User talk:Dikke poes/Sandbox

Cars plot proposed rewrite; any comments by me are in bold:

Rookie racecar Lightning McQueen is an arrogant, self-centered character who cares only for winning the Piston Cup and getting the big, flashy Dinoco sponsorship. The film starts with McQueen racing in the final race of the season, hoping to be the first rookie to ever win the Piston Cup; but as the result of the race is an unprecedented three-way tie between McQueen, racing legend "The King" Strip Weathers, and perennial runner-up and cheater Chick Hicks, a run-off race is set for California in one week to determine the winner. Eager to be the first in California and to "schmooze" with Dinoco, McQueen urges his transport truck and seemingly only friend, Mack, to continue driving through the night despite Mack's obvious fatigue. While trying to stay awake, Mack is discovered by four street racers (Wingo, Boost, DJ and Snot Rod) who enjoy putting Mack completely to sleep with some Easy Listening. A bump in the road causes Mack's trailer door to open, and the sleeping McQueen falls out. Half-awake and confused, McQueen find himself trying to catch up to Mack on an off-ramp, only to discover it's the wrong truck. By now, McQueen in hopelessly lost and without headlights (as racecars don't have them), he drives in the wrong direction (away from the interstate) and speeds past the Sheriff of tiny Radiator Springs, off historical Route 66. The Sheriff's backfiring exhaust frightens McQueen further and as the racecar frantically drives around the town, he tears up the road, knocks things over, and ultimately passes out after getting caught up in telephone wires. In the morning, McQueen awakes to find he's been impounded, and meets redneck tow truck Mater. He's taken to traffic court, where he sees most of the town's residents, the local judge and doctor Doc Hudson, and the town attourney, Sally Carrera. Doc's first impression is to get McQueen out of town as fast as possible, but Sally's impassioned speech convinces Doc to sentence McQueen to community service: fixing the road he ruined. McQueen discovers that the Sheriff has cleverly siphoned his gas tank, preventing him from leaving town until the task is finished. He's hooked up to Bessie, a non-anthropomorphic asphalt machine, and informed that he should be done with the road within 5 days. As this eats into Dinoco-schmoozing time, McQueen rushes the job while insulting everyone in town about how unfair the situation is, and the road ends up worse than before. Doc is not impressed, and challenges McQueen to a race on dirt: if McQueen wins, he's free to go. If he loses, he must properly fix the road. As Doc seemingly predicted, McQueen misses a tight turn, sliding on the dirt, and loses the race. McQueen then agrees to properly fix the road, angry with himself for missing another day and for sliding on that turn. After repaving part of the road beautifully until he runs out of asphalt, McQueen continues to practice the turn on the dirt racetrack, and continues to miss. Doc gives McQueen some advice, which McQueen shrugs off by insulting Doc. But after Doc leaves, McQueen tries the technique, and sees how it works.Note: many people see that the technique doesn't work for McQueen, but actually it does in that he goes the direction he wants-- he's merely taken by surprise and slides into the cactus anyway, but the turning left DID make him go right. This is the beginning of his move away from self-centeredness, as he discovers that others do have useful knowledge. Later that night, Mater takes McQueen out for a night of "tractor tipping," a parody of "cow-tipping,"< -- This part is funny enough that everyone remembers it, but it's superfluous to the whole story during which McQueen has a chance to get to know Mater better and discovers Mater's ability to drive backwards. Again, someone has impressed McQueen with surprising ability or knowledge. The next morning, McQueen discovers that Doc is in fact an old racecar himself (and a three-time Piston Cup winner). Doc is not amused at his bitter past being brought up. Later, McQueen sees Doc at the dirt track, racing. McQueen confronts Doc again, and asks him why he quit the racing world. Doc explains how a crash brought his dreams to an end and how the racing world had in fact abandoned him. This gives McQueen perspective on his life as a racecar, and when Sally shows him monuments from Radiator Springs' former glory and explained how she left the fast life in LA (Los Angeles) for friends and a dream in the middle of nowhere, McQueen finally sees the world in a new way and realizes that he's begun to care for the residents of the small town. As soon as the road repair is finished, Doc secretly makes a call to the media about McQueen's whereabouts. The residents, meanwhile, enjoy their new road with a "cruise" and show McQueen that they've repaired their aging town and feel new life for the first time in years, thanks to him. McQueen shows his friendship by patronizing all the town's businesses, further learning new things about others' abilities. By the time the media horde comes to get him, McQueen is actually sad to leave. At the race in California, McQueen finds himself distracted by thoughts of Radiator Springs and its residents, until he sees that some of them have come to help him in his big race— especially Doc Hudson as his crew chief! This helps McQueen concentrate, and eventually becomes well ahead of the other two racers; but as he's making the final turn, he sees that Chick Hicks has caused "The King" to wreck. This reminds McQueen of Doc's old wreck, and stops short of the finish line. Chick wins the race, but McQueen shows his growth as a person by ensuring that The King finishes his final race, showing Doc that at least this member of the racing community will not leave wrecked champions behind. McQueen is cheered by the crowd even though he lost the race, Chick is critisized, and McQueen stays with his original sponsors instead of taking the generous offer from Dinoco. McQueen also thanks the town of Radiator Springs for being both his pit crew and his friends by setting his headquarters up there, ensuring traffic and prosperity in the town.