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| Dave and the Giant Pickle | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | |
| Written by |
Phil Vischer |
| Music by | |
| Released |
March 21, 1996 |
| Runtime |
28 minutes |
| Previous episode | |
| Next episode | |
Dave and the Giant Pickle is the fifth episode of VeggieTales.This story is a retelling of the bible story of David and Goliath.
Plot
The show opens up with Larry dressed as his alter ego Larry-Boy with a cardboard cutout of a city skyline. He demonstrates his super-suction ears by jumping on a cardboard building. He gets stuck as Bob walks out on the countertop. Larry asks for Bob's help getting down, but falls off before Bob can help. When Bob asks Larry to get out of his costume, Larry says that he doesn't feel special about his normal self. Bob then mentions that he got a letter from Myra Eggleston from Youngstown, Pennsylvania. She says that her siblings are all older than her and can do all kinds of things but she is too little for any of those things and wonders what is special about her. Bob then tells the story of Dave and the Giant Pickle.
A long time ago in land called Israel, Dave (Junior Asparagus) was a shepherd who lived with his three brothers (Jimmy and Jerry Gourd and Tom Grape) and his father Jesse (Pa Grape). Everyday while Dave tended his sheep, the sheep would tip over and his older brothers would pick on him by making him pick up their tipped over sheep and get them food. One day, their father Jesse comes running to the boys to tell them that Israel's sworn enemies, the Philistines, are attacking. In order to defeat them, Israel's king, King Saul (Archibald) is putting together an army to defeat the Philistines. As everyone heads towards the battle grounds, Jesse tells Dave that saving Israel is a big man's job and not intended for boys and that he needs to stay with the sheep.
At the battlefield, the army of the Israellites were camped out on one hill while the Philistines were on another hill. The Philistines began to throw insults at the Israellites. Then the two upfront Philistines (Jean Claude and Christophe Pea) begin to make a deal with the Israellites. The two armies will bring out their great champions and if one of them wins, the losing army will be the winning army's slaves. King Saul agrees to the offer and the Philistines bring out their champion, a giant pickle named Goliath.
The Isreallites are frighten by the sight of Goliath and they run away and hide. Goliath came back day after day for 40 days to see who would fight him. But every time he showed up, all the Israellites were in hiding. After a while, Jesse begins to worry about his boys, and he sends Dave to the campgrounds to deliver some pizza. At the grounds, Dave sees his brothers in hiding from Goliath and overhears Goliath calling the Israellites cowards. Fed up with no one willing to fight Goliath, Dave goes to King Saul and says that he will fight Goliath. King Saul has major doubts that Dave, at his young age, can defeat Goliath. Dave, through song, convinces Saul to let him out on the field. Saul tells Dave to put on his old royal armor. Dave is not fit for the armor and says that he will confront Goliath with all he has and the will of God. Saul reluctantly lets Dave go out and fight.
As Dave heads for the camp, he stops by a stream and picks up five smooth stones. At the camps, Dave goes to Goliath and accepts his challenge. Goliath suits up in his boxing uniform and heads out in the battlefield and confronts Dave. Dave then takes a stone he picked up and uses a sling shot to fling a stone at Goliath. The stone hits Goliath's head, knocking him completely out. The Israellites are cheering with victory as the Philistines run away in defeat and fear. The story ends with Dave riding on his sheep in the sunset, and falling off.
Back on the countertop, Larry is moved by the story and is feeling special again. The bible verse of the day is Matthew 19:26; with God all things are possible. Larry thinks that he can do anything he wants and says that he wants to be a chicken. Bob then corrects him by saying that the verse means whatever God wants us to do, we can do. As Bob leaves the countertop, Larry stays behind to play around as Larry-Boy for fun. He then uses his super-suction ears to hang onto the camera and gets stuck then falls off onto the kitchen floor.
Silly Song
Characters
- Bob
- Larry/Larry-Boy
- Junior Asparagus (Dave)
- Jimmy and Jerry Gourd
- Archibald Asparagus (King Saul)
- Tom Grape
- Pa Grape (Jesse)
- Goliath
- French Peas (Philistines)
- Lenny Carrot
- Peas (American)
- Sheep
- Woman Voice (Singing)
Songs
Production
After Big Idea suffered through exhaustion after making Rack, Shack and Benny, Phil Vischer wanted to make the next episode silly and simple. He began reading the story of David and Goliath and thought about doing a Monty Python-like story of David and Goliath.
The episode was the easiest episode made in just 4 months with 8 people and everything was on budget, on schedule, and no one got tired making it and had a ball doing it. It even proved to be a favorite.
Home media
It was first released in March 21, 1996 by Word Entertainment. In 1998, Word Entertainment and Lyrick Studios reprinted it. In 2000, they reprinted it again. In 2004 it arrived on DVD and VHS from Warner Home Video and Sony Wonder as part of the VeggieTales Classics line. In February 2009, it was rereleased in promotion of Abe and the Amazing Promise.
Fun Facts
Trivia
- This was the first episode for several things:
- This was said to be the first of the easiest episodes to make, as it only took four months to produce. This episode held that record until The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment!.
- The first episode to feature Larry's alter-ego Larry-Boy. Believe it or not, Larry-Boy was going to appear just in this episode and not come back ever. But people loved Larry-Boy so much that he was kept.
- In the original Bible story, Dave severs Goliath's head after knocking him out with the stone. But since VeggieTales is a kid-friendly show, the battle ends with just Goliath getting knocked out.
- There were a few differences between pre-production and the final version:
- The sheep tipping over was something Phil came up since it'll be just dull for them doing nothing.
- The line Larry-Boy saying what are the Philippines was not in the script.
- In the scene where Larry-Boy is eating popcorn and talking to Bob about the story, there is a piece of popcorn on Larry-Boy's helmet. Phil Vischer stated on the DVD commentary that it was his idea as he thought it'd be funny, but no one found it funny at all.
- Tom Danen, Robert Ellis, Mike Nawrocki and Chris Olsen were impressed to see Ron Smith animating Junior tap-dancing.
Remarks
- Phil Vischer has stated that this is the first video to feature animals. However, in God Wants Me to Forgive Them!?!, there is a snake and two whales featured in it.
- The 2009 re-release states the episode came out in 1997, which is not true. Also, Larry-Boy is in his second costume design.
- As you'll notice in some of the characters, the underneath of them is brighter than normal.
- Goliath had a convenient chance of attacking David, but he just stares at his slingshot when he could just plan ahead.
- The sun in the ending goes down really fast.
- David had 7 brothers, but there were only 3 seen.
- How could Larry's suction ear malfunction? It's a plunger, and their supposed to stick to things.
- Larry states that Larry-Boy can fly, but he doesn't really have this super power. (Though in the Bad Apple video game and later design of the costume later incorporate flight)
- This is the first and only appearance of Christophe Pea. He appears in A Very Silly Sing-Along! and Beauty and the Beet along with Jean-Claude and Phillipe.
Goofs
- Jimmy's pupils phase through his eyelids when Bob was telling the viewers who is Dave.
- When one of the peas are hopping, they appear to be flying.
- King Saul's monocle changes from silver to gold in one shot.
- When Goilath was falling down, he was missing his cap in one shot.
- One of Larry-Boy's super suction ears is bent during the "What Have We Learned" song.
Inside References
- A few nods from the first episode are featured here:
- Archibald playing a biblical king, which looks indentical to the same one.
- The lion pizza box design is most likely a refernce towards when Daniel had pizza with the lions.
- Jimmy and Jerry saying they can eat a whole (insert object here) is a reference towards their debut appearance.
Real-World References
- The episode's title is reminisces towards Roald Dahl's book "James and the Giant Peach", which a film adaption came out around the same time as the episode.
Episode Transcript
Gallery
