Fillmore (Cars)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fillmore
Image:Fillmorebig.jpg
Model	1960 11-window VW Bus/Camper
Gender	Male
Color	Light Green
Voice Actor	George Carlin

Fillmore is a fictional anthropomorphic Volkswagen Bus in Pixar's animated feature film Cars. Fillmore is one of the twelve cars remaining in the fictional town of Radiator Springs. Voiced by George Carlin, he is a VW bus who owns an organic fuel shop within the town of Radiator Springs. He is the hippie of the town. Fillmore lives next door to Sarge, who is a 1942 World War II Willys MB Army Jeep.

[edit] Trivia

Every morning when Fillmore gets up he is awakened to a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner performed by Jimi Hendrix, much to Sarge's irritation. The song is played at the same time Sarge plays Reveille.
Sarge tells Fillmore "to turn that disrespectful junk off" but Fillmore replies by telling him to "respect the classics, man".
There is a moment in the film which may suggest Sarge and Fillmore are actually Father and Son. At the end of the tiebreaker race that serves as the climax for the film, Fillmore says, "There's alot of love out there, you know man?", and Sarge replies, "Don't embarrass me, Fillmore...".
Fillmore's license plate reads "51237", which stands for May 12, 1937. This is the birthdate of George Carlin, the actor who lends his voice to Fillmore.
Fillmore's name is a reference to Fillmore East and West - the concert hall where many artists during the 1960's and 1970's performed. The Fillmore is located in San Francisco which was considered a hippie haven in the 60's.
Asian Week noted that Fillmore's character is actually an impression of half-Chinese Tommy Chong's hippie of the Cheech and Chong comedy record duo, although the character's voice more closely resembles Carlin's own Al Sleet, the hippie-dippy weatherman, a skit that Carlin performed in the 60's and 70's. Pixar missed an opportunity to get Cheech and Chong together, but Cheech Marin (Ramone's voice) said in a recent review that he didn't want to do that team again.
Both Sarge and Fillmore were the earliest characters to be created for Cars, as precursors to both characters were in the original concept for the film, Yellow Car, in which an electric car tries to live in a gas-guzzling world.
Filmore was at one time to be named "Waldmire" after Bob Waldmire, a self-proclaimed hippie artist known to Rt. 66 fans for his detailed pen-and-ink maps and postcards of the route. Though Waldmire's family owns the Cozy Dog Drive-In (referenced to by the Cozy Cone Motel in the film), Bob, now a vegan, preferred not to see his name put on a character that would become a Happy Meal toy. ^{[citation needed]}
Among the many bumper stickers on Fillmore's rear is one that reads "Save 2D Animation," a Pixar commentary on how CGI 3D animation has largely replaced traditional hand-drawn 2D animation for theatrical releases.
The position of Fillmore's license plate is made to suggest a goatee, a popular style among hippies in the 60's.
Another 60's reference was when Fillmore remarked that every third blink on the town's only streetlight was slower. At that point Sarge asks him, "The Sixties weren't good to you, were they?"

[edit] Sources

The Art of Cars, by Michael Wallis.

[edit] External links

Image of Fillmore

2006 Disney-Pixar film Cars
Main Characters	Lightning McQueen \| Mater \| Sally \| Doc Hudson The King \| Chick Hicks \| Ramone \| Flo \| Luigi \| Guido \| Mack \| Red Sheriff \| Fillmore \| Sarge \| The Delinquent Road Hazards
Production Studio	Disney \| Pixar
Related Articles	Soundtrack \| Official Video Game \| Radiator Springs Radiator Springs Adventures \| Cars Diecast Line