rodrick getting out, and he closes his door, the trash can is then sitting by his front bumper.
  • When Patty pins Greg, and Angie takes the picture, her hair is down, but in the newspaper, her hair is curved up.
  • In the scene when Greg runs out of Fregley's house, he leaves the door open. In the next shot, when he is hugging his dad, the door is closed.
  • As Greg and Rowley are forced to eat on the floor, a milk carton lands on Greg's tray when two guys empty their trash. When Fregley comes to sit with them, the milk carton is gone.
  • When Greg opens the school door at the start of the movie, a trash can is knocked over and is completely full. Over the summer, the trash cans would have been emptied and it was the beginning of the first day back and so would've been almost empty.
  • Greg goes down on his popularity chart from 19 to 72. The 19th place would then be vacant. Rowley later fills the 19th spot. Greg later goes down from 72 to 202. The 72nd spot is vacant, but it is not filled because Greg is in spot 202 of 201.

Alternate Versions

Whenever this movie is shown on Cartoon Network, the part where Greg urinates on Rodrick was cut, and the bathroom scene was cut shorter.

The word "crappy" in Rodrick's sentence is changed to "queasy" when aired on Disney Channel, due to Disney being a kid friendly company, yet the word was kept when the movie was released on Disney+. This was likely caused due to not having the alternate version, with the original version being used a substitute.

Gallery

See Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010 film)/Gallery

Home media

See Diary of a Wimpy Kid Home Media

Official Trailer

Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid_Trailer

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trailer

Here is the official trailer for Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

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