The Simpsons Movie and Blueberry: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Film
{{Taxobox
| name = The Simpsons Movie
| name = Blueberry
| image = simpsons final poster.png
| image = PattsBlueberries.jpg
| caption = The film's theatrical [[Film poster|poster]].
| image_width = 250px
| director = [[David Silverman]]
| image_caption = ''[[Vaccinium corymbosum]]''
| producer = [[James L. Brooks]]<br>[[Matt Groening]]<br>[[Al Jean]]<br>[[Mike Scully]]<br>[[Richard Sakai]]
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| writer = James L. Brooks<br>Matt Groening<br>Al Jean<br>[[Ian Maxtone-Graham]]<br>[[George Meyer]]<br>[[David Mirkin]]<br>[[Mike Reiss]]<br>Mike Scully<br>[[Matt Selman]]<br>[[John Swartzwelder]]<br>[[Jon Vitti]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| starring = [[Dan Castellaneta]]<br>[[Julie Kavner]]<br>[[Nancy Cartwright]]<br>[[Yeardley Smith]]<br>[[Hank Azaria]]<br>[[Harry Shearer]]<br>[[Albert Brooks]]<br>[[Tress MacNeille]]
| editing = [[John Carnochan]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Ericales]]
| music = [[Hans Zimmer]]<br>'''Theme by''':<br>[[Danny Elfman]]
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
| familia = [[Ericaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Vaccinium]]''
| released = July 26, 2007 ([[Australia|AUS]], UK)<br>July 27, 2007 ([[North America|NA]]) <!-- Only primarily English-speaking countries.-->
| sectio = '''''Cyanococcus'''''
| runtime = 87 minutes
| sectio_authority = [[Per Axel Rydberg|Rydb.]]
| language = English
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| country = United States
| subdivision = See text.
| budget = $75 million<ref>{{cite news|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/1311278281.html?dids=1311278281:1311278281&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+28%2C+2007&author=Richard+Verrier&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=C.1&desc=ENTERTAINMENT%3B+A+Homeric+journey+for+animation+studio%3B+Film+Roman+is+thriving+with+projects+beyond+its+work+on+%60Simpsons.%27|title=A Homeric journey for animation studio|accessdate=2008-01-13|date=2007-07-28|author=Richard Verrier|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}Requires payment to view full article.</ref>
| gross = $526,864,607
| website = http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/
| imdb_id = 0462538
| amg_id = 1:346517
}}
}}
'''''The Simpsons Movie''''' is a [[2007 in film|2007]] [[Cinema of the United States|American]] [[animated cartoon|animated]] [[comedy film]] based on the animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. The film was directed by [[David Silverman]], and stars the regular television cast of [[Dan Castellaneta]], [[Julie Kavner]], [[Nancy Cartwright]], [[Yeardley Smith]], [[Hank Azaria]], [[Harry Shearer]], [[Tress MacNeille]] and [[Pamela Hayden]]. It features [[Albert Brooks]] as Russ Cargill, the evil head of the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] who intends to destroy [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] after [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] pollutes the lake. As the townspeople exile him and eventually his [[Simpson family|family]] abandon him, Homer works to redeem his folly by stopping Cargill's scheme.
'''Blueberries''' are [[flowering plant]]s in the genus ''[[Vaccinium]]'', sect. ''Cyanococcus''. The species are native only to [[North America]]. They are [[shrub]]s varying in size from 10 cm tall to 4 m tall; the smaller species are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), and the larger species as "highbush blueberries". The [[leaf|leaves]] can be either [[deciduous]] or [[evergreen]], [[ovate]] to [[lanceolate]], and from 1–8 cm long and 0.5–3.5 cm broad. The [[flower]]s are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish.


The [[fruit]] is a [[false berry]] 5–16 mm diameter with a flared "crown" at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally indigo on ripening. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes hide in forests with trees through October in the Northern Hemisphere; "blueberry season" peaks in July, which is National Blueberry Month in the United States and Canada.<ref>
Previous attempts to create a film version of ''The Simpsons'' failed due to the lack of a script of appropriate length and production crew members. Eventually, producers [[James L. Brooks]], [[Matt Groening]], [[Al Jean]], [[Mike Scully]], and [[Richard Sakai]] began development of the film in 2001. A writing team consisting of Scully, Jean, Brooks, Groening, [[George Meyer]], [[David Mirkin]], [[Mike Reiss]], [[John Swartzwelder]], [[Jon Vitti]], [[Ian Maxtone-Graham]] and [[Matt Selman]] was assembled. They conceived numerous plot ideas, with Groening's being the one developed into a film. The script was re-written over a hundred times, and this creativity continued after animation had begun in 2006. This meant hours of finished material was cut, which included [[Cameo appearance|cameo roles]] from [[Erin Brockovich]], [[Minnie Driver]], [[Isla Fisher]], [[Kelsey Grammer]] and [[Edward Norton]]. [[Tom Hanks]] and [[Green Day]] appeared in the final cut as themselves.
{{cite web
|url=http://www.nabcblues.org/blueberrymonth.htm
|title=blueberry month
|publisher=North American Blueberry Council
|accessdate=2008-08-04
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref>


Beginning in 2005, blueberries have been discussed among a category of [[functional foods]] called [[superfruit]]s having the favorable combination of [[nutrient]] richness, [[antioxidant]] strength, emerging research evidence for health benefits<ref>
Tie-in promotions were made with several companies, including [[Burger King]] and [[7-Eleven]], which [[Kwik-E-Mart#7-Eleven promotion|transformed selected stores]] into [[Kwik-E-Mart]]s. The film premiered in [[Springfield, Vermont|Springfield]], [[Vermont]], which had won the right to hold it through a competition organized by [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. The film was a box office success, grossing over [[US$]]526 million and it received generally positive reviews.
{{cite web

|url=http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=18944&zoneid=201
==Plot==
|title=Scientists Zero In on Health Benefits of Berry Pigments :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center
<!--If you do not want spoilers, then do not read this section. Please keep plot to this length, no spoiler tags. It is a basic over view of the film, not a blow by blow description of jokes.-->
|publisher=www.npicenter.com
While performing on Lake Springfield, [[rock music|rock]] band [[Green Day]] are killed when the pollution in the lake erodes their barge. At a memorial service, [[Abraham Simpson|Grampa]] has a [[prophecy|prophetic]] vision in which he predicts the impending doom of the town, but only [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] takes it seriously. [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] and an Irish boy named [[List of one-time characters from The Simpsons#The Simpsons Movie|Colin]], with whom she has fallen in love, hold a meeting where they convince the town to clean up the lake.
|accessdate=2008-03-24
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> and versatility for manufacturing popular consumer products.<ref>[http://ffnmag.com/ASP/articleDisplay.asp?strArticleId=1284&strSite=FFNSite&Screen=HOME Superfruits — superheroes of functionality - Functional Ingredients Magazine<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=17826&zoneid=201 Superfruits Take Center Stage :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


==Origins==
Meanwhile, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] adopts a pig from the [[Krusty Burger]]. Homer stores the pig's feces in an overflowing silo which Marge tells him to dispose of safely. However, Homer gets distracted and instead dumps the silo in the lake, re-polluting it. Moments later, a squirrel jumps into the lake and becomes severely mutated. Nearby, [[Ned Flanders|Flanders]] and [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] discover the squirrel during a hike, and the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] captures it. [[List of one-time characters from The Simpsons#The Simpsons Movie|Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, presents five options to [[President of the United States|President]] [[List of one-time characters from The Simpsons#The Simpsons Movie|Schwarzenegger]], who randomly picks the action of enclosing [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] in a giant glass dome. When the police discover Homer's silo in the lake, an angry mob of townspeople approach the Simpsons' home and sets it on fire, but the family escapes through a [[sinkhole]] and flees to [[Alaska]].


All species whose English [[common name]]s include "blueberry" are currently classified in section ''Cyanococcus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. Several other plants of the genus ''Vaccinium'' also produce blue berries which are sometimes confused with blueberries, mainly the predominantly European [[bilberry]] ''(Vaccinium myrtillus),'' which in many languages has a name that means "blueberry" in English. See the [[#Identification|Identification]] section for more information.
Cracks start to appear in the dome and Cargill, not wanting news of what he has done to become widespread, plans to destroy Springfield. In Alaska, the Simpsons see an advertisement for a new [[Grand Canyon]] to be located on the site that was Springfield. Marge and the kids decide to go and save the town, but Homer refuses to help the people who tried to kill them. The family abandons Homer and leaves but are captured by the EPA and placed back in the dome. After a visit from a mysterious [[Inuit mythology|Inuit shaman]], Homer has an [[epiphany (feeling)|epiphany]] and believes he must save the town in order to save himself.


Although blueberries are native to North America, they are now grown also in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, New Zealand and South American countries,<ref>[http://www.blueberry.org/blueberries.htm Fresh blueberries, US Highbush Blueberry Council]</ref> and are air-shipped as fresh produce to markets around the world.
As he arrives at Springfield to do so, a helicopter lowers a bomb suspended by rope through a hole in the dome. Homer climbs to the peak of the dome and descends the rope, knocking the escaping townspeople and bomb off. Homer grabs the bomb and a motorcycle. After reuniting with Bart, they cycle up the side of the dome and Bart tosses the bomb through the hole, seconds before detonation. The bomb explodes, shattering the dome. The town praises Homer, who rides off with Marge on the motorcycle into the sunset. The townspeople begin restoring Springfield back to normal.


==Production==
==Species==
{|
===Development===
|
The production staff had considered a film adaptation of ''The Simpsons'' since early in the series. The show's creator, [[Matt Groening]], felt a feature length film would allow them to increase the show's scale and animate sequences too complex for a TV series.<ref name=creators>{{cite news|author=Edward Douglas|title=The Creators of The Simpsons Movie!|work=Comingsoon.net|date=2007-07-24|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=22484|accessdate=2007-07-25}}</ref> He intended the film to be made after the show ended, "but that [...] was undone by good ratings".<ref name=variety/> There were attempts to adapt the [[The Simpsons (season 4)|fourth season]] episode "[[Kamp Krusty]]" into a film, but difficulties were encountered in expanding the episode to feature-length.<ref>{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt; Al Jean, Mark Kirkland, David Silverman|year=2004|title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Kamp Krusty]]"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> For a long time the project was held up. There was difficulty finding a story that was sufficient for a film, and the crew did not have enough time to complete such a project, as they already worked full time on the show.<ref name="avclub">{{cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47771/3|title=Matt Groening interview with The A.V. Club (page 3)|author=Nathan Rabin|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|accessdate=2007-04-23|date=2006-04-26}}</ref> Groening also expressed a wish to make ''Simpstasia'', a parody of ''[[Fantasia (film)|Fantasia]]''; it was never produced, partly because it would have been too difficult to write a feature-length script.<ref>{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2004|title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[A Streetcar Named Marge]]"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Before his death, [[Phil Hartman]] had said he had wished to make a live action [[Troy McClure]] film, and several of the show's staff had expressed a desire to help create it.<ref>{{cite video|people=Oakley, Bill|year=2006|title=The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Homerpalooza]]"|medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
*''[[Lowbush blueberry|Vaccinium angustifolium]]'' (Lowbush Blueberry)
{|class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:28em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
*''[[Vaccinium boreale]]'' (Northern Blueberry)
|style="text-align: left;"|"If every episode of ''The Simpsons'' is a celebration, which we try to make it, then the movie is like a big celebration. It's a way of honoring the animators, allowing them to really strut their stuff and really go as far as they can with the art of the handwritten gesture. It's a way of honoring the writers, because we were able to get the best all-star writers of ''The Simpsons'' and write our hearts out, and it's a way of honoring all the great actors."
*''[[Vaccinium caesariense]]'' (New Jersey Blueberry)
|-
*''[[Northern highbush blueberry|Vaccinium corymbosum]]'' (Northern Highbush Blueberry)
|style="text-align: left;"|— Matt Groening<ref name=creators/>
*''[[Vaccinium darrowii]]'' (Southern Highbush Blueberry)
*''[[Vaccinium elliottii]]'' (Elliott Blueberry)
*''[[Vaccinium formosum]]'' (southern blueberry)
|
*''[[Vaccinium fuscatum]]'' (Black Highbush Blueberry; syn. ''V. atrococcum'')
*''[[Vaccinium hirsutum]]'' (Hairy-fruited Blueberry)
*''[[Canadian blueberry|Vaccinium myrtilloides]]'' (Canadian Blueberry)
*''[[Vaccinium pallidum]]'' (Dryland Blueberry)
*''[[Vaccinium simulatum]]'' (Upland Highbush Blueberry)
*''[[Vaccinium tenellum]]'' (Southern Blueberry)
*''[[Rabbiteye blueberry|Vaccinium virgatum]]'' (Rabbiteye Blueberry; syn. ''V. ashei'')
|}
|}
The voice cast was signed on to do the film in 2001,<ref name="empire">{{cite news | author = Olly Richards | title = Homer's Odyssey | pages = 72-78 | work = [[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | date = 2007-05-24}}</ref> and work then began on the script.<ref name = "usa"/> The producers were initially worried that creating a film would have a negative effect on the series, as they did not have enough crew to focus their attention on both projects. As the series progressed, additional writers and animators were hired so that both the show and the film could be produced at the same time.<ref name=officialsite/> Groening and [[James L. Brooks]] invited back [[Mike Scully]] and [[Al Jean]] (who continued to work as [[showrunner]] on the television series) to produce the film with them.<ref name="pig feces"/> They then signed [[David Silverman]] (who, in anticipation of the project, had quit his job at [[Pixar]]) to direct the film.<ref name="pig feces"/> The "strongest possible" writing team were assembled, with many of the writers from the show's early seasons being chosen.<ref name=officialsite/> [[David Mirkin]], [[Mike Reiss]], [[George Meyer]], [[John Swartzwelder]] and [[Jon Vitti]] were selected. [[Ian Maxtone-Graham]] and [[Matt Selman]] joined later, and Brooks, Groening, Scully, and Jean also wrote parts of the script.<ref name=officialsite/> [[Sam Simon]] did not return having left the show over creative differences in 1993. Former writer [[Conan O'Brien]] wanted to work with the ''Simpsons'' staff again, joking that "I worry that the ''Simpsons''-writing portion of my brain has been destroyed after 14 years of talking to [[Lindsay Lohan]] and that guy from ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'', so maybe it's all for the best."<ref>{{cite news | author = Dan Snierson | title = D'Oh! | work = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20046980,00.html | accessdate=2007-07-19|date=2007-07-18}}</ref> The same went for director [[Brad Bird]] who said he had "entertained fantasies of asking if [he] could work on the movie", but did not have enough time due to work on ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]''.<ref name="empire"/> The producers arranged a deal with Fox that would allow them to abandon production of the film at any point if they felt the script was unsatisfactory.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/movies/moviesspecial/06itzk.html | title = D'oh! They're Still Tinkering With Homer | accessdate = 2007-05-05 | author = Dave Itzkoff | date = 2007-05-06 | work = [[The New York Times]]}} Registration required</ref>


Some other blue-fruited-species of ''Vaccinium:''
Work continued on the screenplay from 2003 onwards,<ref name=nytimes/> taking place in the small bungalow where Groening first pitched ''The Simpsons'' in 1987.<ref name="totalfilm">{{cite news | author = Matt Groening | title = The 12 steps to making a Simpsons movie | pages = 84-85 | work = [[Total Film]] Issue 130 | date = Summer 2007 | accessdate = 2007-07-03}}</ref> The writers spent six months discussing a plot,<ref name=tislondon/> and each of them offered sketchy ideas.<ref name="totalfilm"/> Jean suggested the family rescue [[manatee]]s, which became the 2005 episode "[[Bonfire of the Manatees]]", and there was also a notion similar to that of ''[[The Truman Show]]'' where the characters discovered their lives were a TV show. Groening rejected this, as he felt that the Simpsons should "never become aware of themselves as celebrities".<ref name="empire"/> Groening read about a town that had to get rid of pig feces in their water supply, which inspired the plot of the film.<ref name="pig feces">{{cite news | author = Dan Snierson | title = Homer's Odyssey | work = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20047512,00.html | accessdate=2007-07-20|date=2007-07-20}}</ref> The decision for [[Ned Flanders|Flanders]] to have in an important role also came early on, as Jean wished to see Bart wonder what his life would be like if Flanders were his father.<ref name=moviesonline/> Having eventually decided on the basic outline of the plot for the film, the writers then separated it into seven sections. Jean, Scully, Reiss, Swartzwelder, Vitti, Mirkin, and Meyer wrote 25 pages each, and the group met one month later to merge the seven sections into one "very rough draft".<ref name=officialsite/> The film's script was written in the same way as the television series: the writers sitting around a table, pitching ideas and trying to make each other laugh.<ref name=nytimes/> The script went through over 100 revisions.<ref name=tislondon/> Groening described his desire to also make the film dramatically stronger than a TV episode, saying that he wanted to "give you something that you haven't seen before".<ref>{{cite news | author = Dave West | title = Groening: 'Simpsons Movie' will be emotional | work = [[Digital Spy]] | date = 2007-07-07 | url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a64419/groening-simpsons-movie-will-be-emotional.html | accessdate=2007-07-10}}</ref>
*''[[Vaccinium koreanum]]''
*''[[Vaccinium myrsinites]]'' (Evergreen Blueberry)


===Animation===
==Identification==
[[Image:David Silverman in 2007-cropped.JPG|right|thumb|Director [[David Silverman]] looked at some of the television episodes he had directed for inspiration.]]
Animation for the film began in January 2006,<ref name="pig feces"/> with the ''[[Itchy & Scratchy]]'' short being the first scene to be [[storyboard]]ed.<ref name=com>{{cite video | people=Brooks, James L.; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al; Scully, Mike; Silverman, David; Castellaneta, Dan; Smith, Yeardley|year=2007|title=Audio commentary| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Groening rejected making either a [[live action]] or a [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] film,<ref name="totalfilm"/> calling the film's animation "deliberately imperfect" and "a tribute to the art of [[traditional animation|hand-drawn animation]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6273738.stm|title='Clumsy' Simpsons movie promised|accessdate=2007-07-05|date=2007-07-05|author=Neil Smith|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> The film was produced in a widescreen [[anamorphic format|2.35:1]] aspect ratio, to distinguish it from the look of the television series,<ref name=officialsite/><ref name=com/> and colored with the largest palette the animators had ever had available to them.<ref name=creators/> A lot of the animation was produced using [[Wacom#Cintiq|Wacom Cintiq]] tablets, which allowed images to be drawn directly onto a computer monitor to facilitate production.<ref name=com/> Animation production work was divided among four studios around the world: [[Film Roman]] in [[Burbank, California]], [[Rough Draft Studios]] in [[Glendale, California]], and [[AKOM]] and Rough Draft's division in [[Seoul]], South Korea. Like the television series, the storyboarding, characters, background layout and [[animatic]] parts of production, were done in America. The overseas studios completed the [[Traditional animation#Animation|animation]], [[tweening|in-betweening]] and [[Traditional animation#Digital ink and paint|digital ink and paint]] processes.<ref name=com2/>


True wild blueberries (section ''Cyanococcus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium'') occur naturally only in eastern and north-central North America. Other sections in the genus, native to other parts of the world including western [[North America]], [[Europe]], and [[Asia]], include other wild shrubs producing similar-looking edible berries such as [[Huckleberry|huckleberries]], [[Cranberry|cranberries]], [[Bilberry|bilberries]] and [[Cowberry|cowberries]]. These are sometimes colloquially called ''blueberries'' and sold as blueberry jam or other products.
Director [[David Silverman]] said that unlike the TV series where "you [have] to pick and choose", the film gave them the opportunity to "lavish that attention [on] every single scene". The characters have shadows, unlike in the show.<ref name=nytimes/> Silverman and the animators looked to films such as ''[[The Incredibles]]'', ''[[Les Triplettes de Belleville|Triplets of Belleville]]'', and ''[[Bad Day at Black Rock]]'' for inspiration, as they were "a great education in staging because of how the characters are placed".<ref name=nytimes/> They also looked for ideas for a dream sequence, in Disney films such as ''[[Dumbo]]'' and the [[Pluto (Disney)|Pluto]] cartoon ''Pluto's Judgment Day'',<ref name="totalfilm"/> and for crowd scenes in ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]''.<ref name=moviesonline/> Silverman looked at some of the ''Simpsons'' episodes he had directed, primarily his two favorites, "[[Homie the Clown]]" and "[[Three Men and a Comic Book]]".<ref name=silvermaninter>{{cite news|url=http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=2280|title=Interview: 'Simpsons Movie' Director David Silverman Loves Making D'oh|accessdate=2007-07-31|date=2007-07-31|author=Peter Brown|work=iF Magazine}}</ref> [[Mike B. Anderson]], [[Lauren MacMullan]], [[Rich Moore]], and [[Steven Dean Moore]] each directed the animation for around a quarter of the film under Silverman's supervision, with numerous other animators working on scenes.<ref name=com2>{{cite video | people=Anderson, Mike B.; Dean Moore, Steven; Moore, Rich; Silverman, David|year=2007|title=Audio Director's commentary| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


The names of blue berries in languages other than English often translate as "blueberry", e.g. [[Scots (language)|Scots]] ''Blaeberry'' and [[Norwegian (language)|Norwegian]] ''Blåbær'', although those berries may belong to another species. For example, ''Blåbær'' and [[French (language)|French]] ''myrtilles'' usually refer to the European native bilberry, while ''bleuets'' refers to the North American blueberry.
===Opening===


Aside from location of origin, blueberries can be distinguished from bilberries by cutting them in half. Ripe blueberries have white or greenish flesh, while bilberries and huckleberries are colored purple throughout.
The movie opens with the traditional '''The Simpsons''' theme song but is changed for the feature film. It shows The Simpsons titles and Professor Frink rides by on a sort of bike like plane with a banner that says Movie on it and says "Moo-vie! On the Big Screen" and the screen goes from TV size to movie size. Then instead of going through the P like in the show is goes through the O in the Movie banner.


===Casting===
==Cultivation==
Blueberries are cultivated and picked (semi-)wild. In [[North America]], the most common cultivated species is ''V. corymbosum'', the [[Northern highbush blueberry]]. Hybrids of this with other ''Vaccinium'' species adapted to southern U.S. climates are known collectively as Southern highbush blueberries.
For inspiration for the crowd scenes in the film, the production staff spent a long time looking at a poster that featured more than 320 ''Simpsons'' characters.<ref name=ew>{{cite news | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20035330,00.html | title = Inside 'The Simpsons Movie' | accessdate = 2007-05-05 | author = Dan Snierson | date = 2007-04-27 | work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> Groening said they tried to include every single character in the film, with 98 having speaking parts,<ref name="pig feces"/> and most members of the crowds being previously established characters instead of generic people.<ref name=com/> The series' regular voice actors: [[Dan Castellaneta]], [[Julie Kavner]], [[Nancy Cartwright]], [[Yeardley Smith]], [[Hank Azaria]], and [[Harry Shearer]], as well as semi-regular performers [[Tress MacNeille]], [[Pamela Hayden]], [[Marcia Wallace]], [[Maggie Roswell]], [[Russi Taylor]] and [[Karl Wiedergott]], reprised their roles.<ref name=variety/> [[Joe Mantegna]] returned as [[Fat Tony]],<ref name="fattony">{{cite news|url=http://www.creators.com/lifestylefeatures/hollywood-exclusive/jon-cryer-and-lisa-joyner-plan-june-wedding-joe-mantegna-pulls-eclectic-string-of-roles.html|title=Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner Plan June Wedding/Joe Mantegna Pulls Eclectic String of Roles|accessdate=2007-04-11|work=creators.com}}</ref> while [[Albert Brooks]], who supplied many guest voices in episodes, was hired as [[List of one-time characters in The Simpsons#The Simpsons Movie|Russ Cargill]],<ref name=officialsite>{{cite web|url=http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html|title=About the DVD|work=The Simpsons Movie.com|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|accessdate=2007-11-29}} On the main page, click on "About the DVD" then on "Production Notes".</ref> after he told the staff that he wanted to be part of the film.<ref name=moviesonline/> For "about a week", he was to reprise the role of [[Hank Scorpio]] from the episode "[[You Only Move Twice]]", but the staff felt that creating a new character was a better idea.<ref name=com2/>
[[Image:simpsons angry mob.png|frame|right|The shot of an angry mob coming for Homer features cameos from more than 320 characters.<ref name=tislondon/>]]
The cast did the first of three table readings in May 2005,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=9902|title=Nancy Cartwright on The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-05-07|date=2005-06-05|work=ComingSoon.net}}</ref><ref name=variety>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940840.html?categoryid=14&cs=1|title=Homer going to bat in '07|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=2006-04-02|author=Michael Fleming|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> and began recording every week from June 2006 until the end of production.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.girl.com.au/harry-shearer-simpsons-movie-for-your-consideration-interview.htm|title=Harry Shearer For your Consideration & Simpsons Movie Interview|accessdate=2007-07-07|author=Paul Fischer|work=Girl.com}}</ref> James L. Brooks directed them for the first time since the television show's early seasons. Castellaneta found the recording sessions "more intense" than recording the television series, and "more emotionally dramatic".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=398201|title=Castellaneta Does Double Duty on "Simpsons Movie"|accessdate=2007-07-07|date=2007-02-01|author=Scott Weinberg|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> Some scenes, such as Marge's video message to Homer, were recorded over one hundred times, leaving the voice cast exhausted.<ref name=moviesonline/>


[[Image:Blueberry plants.jpg|thumb|right|Blueberry flowers]]
The writers had written the opening concert scene without a specific band in mind. [[Green Day]] were cast in that role having requested to guest star in the show. [[Tom Hanks]] also appears as himself in the film and accepted the offer after just one phone call.<ref name=moviesonline/> ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'' creator [[Philip Rosenthal]] provides the voice of the father in the "new [[Grand Canyon]]" commercial with Hanks.<ref name=com/> Due to time restraints, several guests who had recorded parts were cut from the film. [[Minnie Driver]] recorded the part of a patronizing grievance counselor in a scene that ended up being cut.<ref name=drivercut>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1558514/20070501/story.jhtml|title=Movie File: 'Dark Knight,' Christian Bale, 'Simpsons Movie' & More|accessdate=2007-05-08|author=Shawn Adler; Larry Carroll|date=2007-05-02|work=[[MTV]]}}</ref> [[Edward Norton]] recorded the part of the man who gets crushed as the dome is implemented, performing a [[Woody Allen]] impression. The staff felt the voice was too distracting, so Castellaneta re-recorded Norton's dialogue with a different voice.<ref name=com/> [[Isla Fisher]] and [[Erin Brockovich]] also recorded cameos, but their scenes were cut.<ref name="pig feces"/> [[Kelsey Grammer]] recorded lines for [[Sideshow Bob]], who was to appear at several different points,<ref name=com/><ref name=com2/> but these scenes were also cut.<ref name=moviesonline/> [[Johnny Knoxville]] was also touted as a possible guest star.<ref name=moviesonline/>
So-called "wild" (lowbush) blueberries, smaller than cultivated highbush ones, are prized for their intense color. The [[lowbush blueberry]], ''V. angustifolium'', is found from the [[Atlantic provinces]] westward to [[Quebec]] and southward to [[Michigan]] and [[West Virginia]]. In some areas, it produces natural ''blueberry barrens'', where it is practically the only species covering large areas. Several [[First Nations]] communities in [[Ontario]] are involved in harvesting wild blueberries. Lowbush species are fire-tolerant and blueberry production often increases following a [[wildfire|forest fire]] as the plants regenerate rapidly and benefit from removal of competing vegetation.
'''''Wild''''' has been adopted as a marketing term for harvests of managed native stands of low-bush blueberries. The bushes are not planted or genetically manipulated, but they are pruned or burned over every two years, and pests are "managed".<ref>[http://www.nsac.ns.ca/wildblue/ Wild Blueberry Network Information Centre]</ref>


There are numerous highbush [[cultivar]]s of blueberries, each of which have a unique and diverse flavor. The most important blueberry breeding program has been the [[USDA-ARS]] breeding program based at Beltsville, Maryland, and Chatsworth, New Jersey. This program began when [[Frederick Coville]] of the USDA-ARS collaborated with [[Elizabeth Coleman White]] of [[New Jersey]]. In the early part of the 20th Century, White offered wild pickers cash for large-fruited blueberry plants. 'Rubel', one such wild blueberry cultivar, is the origin of many of the current hybrid cultivars.
Although he does not provide the voice, [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] is [[President of the United States]] in the film. He was chosen instead of the incumbent President [[George W. Bush]] because then, "in two years [...] the film [would be] out of date".<ref name=tislondon>{{cite news|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/film/review-23403996-details/The+Simpsons'+big+screen+test/review.do?reviewId=23403996|title=The Simpsons' big screen test|author=Nick Curtis|accessdate=2007-07-14|date=2007-07-12|work=This is London}}</ref> Brooks was nervous about the idea, noting that "[Schwarzenegger's] opinion polls were way down", he said that they "were [hoping] he'd make a political comeback".<ref name=creators/> The animators began by drawing an accurate caricature of Schwarzenegger,<ref name=moviesonline>{{cite news|url=http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12524.html|title=The Simpsons Movie Interviews|author=Sheila Roberts|accessdate=2007-08-01|work=Movies Online}}</ref> but one of the staff instead suggested an altered version of recurring character [[Rainier Wolfcastle]] as President.<ref name=silvermaninter/> This idea was developed, with the design of Wolfcastle, himself also a caricature of Schwarzenegger, being given more wrinkles under his eyes and a different hairstyle.<ref name=moviesonline/>


'''Rabbiteye Blueberry''' (''V. virgatum,'' syn. ''V. ashei'') is a southern type of blueberry produced from the Carolinas to the Gulf Coast states.
===Editing===
Every aspect of the film was constantly analyzed, with storylines, jokes and characters regularly being re-written.<ref name="com"/> Although most animated films do not make extensive changes to the film during active production due to budget restrictions,<ref name="empire"/> ''The Simpsons Movie'' crew continued to edit their film into 2007, with some edits taking place as late as May, two months before the film was released.<ref name=com/> James L. Brooks noted, "70 percent of the things in [one of the trailers]—based on where we were eight weeks ago—are no longer in the movie."<ref name=ew/> Groening said that enough material for two more movies was cut.<ref name="totalfilm"/> Various new characters were created, and then cut because they did not contribute enough.<ref name="empire"/> Originally Marge was the character who had the [[Prophecy|prophetic vision]] in church. The writers however considered this to be too dark and it was changed to Grampa.<ref name=com/> The role of Lisa's love interest Colin was frequently revised. He was previously named Dexter and Adrien, and his appearance was completely altered.<ref name=moviesonline/> One idea was to have [[Milhouse Van Houten|Milhouse]] act as Lisa's love interest, but the writers realized "the audience was not as familiar with [his] long-standing crush on [Lisa] as [they had] thought".<ref name=com/> A [[car chase]] in which Homer throws flaming [[Mummy|mummies]] out of a truck at the EPA was replaced with "more emotional and realistic" scenes at the motel and carnival that allowed for a change of pace.<ref name=com/>


Other important species in North America include ''V. pallidum'', the '''Hillside''' or '''Dryland Blueberry'''. It is native to the eastern U.S., and common in the Appalachians and the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] of the Southeast. '''Sparkleberry''', ''V. arboreum'', is a common wild species on sandy soils in the southeastern U.S. Its fruits are important to wildlife, and the flowers important to beekeepers.
Further changes were made after the March 2007 preview screenings of the film in [[Portland, Oregon]] and [[Phoenix, Arizona]].<ref name=com/> This included the deletion of [[Kang and Kodos]] heavily criticizing the film during the end credits.<ref name="pig feces"/> A lot of people at the screenings found the original film too coarse, and some of Homer's behavior too unkind, so several scenes were toned down to make him appear nicer.<ref name=com/> Russ Cargill was re-designed several times, originally appearing as an older man whose speech patterns Albert Brooks based on [[Donald Rumsfeld]]. The older model was the one used by [[Burger King]] for the action figure.<ref name=com/> Cargill's scene with Bart and Homer at the film's conclusion was added in to fully resolve his story, and the "[[List of animals in The Simpsons#Plopper|Spider-Pig]]" gag was also a late addition.<ref name=moviesonline/> One excised scene, before the dome is put over Springfield, had Mr. Burns reminding viewers that it was the last point in the film that they could get a refund.<ref name=com/> Other deletions included Homer's encounter with a sausage truck driver, a scene with Plopper the pig at the end,<ref name=ploppersback>{{cite news|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/808/808965p1.html|title=SDCC 07: The Simpsons Panel|accessdate=2007-07-29|author=Eric Moro|date=2007-07-28|work=[[IGN]]}}</ref> and several musical numbers that appeared throughout.<ref name="com"/> A news report, showing the dome's effect on daily life in Springfield in areas such as farming and sport, was cut because it did not fit the overall context of the film.<ref name=com/>


===Music===
==Growing areas==
{{see also|The Simpsons Movie: The Music}}
James L. Brooks chose [[Hans Zimmer]] to compose the film's score, as they were good friends and regular collaborators.<ref name=post>{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/07242007/entertainment/music/_simpsons__score_state_of_the_bart_music_maxine_shen.htm|title=‘Simpsons’ Score State of the Bart|accessdate=2007-07-29|date=2007-07-24|author=Maxine Shen|work=[[New York Post]]}}</ref> Zimmer felt that the score was a "unique challenge", and he had to "try and express the style of ''The Simpsons'' without wearing the audience out".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.soundtrack.net/news/article/?id=1021|title=Hans Zimmer Bakes Up a Tasty Soundtrack for The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-06-30|date=2007-06-26|work=Soundtrack.net}}</ref> He used [[Danny Elfman]]'s original [[The Simpsons Theme‎|opening theme]], but did not wish to overuse it. He created themes for each member of the family. Homer's [[leitmotif]] was a major focus, and Zimmer also composed smaller themes for Bart and Marge.<ref name=oneandonly>{{cite news | author = Edward Douglas | title = The One and Only Hans Zimmer! | work = ComingSoon.net | date = 2007-08-07 | url = http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=22980 | accessdate=2007-11-15}}</ref> Regular television series composer [[Alf Clausen]] was not asked to score the film, noting: "sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bullz-eye.com/television/interviews/2007/alf_clausen.htm|title=Alf Clausen interview, The Simpsons|accessdate=2007-11-16|date=2007-09-26|author=Will Harris|work=Bullz-Eye.com}}</ref>


Significant production of highbush blueberries occurs in [[British Columbia]], [[Michigan]], [[New Jersey]], [[North Carolina]], [[Oregon]], and [[Washington]]. The production of southern highbush varieties in [[California]] is rapidly increasing, as varieties originating from the [[University of Florida]] and [[North Carolina State University]] have been introduced. Southern highbush berries are now also cultivated in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, [[Southern Hemisphere]] countries and [[China]].
In addition to their appearance in the film, Green Day recorded its own version of the ''Simpsons'' theme, and released it as a single.<ref name=hr>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/columns/music_reporter/e3i100bdf32d950877f04f3f3dce9e59d2a|title=Mmmmm, soundtrack: 'Simpsons' team effort|accessdate=2007-05-24|date=2007-05-24|author=Tamara Conniff|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> Zimmer turned the Spider-Pig song into a choral piece, which was a joke he never intended to be put into the film. Zimmer also had to write foreign-language lyrics for the thirty-two [[dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbed]] versions of the song when the film was released internationally. He found translating the song into Spanish the hardest to write. The same choir learned to sing the piece for each of the foreign-language dubs.<ref name=oneandonly/>


==Cultural references==
===United States===
Blueberries were first cultivated in the United States by [[Elizabeth Coleman White]] in the southern New Jersey village of Whitesbog. New Jersey remains a leading producer of highbush blueberries.
Several cultural references and allusions are made throughout the film. Green Day play "[[Nearer, My God, to Thee]]" on violins as their barge sinks, a reference to the film ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''.<ref name=com/> When Bart is riding his skateboard naked, different passing objects are constantly covering his [[genitalia]], a nod to similar techniques used in ''[[Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery]]''.<ref name=com2/> Homer and Marge's love scene parodies many [[Disney]] films, with Disney-style animals helping them undress.<ref name=moviesonline/> Originally, the music from ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' was used in that scene, and the [[fawn]] had white spots; these were removed because the animators felt it resembled [[Bambi]] too clearly.<ref name=com/> Bart impersonates [[Mickey Mouse]] on the train, calling himself "the mascot of an evil corporation".<ref name=moviesonline/> Homer plays ''Grand Theft Walrus'', an allusion to the [[video game]] series ''[[Grand Theft Auto (series)|Grand Theft Auto]]''. In the game, his character shoots a tap-dancing penguin in reference to ''[[Happy Feet]]''.<ref name=com/> The "Spider-Pig" song is a parody of the [[Spider-Man theme song|theme song]] of the 1967 ''[[Spider-Man (1967 TV series)|Spider-Man]]'' TV series,<ref name=oneandonly/> and the name of Lisa's lecture is ''An Irritating Truth'', a play on [[Al Gore]]'s film ''[[An Inconvenient Truth]]''.<ref name=reuters>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSL0535428620070705?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true|title=Simpsons movie targets church, environmentalists|accessdate=2007-07-06|date=2007-07-05|author=Mike Collett-White|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> The bomb disposal robot was based on [[Vincent D'Onofrio]]'s character Leonard "Pyle" Lawrence from the film ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'', who commits suicide in a similar way.<ref name=com2/> At the end of the film, the crowd's celebration is similar to the conclusion of ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi]]'', with [[Carl Carlson|Carl]] performing exactly the same hand gestures as [[Lando Calrissian]].<ref name=com2/>


[[Maine]] produces 25% of all lowbush blueberries in North America, making it the largest producer in the world. Maine's 24,291 hectares (FAO figures, 60,023 acres) of blueberry were propagated from native plants that occur naturally in the understorey of its coastal forests. The Maine crop requires about 50,000 [[beehive (beekeeping)|beehives]] for [[pollination]], with most of the hives being trucked in from other states for that purpose. Many towns in Maine lay claim to being the blueberry capital and several festivals are centered around the blueberry. The wild blueberry is the official fruit of Maine and is often as much a symbol of Maine as the lobster. While Maine is the leader of lowbush blueberry production in the United States, [[Michigan]] is the leader in highbush production.<ref>Agricultural Marketing Resouce Center[http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/fruits/blueberries/]</ref>
The $1000 Homer received when entering Alaska is a reference to the [[Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/20/business/NA-FIN-US-Alaska-Dividend.php|title=Alaska residents will get annual oil royalty dividend of $1,654 each|work=International Herald Tribune|date=2007-09-20|accessdate=2008-02-28|author=Associated Press}}</ref> As Homer leaves Eski-Moe's he grabs on to a passing truck and uses it to propel himself back to the house, a tribute to actor [[Buster Keaton]],<ref name=com/> while the epiphany features homages to the film ''[[Brazil (film)|Brazil]]'' and the works of [[Salvador Dali]].<ref name=com2/> [[Hillary Clinton]] appears as Itchy's vice president, while an [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orc]] from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' appears in the mob scene.<ref name=com/> A scene that was cut had Marge and the kids appear on the TV talk show ''[[The View]]'' to spread the news of Springfield's impending doom. Parts were written for the show's entire panel, the scene was planned to feature Russ Cargill having a gunfight with [[Joy Behar]].<ref name=com/> Another dropped scene featured Moe describing Springfield's varying physical states inside the dome, one of which was the [[Disneyland]] ride [[Autopia]].<ref name=com/> There are several references to events in the ''Simpsons'' TV series. These include the wreckage of the ambulance from the episode "[[Bart the Daredevil]]" crashed into a tree next to Springfield Gorge.<ref name=moviesonline/> [[The Carpenters]]' song "[[(They Long to Be) Close to You]]" was used in Homer and Marge's wedding video and had also been used in several emotional moments between them in the TV series.<ref name=com/> <!--"EPA", the sound effect stated by [[Comic Book Guy]] to have been used during a fight between [[Hal Jordan|Green Lantern]] and [[Sinestro]], was included in a December 2007 ''[[Green Lantern]]'' issue during the [[Sinestro Corps War]] as a homage to the film.<ref name="Green Lantern">{{cite web|url=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=140469|title=The Lantern's Artists, II - Ivan Reis|last=Rogers|first=Vaneta|publisher=[[Newsarama]]|date=[[2007-12-21]]|accessdate=2007-12-21}}</ref>-->


Significant acreages of highbush blueberries are cultivated in the southern states of [[Florida]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and [[North Carolina]].<ref>US Highbush Blueberry Council[http://www.blueberry.org/ushbc.htm]</ref>
==Themes==
[[Image:Lisacolinappletree.png|thumb|200px|An apple tree was inserted into the background here, in reference to the story of [[Adam and Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]].<ref name=com2/>]]
Al Jean described the film's message as being "a man should listen to his wife". In addition, the film parodies two major contemporary issues, religion and environmentalism.<ref name=breath>{{cite news | author = Daniel Martin | title = Breathe a sigh of relief, The Simpsons Movie is brilliant | work = [[The Guardian]] | date = 2007-07-05 | url = http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/07/breathe_a_sigh_of_relief_the_s.html | accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref> The theme of environmentalism is present in Homer's polluting of Lake Springfield, Green Day's cameo, and Lisa and Colin's romance. The villainous Russ Cargill is head of the EPA.<ref name="pig feces"/> Reviewer Ed Gonzalez argued the plot was a satire of the government's reaction to the effects of [[Hurricane Katrina]] on [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]].<ref name=gonzalez/> Ian Nathan of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine criticized this focus, believing it gave the film an "overt political agenda [which] border[s] on [[wiktionary:polemic|polemic]]".<ref name=empirereview/>


[[Image:Blueberry Macro 2.JPG|thumb]]
Religion is focused on in Grampa's momentary possession, and Marge believing what he said to be a message from God.<ref name=reuters/> Groening joked the film "posit[s] the existence of a very active God", when asked if he believed it was likely to offend.<ref name=breath/> Mark I. Pinsky, author of ''The Gospel According to The Simpsons'', said the film "treats genuine faith with respect, while keeping a sharp eye out for religious pretension and hypocrisy of all kinds". Regarding the scene where the tenants of [[Moe's Tavern]] and the Church switch locations, he believed it took the "chance to unmask everyone's human fallibility." In analyzing the role of Ned Flanders, he wrote, "It is [the] willingness of ''The Simpsons'' to depict all the different sides of us [...] that makes it so rich and funny on our complicated relationship with religion."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=24886|title='The Simpsons Movie' - Does faith, religion hit 'Homer' in Springfield?|accessdate=2007-08-02|date=2007-08-01|author=Mark I. Pinsky|work=Catholic Online}}</ref> The animators inserted an apple tree behind Lisa and Colin during their initial meeting, a reference to the biblical story of [[Adam and Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]]. Trees were implemented in every important or emotional scene throughout the film.<ref name=com2/>


==Release==
===Canada===
[[Image:SimpsonsMarquee.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Marquee (sign)|Marquee]] from the film's premiere, which took place in [[Springfield, Vermont|Springfield]], [[Vermont]].]]
20th Century Fox announced on April 1, 2006 that the film would be released worldwide on July 27, 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4867252.stm|title=Simpsons film confirmed for 2007|accessdate=2007-05-07|date=2006-04-01|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> The film was released a day earlier in Australia and <!--The source given only mentions the UK, as such it is speculation to put any other country, if you want to add others you need another source--> the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,22137810-5007181,00.html|title=Simpsons in a new dimension|accessdate=2007-08-02|date=2007-07-26|author=Erin McWhirter|work=News.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animated-news.com/2007/new-simpsons-one-sheet/|title=06/20/2007: "New Simpsons Movie one-sheet"|accessdate=2007-06-28|work=Animated News|date=2007-06-20}}</ref> Little information about the plot was released in the weeks building up to the film's release. Groening did not feel that "people look in the TV section of the newspaper and think, 'I'll watch this week's ''Simpsons'' because I like the plot.' You just tune in and see what happens."<ref name="empire"/>


Canadian exports of blueberries in 2007 were $323 million, the largest fruit crop produced nationally, occupying more than half of all Canadian fruit acreage.<ref name=Scrivener>Scrivener L. Economy singing the blues, but berries are booming: Health-conscious consumers can't get enough of Canada's most valuable fruit crop, Toronto Star, Jul 28, 2008 [http://www.thestar.com/News/article/463719]</ref> Among the most productive growing regions in the world, British Columbia is the largest Canadian producer of highbush blueberries, yielding 63 million pounds (29 million kg) in 2004<ref>British Columbia Blueberry Council[http://www.bcblueberry.com/about/index.htm]</ref><ref>United States Highbush Blueberry Council[http://www.blueberry.org/ushbc.htm]</ref> and over $100 million in 2008 revenues.<ref name=Scrivener/>
Fox held a competition between 16 [[Springfield (toponym)|Springfields]] across the United States to host the American premiere.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/03/09/simpsons-movie-to-premiere-in-springfield-but-which-one/|title=Simpsons movie to premiere in Springfield. But which one?|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=2007-03-09|author=Anna Johns|work=[[TV Squad]]}}</ref> Each Springfield produced a film, explaining why their town should host the premiere, with the results being decided via a vote on the ''[[USA Today]]'' website.<ref name=verm/> [[Springfield, Minnesota|Springfield]], [[Minnesota]] dropped out on May 31, 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2007/05/31/mn/05m.txt|title=Springfield, Minn., to Simpsons: Drop dead|accessdate=2007-06-07|date=2007-05-31|work=Winona Daily News}}</ref> The winner was announced on July 10 to be [[Springfield, Vermont|Springfield]], [[Vermont]].<ref name="launch">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6910174.stm|title=Simpsons launch hits Springfield|accessdate=2007-07-22|date=2007-07-21|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> The town beat [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]], [[Illinois]] by 15,367 votes to 14,634. Each of the other 14 entrants held their own smaller screenings of the film on July 26.<ref name=verm>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/simpsons-contest.htm|title='The Simpsons Movie' Hometown Premiere Contest|accessdate=2007-07-02|author=Cindy Clark|work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> Springfield, Vermont hosted the world premiere of the film on July 21 with a yellow carpet instead of the traditional [[Red carpet|red]].<ref name="launch"/>


[[Quebec]] produces the largest quantity of wild blueberries, especially in the regions of [[Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean]] (where a popular name for inhabitants of the regions is ''Bleuets'', or "blueberries"), and [[Côte-Nord]] which together provide 40% of [[Quebec]]'s total provincial production. Due in part to declining frequency and intensity of spring frosts, Quebec's wild blueberry production (27 million kg in 2008)<ref>[http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Syndicat-Des-Producteurs-De-Bleuets-Du-Qu%C3%A9bec-Spbq-876595.html Quebec Wild Blueberries, 2008 harvest update.]</ref> now rivals that of Maine, creating cross-border tensions on pricing and regional markets.<ref>Daley B. for the Boston Globe, International Herald Tribune, Climate change brings blueberries - and competition[http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/02/news/berries.php]</ref>
The film was [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system#The five ratings|rated PG-13]] by the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] for "irreverent humor throughout".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/news.php?id=6223 |title=Latest MPAA Ratings: #57|accessdate=2007-05-30|date=2007-05-30|work=Rope of Silicon|author=Brad Brevet}}</ref> The production staff had expected this rating.<ref name="usa">{{cite news|url=http://usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-04-02-simpsons-movie_x.htm |title=Mmmm, popcorn: A 'Simpsons' film in '07 |accessdate=2006-04-02 |author=Scott Bowles |date=2006-04-02 |work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> However, the [[British Board of Film Classification]] passed the film as a [[British Board of Film Classification#Current certificates|PG]] with no cuts made.<ref name="bbfc">{{cite web | title = The Simpsons Movie | publisher = [[British Board of Film Classification]] | url = http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/e8ea0df3a881175480256d58003cb570/ee1dcfc1c458f9738025730e003387f8?OpenDocument | accessdate=2007-07-04}}</ref> A BBFC spokeswoman said regarding Bart's brief nude scene, "natural nudity with no sexual content is acceptable in PG films".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2034139.ece|title=Bart shows fans the unexpected as Simpsons film beats censor with a yellow streak|work=[[The Times]]|date=2007-07-06|author=Adam Sherwin|accessdate=2007-07-07}}</ref>


[[Nova Scotia]], also a major producer of wild blueberries, recognizes the blueberry as its official provincial berry.<ref>Nova Scotia: Official emblems and symbols[http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/embNS.htm]</ref> The town of [[Oxford, Nova Scotia|Oxford]] is known as the Wild Blueberry Capital of Canada. [[New Brunswick]] and [[Prince Edward Island]] are other Atlantic provinces with major wild blueberry farming.<ref>[http://www.oxfordfrozenfoods.com/map.htm Wild Blueberries, Carrots, Cranberries, Battered Vegetables<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Marketing===
[[Image:Kwik-e-mart-7-11.jpg|thumb|A 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart.]]
The [[convenience store]] chain [[7-Eleven]] [[Kwik-E-Mart#7-Eleven promotion|transformed 11 of its stores]] in the U.S. and one in Canada into [[Kwik-E-Mart]]s, at the cost of approximately [[US dollar|$]]10 million.<ref name=E!>{{cite news|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=4082c01a-a201-4b22-8c30-1f51e4a41a5a|title=Cowabunga! 7-Elevens Get Kwik-E Makeover|accessdate=2007-10-30|date=2007-07-02|work=[[E! News]]|author=Josh Grossberg}}</ref><ref name=FOX/> 7-Eleven also sold ''Simpsons''-themed merchandise in many of its stores. This included "[[List of products in The Simpsons#Squishee|Squishees]]", "[[List of products in The Simpsons#Buzz Cola|Buzz Cola]]", "[[List of products in The Simpsons#Krusty-Brand Cereal|Krusty-O's]]" Cereal and "Pink Movie Donuts".<ref name=FOX>{{cite news | title = 7-Eleven Becomes Kwik-E-Mart for 'Simpsons Movie' Promotion | work = [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] | date = 2007-07-01 | url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287578,00.html | accessdate = 2007-07-03}}</ref> This promotion resulted in a 30% increase in profits for the altered 7-Eleven stores.<ref name=tieins>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i5cd11e0c6fc24e90a897224f6f3c214d|title=D'oh! 'Simpsons' limits tie-in partners|accessdate=2007-07-06|date=2007-07-06|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Gail Schiller}}</ref> Homer performed a special animated opening monologue for the July 24, 2007 edition of ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', as part of another promotion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/entertainment/2007/07/homers-tonight-.html|title=Homer's 'Tonight Show' odyssey |work=[[USA Today]]|date=2007-07-15|accessdate=2007-07-25|author=Ann Oldenburg}}</ref>


[[Atlantic Canada]] contributes approximately half of the total North American annual production of 68 million kg of wild blueberries, a three-fold increase just since the 1980s.<ref>Yarborough DE. Factors contributing to the increase in productivity in the wild blueberry industry, Small Fruits Review, 3(1-2), July 2004, 33-43, Abstract[http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/haworth/sfr/2004/00000003/F0020001/art00005;jsessionid=1v47l8zb8oxca.alexandra?format=print]
Promotions also occurred around the world. The village of [[Springfield, New Zealand|Springfield]] in [[Canterbury, New Zealand]] erected a "giant pink donut" to celebrate being named Springfield.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1231760|title=Giant doughnut unveiled in Canterbury|accessdate=2007-07-19|date=2007-07-15|work=One News}}</ref> In [[Dorset]], England, an image of Homer was painted next to the [[hill figure]], the [[Cerne Abbas giant]]. This caused outrage amongst local [[Neopaganism|neopagans]] who performed "rain magic" to try and get it washed away.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/6901543.stm|title=Wish for rain to wash away Homer|accessdate=2007-07-19|date=2007-07-16|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
</ref> Gains in yield derived from improved field management, including better weed control, fertility management and irrigation methods, increased use of bees for pollination, and application of mechanical harvesters.


===Europe===
[[McFarlane Toys]] released a line of action figures based on the film,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=347|title=The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-05-08|work=Spawn}}</ref> [[Electronic Arts|EA Games]] released ''[[The Simpsons Game]]'', to coincide with the film's DVD release, although the plot of the game was not based on the film.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ea.com/simpsons/news.jsp|title=EA's The Simpsons Game Unveiled Alongside The Simpsons 400th Episode|accessdate=2007-05-08|publisher=EA Games}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://gamesnews.virgin.net/Virgin/Lifestyle/Games/virginGamesNewsDetail/0,13470,2116591_technology,00.html|title=The Simpsons due in autumn|accessdate=2007-05-08|work=Virgin Media}}</ref> [[Samsung Group|Samsung]] released a ''The Simpsons Movie'' phone,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/hughes/8421|title="The Simpsons Movie" Phone|author=Gina Hughes|date=2007-01-16|work=[[Yahoo!]]|accessdate=2008-07-12}}</ref> and [[Microsoft]] produced a limited edition ''The Simpsons Movie'' [[Xbox 360]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/13465/The-Simpsons-Limited-Edition-Xbox-360-Picture/|title=The Simpsons Limited Edition Xbox 360 Picture|accessdate=2007-05-11|date=2007-05-10|author=César A. Berardini|work=TeamXbox.com}}</ref> [[Ben & Jerry's]] created a ''Simpsons''-themed beer and donut-flavored ice cream, entitled "Duff & D'oh! Nuts".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070719/NEWS04/707190329/1024/NEWS04|title=Ben & Jerry's delivers Homerific ice cream|accessdate=2007-07-19|date=2007-07-19|work=Rutland Herald|author=Gordon Dritschilo}}</ref> [[Windows Live Messenger]] presented their users with the opportunity to download a free animated and static content for use within their conversations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dexigner.com/digital/news-g11191.html|title=Red Box Produce Global Launch Tie-in for the Simpson Movie|accessdate=2008-01-13|date=2007-06-15|work=Dexigner}}</ref> [[Burger King]] produced a line of ''Simpsons'' toy figures that were given away with children's meals, and ran a series of ''Simpsons''-themed television adverts to promote this.<ref name=tieins/> [[JetBlue Airways]] held a series of online [[sweepstakes]] to a win trip to the film's [[Los Angeles, California]] premiere. They also included a channel dedicated to ''The Simpsons'' on their planes' [[inflight entertainment]] system.<ref name=tieins/>
Highbush blueberries were first introduced to Germany and the Netherlands in the 1930s and have since been spread to Poland, Italy, Hungary and other countries of Europe (Nauman, 1993).
[[Image:Homer Simpson in Cerne Abbans.JPG|thumb|The [[hill figure]] of Homer in the village of [[Cerne Abbas]], [[Dorset]].]]


"Many growers in France, Austria, and Italy realized too that it pays to cultivate highbush blueberries, and that good economic gain can be obtained," according to an industry researcher. "Even in Belgium and Norway, some very promising trials with special methods of blueberry cultivation resulted in a limited commercial production which is very successful. ... Except in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain, a blueberry industry is developing in all regions where the production is possible due to the climatic and edaphic conditions ..." (Nauman, 1993). Blueberries grow wild in Scotland.
===Reviews===
<!-- Don't add the imdb rating as it is merely a poll of random individuals, not credible film critics. If the film enters the Top 100 then edit the imdb entry on Wikipedia, not this page. -->
The film garnered a 90% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], with 163 of a total 182 reviews being determined as positive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/simpsons_movie/?show=all|title=The Simpsons Movie (2007)|accessdate=2007-07-26|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> It received a rating of 80 out of 100 (signifying "generally favorable reviews") on [[Metacritic]] from 36 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/simpsonsmovie|title=Simpsons Movie, The|accessdate=2007-07-27|work=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> British [[newspapers]] ''[[The Guardian]]'' and ''[[The Times]]'' both gave the film four out of five stars. ''The Times''<nowiki>'</nowiki> James Bone said that it "boasts the same sly cultural references and flashes of brilliance that have earned the television series a following that ranges from tots to comparative literature PhDs".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2118613.ece|title=The Simpsons Movie – The Times review|accessdate=2007-07-25|date=2007-07-22|work=[[The Times]]|author=James Bone}}</ref> ''The Guardian''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Peter Bradshaw stated that it "gives you everything you could possibly want" and that he thought, "Eighty-five minutes [was] not long enough to do justice to 17 years of comedy genius".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,2133231,00.html|title=The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-07-25|date=2007-07-24|author=Peter Bradshaw|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Ed Gonzalez praised the film for its political message, likening the ''Itchy & Scratchy'' cartoon at the beginning to President Schwarzenegger's situation later on, as well as the film's visual gags.<ref name=gonzalez>{{cite news|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=3089|title=The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-07-25|date=2007-07-27|work=Slant Magazine|author=Ed Gonzalez}}</ref> Randy Shulman praised the cast, and described them as having "elevated their vocal work to a craft that goes way beyond simple line readings", and particularly praised Kavner who he said "gave what must be the most heartfelt performance ever".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.metroweekly.com/arts_entertainment/film.php?ak=2879|title=Homer's Odyssey|work=Metro Weekly|accessdate=2007-07-26|date=2007-07-26|author=Randy Shulman}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave a positive review, but admitted he was "generally [not] a fan of movies spun off from TV animation". He called it "radical and simple at the same time, subversive and good-hearted, offensive without really meaning to be".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070725/REVIEWS/707250301/1023|title=The Simpsons Movie (PG-13)|accessdate=2007-07-30|date=2007-07-26|author=Roger Ebert|work=[[Chicago Sun Times]]}}</ref> [[Richard Corliss]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' said that the film "doesn't try to be ruder or kinkier, just bigger and better".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1647331,00.html|title=The Simpsons, Bigger and Better|accessdate=2007-07-30|author=Richard Corliss|date=2007-07-26|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>


===Southern Hemisphere===
''[[USA Today]]'' film critic Claudia Puig said that the story did "warrant a full-length feature, thanks to a clever plot and non-stop irreverent humor", but that some fans may "miss seeing their favorite characters".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2007-07-25-simpsons-review_N.htm|title='Simpsons' is timely good fun|accessdate=2007-07-27|date=2007-07-26|work=[[USA Today]]|author=Claudia Puig}}</ref> Patrick Kolan believed that the film was "easily the best stuff to come [from the ''Simpsons''] since [[The Simpsons (season 12)|season 12]] or [[The Simpsons (season 13)|13]]" and praised the animation, but also said that the appearances of characters such as [[Comic Book Guy]] and [[Seymour Skinner]] were "small and unfunny".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/808/808138p1.html|title=The Simpsons Movie AU Review|accessdate=2007-07-26|date=2007-07-05|author=Patrick Kolan|work=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Kirk Honeycutt of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' praised the film's good nature, stating that the laughs "come in all sizes", but also noted that, "little has been gained bringing the Simpsons to the screen."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?rid=9547|title=The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-07-25|date=2007-07-25|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Kirk Honeycutt}}</ref>
In the Southern hemisphere, [[Chile]], [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]], [[South Africa]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Australia]] now export blueberries.


Blueberries were first introduced to Australia in the 1950s, but the effort was unsuccessful. "In the early 1970s David Jones from the Victorian Department of Agriculture imported seed from the U.S. and a selection trial was started. This work was continued by Ridley Bell", who imported more American varieties. In the mid-1970s the Australian Blueberry Growers Association (ABGA) was formed. (Clayton-Greene)
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Brian Lowry called it "clever, irreverent, satirical and outfitted" but that it was "just barely" capable of sustaining a running time longer than a television episode.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934252.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|title=The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-07-25|date=2007-07-24|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Brian Lowry}}</ref> Lisa Schwarzbaum praised the voice cast but stated that the "'action' sequences sometimes falter".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20047960,00.html|title=The Simpsons Movie (2007)|accessdate=2007-07-26|date=[[2007-07-24]]|author=Lisa Schwarzbaum|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> When comparing the film to the early episodes of the show, Stephen Rowley concluded that the film "has more going for it than the show in its later years, but is still a long way short of what made it so invigorating".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinephobia.com/simpsons.htm|title=The Simpsons Movie (David Silverman), 2007|accessdate=2007-09-14|author=Stephen Rowley|work=Cinephobia.com}}</ref>


By the early 1980s, the blueberry industry was started in New Zealand and is still growing. (BNZ, n.d)
Negative reception came from the magazine ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'', where reviewer Ian Nathan compared the film to [[New Coke]], saying that "it utterly failed".<ref name=empirereview>{{cite news|url=http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=11196|title=The Simpsons Movie (PG)|accessdate=2007-07-25|author=Ian Nathan|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref> Phil Villarreal believed that there were "too few laugh-worthy moments" and that "instead of stretching to new frontiers, the film rests on the familiar".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aznightbuzz.com/stories/193320.php|title='Simpsons Movie' nothing special|accessdate=2007-07-25|date=2007-07-26|author=Phil Villarreal|work=[[Arizona Daily Star]]}}</ref> Sheila Johnston criticized the pacing of the film and its joke level saying that "the overall momentum flags at times" and that it was "a salvo of comic squibs, some very funny, others limp".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/24/nsimpsons124.xml|title=Review: Big screen stretching it for Simpsons|accessdate=2007-07-25|date=2007-07-25|author=Sheila Johnston|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]}}</ref> David Edwards agreed with this, writing that although "there's a great half-hour show rattling around", "the rest is padding at its very dullest".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/entertainment/movies/2007/07/27/the-simpsons-movie-89520-19518210/|title=Review: The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-07-28|date=2007-07-28|author=David Edwards|work=[[The Daily Mirror]]}}</ref> [[Cosmo Landesman]] believed, "the humour seem[ed] to have lost its satirical bite and wit" and that "much of the comedy is structured around the idiocy of Homer".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article2141198.ece|title=The Simpsons Movie-Sunday Times Review|accessdate=2007-07-29|date=2007-07-29|author=Cosmo Landesman|work=[[The Sunday Times]]}}</ref> Bruce Newman criticized the fleeting appearances of many of the show's secondary characters, and found the film to be "a disappointment".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/movies/ci_6461922|title=Doh! 'Simpsons Movie' is more boohoo than woohoo|accessdate=2007-07-26|date=2007-07-25|author=Bruce Newman|work=San Jose Mercury}} Registration required</ref>


South Africa exports blueberries to Europe.
==Impact==
===Box office===
The film earned $30.7 million on its opening day in the U.S. making it the 18th-highest, and fourth-highest non-sequel opening day revenue of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/days/?page=open&p.htm|title=Top Single Day Grosses|accessdate=2007-07-28|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It grossed a combined total of $74 million in its opening weekend, putting it at the top of the box office,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2007&wknd=30&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office July 27–29, 2007|accessdate=2007-07-29|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> and making it the fourth-highest revenue of all time, for an opening weekend in July, and highest among non-sequels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=07&p=.htm|title=Top Opening Weekends By Month|accessdate=2007-07-29|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> This outperformed the expectations of $40 million that Fox had for the release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2737409820070729|title="Simpsons" the first family at theaters|author=Dean Goodman|date=2007-07-29|accessdate=2007-07-29|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>


The industry is even newer in Argentina: "Argentine blueberry production has increased over the last three years with planted area up to 400 percent," according to a 2005 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But that increase comes from a tiny base of 400 hectares in 2001 (to 1,600 hectares in 2004). The industry is new in the country and farmers are still learning the business. "Argentine blueberry production has thrived in three different regions: the province of Entre Rios in Northeastern Argentina, the province of Buenos Aires, near the country’s capital city Buenos Aires, and the southern Patagonian valleys," according to the report. (Gain, 2005)
It set several American box office records, including highest grossing opening weekend for a non-[[Computer-generated imagery|CG]] animated film and for a film based on a television series, surpassing ''[[Mission Impossible II]]''. It was also the third-highest grossing opening weekend for an animated film.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20048748,00.html|title=Raking in the d'oh! |author=Joshua Rich|accessdate=2007-07-30|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> It opened at the top of the international box office taking $96 million from 71 overseas territories, including $27.8 million in the United Kingdom, the second-highest UK opening ever for a [[20th Century Fox]] film.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSN2936859520070730|title="Simpsons Movie" rules foreign box office|accessdate=2007-07-30|date=2007-07-29|author=Frank Segers|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> It contributed to over half of the record 5.5 million people attending British cinemas that weekend.<ref>{{cite news | title = Simpsons film tops record weekend | work = [[BBC News]] | date = 2007-07-31 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6923830.stm | accessdate=2007-08-02}}</ref> In Australia, it grossed [[AUS$|$]]13.2 million, the third-highest opening weekend in the country, and the highest for an animated film.<ref>{{cite news | author = Patrick Kolan | title = Simpsons Movie Breaks Records | work = [[IGN]] | date = 2007-07-30 | url = http://movies.ign.com/articles/809/809446p1.html | accessdate=2007-07-31}}</ref> The UK is the highest-grossing country for the film outside the US, with Germany in second place with a $36,289,250 gross overall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=simpsons.htm|title=The Simpsons Movie (2007) International Box office Results|accessdate=2008-03-03|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> The film closed with a worldwide gross of over $526 million.<ref name="box office">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=simpsons.htm|title=The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-12-21|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref>


<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Blueberry_clamshell.GIF|thumb|right|Clamshell with blueberries, ready for export]] -->[[Chile]] is the biggest producer in [[South America]] and the largest exporter to the northern hemisphere, with an estimated surface of 6,800 hectares (as of 2007). Introduction of the first plants started in the early 1980s and production started in the late 80s in the southern part of the country. Today production ranges from [[Copiapó]] in the north to [[Puerto Montt]] in the south, which allows the country to offer blueberries from October through late March. The main production area today is the [[Bio Bio]] region. Production has evolved rapidly in the last decade, becoming the 4th most important fruit exported in value terms. Fresh market blueberries are exported mainly to North America (80%) followed by Europe (18%). Information from the Fruit Export Association,<ref>([http://www.asoex.cl ASOEX], 2007)</ref> Chile exported in 2007 more than 21 thousand MT of fresh blueberries and more than 1,000 MT of frozen product. Most of the production comes from the highbush type, but several rabbiteye blueberries are grown in the country as well. Information taken from the Chilean Fruit Producers Federation<ref>([http://www.fedefruta.cl FEDEFRUTA], 2007)</ref> and their Blueberry Committee, stands that there are over 800 blueberry producers with surfaces ranging from 50 to 200 hectares.
===Home release===
[[Image:Empire State Building yellow.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Empire State Building]] was illuminated yellow to promote the film's home video release.]]
The film was released on [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray Disc]] worldwide on December 3, 2007 and on December 18, 2007 in the U.S. It contains [[Audio commentary|commentary]] tracks from both the producers and animators, six [[deleted scene]]s and a selection of material used to promote the film release.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=37652|title=Mmmm... Movie! The Simpsons Movie|accessdate=2007-09-26|date=2007-09-25|work=Comingsoon.net}}</ref> An unfinished deleted scene of the townspeople singing the Springfield Anthem was also included on ''The Simpsons The Complete Tenth Season'' DVD boxset.<ref>{{cite video |year=2007|title=A Sneak Peek From The Simpsons Movie DVD - The Simpsons The Complete Tenth Season| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


==Growing seasons==
Promotions for the DVD release occurred across the United States. The [[Empire State Building]] was illuminated yellow, the first time the building had ever been used as part of a film promotion.<ref name=dvd/> In the United Kingdom, [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] launched a £5 million advertising campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/login/News/768975/|title=Simpsons DVD set for £5m Christmas ad blitz|accessdate=2007-12-30|date=2007-11-23|author=Darren Davidson|work=Brand Republic}}</ref> They also signed a £1.6 million deal with the [[yoghurt]] company [[Yoplait]], to produce a ''The Simpsons Movie'' design for their brand [[Frubes]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mad.co.uk/Logon/ArticleLogon.aspx?uiArticleID=699b5fd5-8a2e-4187-a2fe-08f83c031e60&uiNavigationItemID=&uiPageID=8453a00f-9d1a-404a-beda-339905b6b8b4&PipelinedPage=/Main/News/Articlex/699b5fd58a2e4187a2fe08f83c031e60/Frubes-in-16m-Simpson%e2%80%99s-tie-up.html&PipelinedQueryString=uiArticleID%3d699b5fd5-8a2e-4187-a2fe-08f83c031e60%26uiNavigationItemID%3dd8f9fd23-813a-47b2-9696-31d9ca23a265%26|title=Frubes in £1.6m Simpson's tie-up|work=Mad|accessdate=2007-12-30|date=2007-11-23|author=Melinda Varley}}</ref> In its first week it topped the U.S. DVD chart, and generated $11.8 million in rental revenue.<ref name=dvd>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/home_entertainment/video/e3i1e47a06a6a095f00c604f64f5c24c8f5|title='Simpsons Movie' DVD sales save world|accessdate=2007-12-30|date=2007-12-28|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Thomas K. Arnold}}</ref>
[[Image:Maturing blueberry.jpg|thumb|right|A maturing Polaris blueberry (vaccinium 'Polaris')]]
Blueberry production in North America typically starts in mid-May (in Florida) and ends in September, when some fruit is held over in controlled-atmosphere storage in Oregon, Washington, and Canada. (Gaskell, 2006).


Sources give different periods for the growing season in the southern hemisphere. According to the University of California Extension Service, Chile, New Zealand and Argentina begin harvesting in the winter and continue till mid-March, when Chilean blueberries are held over in controlled-atmosphere storage for about six weeks. "As a result, blueberries reach annual peak prices in mid-April."(Gaskell, 2006)
===Awards and nominations===
{{main|List of awards won by The Simpsons#Awards for The Simpsons Movie|l1=List of awards won by The Simpsons}}
''The Simpsons Movie'' won the award for Best Comedy Film at the [[British Comedy Awards]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7129639.stm|title=British Comedy Awards: winners' list|accessdate=2007-06-13|date=2007-12-06|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> Best Animation at the inaugural [[ITV]] [[National Movie Awards]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7019374.stm|title=Potter wins film awards hat-trick|accessdate=2007-09-29|date=2007-09-28|author=Fiona Pryor|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> and Best Movie at the UK [[Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards]], beating ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' and ''[[Shrek the Third]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/a78143/in-full-nickelodeon-kids-choice-awards-uk-winners.html|title=In full: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards UK winners |author=Nick Levine| date=[[2007-10-20]]|accessdate=2007-10-28|work=[[Digital Spy]]}}</ref> The film's trailer won a Golden Trailer Award in the category Best Animated/Family Film Trailer at the 8th Annual Golden Trailer Awards.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=20746|title=The 8th Annual Golden Trailer Awards Winners!|accessdate=2007-06-09|author=Edward Douglas|date=2007-05-31|work=Comingsoon.net}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' named the film the third best of the year, based on its box office takings and ''Metacritic'' critical response score.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/19/hollywood-movies-forbesies-biz-media-cx_jb_0220forbesies.html|title=The True Best Pictures Of The Year|accessdate=2008-02-23|author=John Burman|date=2008-02-20|work=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> The film's website received a [[Webby Award]] at the 12th Annual Webby Awards in the category "Best Movie and Film Website".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=12#webby_entry_movie|title=Webby Awards '08 Winners|accessdate=2008-05-19|work=Webby Awards}}</ref>


In Chile, San Jose Farms, which says (according to its Web site) that it is one of the oldest blueberry producers in the country (it started in the early 1990s), states that its harvest season starts in November and continues through March. (San Jose, n.d.)
At the [[35th Annie Awards]] the film was nominated in four categories: [[Annie Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]], Directing in an Animated Feature Production, Writing in an Animated Feature Production and Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for [[Julie Kavner]]. All four awards were won by ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://annieawards.org/foryourconsideration.html|title=For Your Consideration|accessdate=2008-02-09|work=Annie Awards.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117980588.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1|title='Ratatouille' nearly sweeps Annies|accessdate=2008-02-09|date=2008-02-08|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Peter Debruge}}</ref> It was nominated for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film|Best Animated Feature Film]] at the [[65th Golden Globe Awards]], the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] for [[BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film|Best Animated Film]], and the [[Producers Guild of America Awards 2007|Producers Guild Award]] for Animated Theatrical Motion Picture.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/year/2007|title=Nominations & Winners (2007) |accessdate=2008-01-14|date=2007-12-13|publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7191143.stm|title=Bafta Film Awards 2008: The winners|accessdate=2008-02-10|date=2008-02-10|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.producersguild.org/pg/awards_a/|title=Producers Guild Awards|accessdate=2008-01-20|publisher=[[Producers Guild of America]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/movies/04arts-PRODUCERSGUI_BRF.html|title=Producers Guild Honors ‘No Country’ |accessdate=2008-02-05|date=2008-02-04|work=[[New York Times]]|author=Lawrence Van Gelder}}</ref> It also received nominations for the [[Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature]], the [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award]] for Best Animated Feature, and the [[Broadcast Film Critics Association]] Award for [[Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=awardcentral&jump=news&articleid=VR1117976747|title=Satellite nominations announced|accessdate=2007-12-13|author=Libby McCarthy|date=2007-11-30|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=awardcentral&jump=article&id=news&articleid=VR1117977840|title=Satellite Award winners announced|accessdate=2007-12-22|date=2007-12-17|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Erin Maxwell}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=58|title=Chicago Film Critics Awards - 1998-07 |accessdate=2008-01-02|publisher=Chicago Film Critics Association}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bfca.org/NomineesWinners.asp|title=Nominees and Winners 2007 |accessdate=2008-01-09|publisher=Broadcast Film Critics Association}}</ref>


In Argentina: "The marketing year (MY) for blueberries begins in September and ends in February," according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. (Gain, 2005) Blueberries grow in April & May.
Before its release, the film received a nomination at the [[2007 MTV Movie Awards]] for "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet", with the award ultimately won by ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/ma07/vote.jhtml?categoryId=best_summer|title=2007 MTV Movie Awards <nowiki>|</nowiki> Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet |accessdate=2007-06-09|work=[[MTV]]}}</ref> and lost the [[Teen Choice Award]] for "Choice Summer Movie – Comedy/Musical", which was won by ''[[Hairspray (2007 film)|Hairspray]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/26/AR2007082601514.html|title='Pirates,' Sophia Bush Top Teen Awards|accessdate=2007-12-22|date=2007-08-27|author=Michael Cidoni|work=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> It was also nominated for Favorite Movie Comedy at the [[People's Choice Awards]], losing to ''[[Knocked Up]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pcavote.com/pca/history.jsp?year=2008|title=People's Choice Awards Past Winners: 2008|accessdate=2008-01-09|work=CBS}}</ref>


==References==
==Uses==
Blueberries are sold fresh or processed as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, [[purée]], juice, or dried or infused berries which in turn may be used in a variety of consumer goods such as [[Jelly (fruit preserves)|jellies]], [[jam]]s, [[pie]]s, [[muffins]], snack foods, and [[cereals]].
{{reflist|2}}


To freeze freshly picked blueberries, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When frozen, put in freezer containers. It is best to rinse before using, but not before freezing.
==External links==
{{commons|The Simpsons Movie}}
{{wikinews|"The Simpsons Movie" hits theatres July 2007}}
{{wikiquote|The Simpsons Movie}}
*[http://www.simpsonsmovie.com ''The Simpsons Movie''] Official website
*{{imdb title|id=0462538|title=The Simpsons Movie}}
*{{amg movie|id=1:346517|title=The Simpsons Movie}}
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=simpsons_the_movie|title=The Simpsons Movie}}
*{{metacritic film|id=simpsonsmovie|title=The Simpsons Movie}}
*{{mojo title|id=simpsons|title=The Simpsons Movie}}


Blueberry jam is made from blueberries, [[sugar]], water, and fruit [[pectin]]. Premium blueberry jam, usually made from wild blueberries, is common in [[Maine]], [[Ontario]], [[Quebec]], and [[British Columbia]].
{{ Box Office Leaders USA
| before = [[I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry]]
| date = July 29
| year = 2007
| after = [[The Bourne Ultimatum (film)|The Bourne Ultimatum]]
}}


Beginning around 2003, pure or blended blueberry juice has become a popular product in Canada and the United States.
{{The Simpsons}}
{{Rough Draft Studios}}


==Research==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpsons Movie, The}}
[[Category:2000s comedy films]]
[[Category:2007 films]]
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[[Category:Animated features released by 20th Century Fox]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:Animated comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about dysfunctional families]]
[[Category:Films adapted from a television series]]
[[Category:Films set in Alaska]]
[[Category:The Simpsons]]


Among various berries, research on blueberries for their potential anti-disease effects was relatively higher in 2007-8,<ref>Gross PM. Berry research breakthroughs: ten trendsetters of 2007-8, Natural Products Information Center, June 2008[http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsEditorial.aspx?articleid=21343&zoneid=43]</ref> indicating elevated scientific investigation and consumer interest.
{{featured article}}

{{Link FA|fi}}
===Nutrients and phytochemicals===
[[Image:Blueberry2.jpg|thumb|178px|Blueberries at market.]]
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Blueberries, raw
| kJ=239
| protein=0.7 g
| fat=0.3 g
| carbs=14.5 g
| sugars, total=10 g
| fructose=5.0 g
| glucose=4.9 g
| fiber=2.4 g
| iron_mg=0.3
| calcium_mg=6
| magnesium_mg=6
| opt1n=[[manganese]] 0.3 mg
| opt1v=20%
| phosphorus_mg=12
| potassium_mg=77
| zinc_mg=0.2
| vitC_mg=10
| vitE_mg=0.6
| opt2n=[[vitamin K]] 19 mcg
| opt2v=24%
| pantothenic_mg=0.1
| vitB6_mg=0.1
| thiamin_mg=0.04
| riboflavin_mg=0.04
| niacin_mg=0.42
| right=1
| source_usda=1}}

Blueberries have a diverse range of [[micronutrient]]s, with notably high levels (relative to respective [[Dietary Reference Intake]]s) of the essential [[dietary mineral]] [[manganese]], [[vitamin B6]], [[vitamin C]], [[vitamin K]] and [[dietary fiber]] (table).<ref>In-depth nutrition information on raw blueberries, Nutritiondata.com[http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1851/2]</ref> One serving provides a relatively low [[glycemic load]] score of 4 out of 100 per day.

Especially in wild species, blueberries contain [[anthocyanin]]s, other [[antioxidant]] [[pigment]]s and various [[phytochemical]]s possibly having a role in reducing risks of some diseases,<ref>[http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=18944&zoneid=201 Scientists Zero In on Health Benefits of Berry Pigments :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> including [[inflammation]] and different [[cancer]]s.<ref>http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/antioxidantsprevention][http://newsletter.cancerresearchsociety.ca/bulletin/omni/articles/5835.aspx</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17147415&ordinalpos=7&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry,...[J Agric Food Chem. 2006&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17533651&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Cranberry and blueberry: evidence for protective e...[Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Potential anti-disease effects===

Researchers have shown that blueberry [[anthocyanin]]s, [[proanthocyanidin]]s, [[resveratrol]], [[flavonol]]s, and [[tannin]]s inhibit mechanisms of [[cancer]] cell development and [[inflammation]] [[in vitro]].<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17381106&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Effect of anthocyanin fractions from selected cult...[J Agric Food Chem. 2007&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16399225&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Differential effects of blueberry proanthocyanidin...[Cancer Lett. 2006&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16131149&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Phenolic compounds from blueberries can inhibit co...[J Agric Food Chem. 2005&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>Russell WR, Labat A, Scobbie L, Duncan SH. Availability of blueberry phenolics for microbial metabolism in the colon and the potential inflammatory implications. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Jun;51(6):726-31.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17487929]</ref> Similar to red [[grape]], some blueberry species contain in their skins significant levels of resveratrol,<ref>Rimando AM, Kalt W, Magee JB, Dewey J, Ballington JR. Resveratrol, pterostilbene, and piceatannol in vaccinium berries. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Jul 28;52(15):4713-9.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15264904]</ref> a [[phytochemical]] with increasing evidence as an anti-cancer compound.<ref>Gross PM. Berry research breakthroughs: ten trendsetters of 2007-8, Natural Products Information Center, June 2008[http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsEditorial.aspx?articleid=21343&zoneid=43]</ref>

Although most studies below were conducted using the highbush [[cultivar]] of blueberries (''V. corymbosum''), content of [[polyphenol antioxidants]] and [[anthocyanins]] in lowbush (wild) blueberries (''V. angustifolium'') exceeds values found in highbush species.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11600018&query_hl=15&itool=pubmed_docsum Interspecific variation in anthocyanins, phenolics...[J Agric Food Chem. 2001&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

At a 2007 symposium on berry health benefits were reports showing consumption of blueberries (and similar berry fruits including [[Cranberry|cranberries]]) may alleviate the cognitive decline occurring in [[Alzheimer's disease]] and other conditions of aging.<ref>[http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=18944&zoneid=201 Scientists Zero In on Health Benefits of Berry Pigments :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Feeding blueberries to animals lowers [[brain]] damage in experimental [[stroke]].<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12509072&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Feeding rats diets enriched in lowbush blueberries...[Nutr Neurosci. 2002&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15817266&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Dietary supplementation with blueberries, spinach,...[Exp Neurol. 2005&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Research at Rutgers<ref>[http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~bluecran/medicinalgeneralinfopage.htm Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research & Extension<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> has also shown that blueberries may help prevent [[urinary tract infections]].

Other animal studies found that blueberry consumption lowered [[cholesterol]] and total blood [[lipid]] levels, possibly affecting symptoms of [[heart disease]].<ref>Kalt W, Foote K, Fillmore SA, Lyon M, Van Lunen TA, McRae KB. Effect of blueberry feeding on plasma lipids in pigs. Br J Nutr. 2008 Jul;100(1):70-8.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18081945]</ref> Additional research showed that blueberry consumption in rats altered [[glycosaminoglycans]] which are [[vascular tissue|vascular]] cell components affecting control of [[blood pressure]].<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16111874&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) consumpti...[J Nutr Biochem. 2006&#93; - PubMed Result<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==References==
{{morefootnotes}}
{{commons|Vaccinium_corymbosum|Vaccinium_corymbosum}}
*BNZ, n.d: "Blueberries New Zealand Inc" Web page[http://www.blueberriesnz.co.nz/index.htm] at the site of the organization of the same name, accessed [[August 24]], [[2006]].
*Clayton-Greene, K.: Web page titled "The Blueberry Industry in Australia: An Overview" a summary of an article[http://www.actahort.org/books/241/241_12.htm] at the Web site for the International Society for Horticultural Science. The article appears to have been written in the 1990s, accessed [[August 24]], [[2006]].
*Gain, 2005: "USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: GAIN Report: Global Agriculture Information Network"[http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:flZP2TbGdiQJ:www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200501/146118470.doc+%22African+blueberries%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3&ie=UTF-8], [[January 12]], [[2005]], accessed [[August 24]], [[2006]]
*Gaskell, Mark. "Strategies for Off-Season Blueberry Production on Coastal California Small Farms," an article[http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:rUQNSVQyrJ0J:cesantabarbara.ucdavis.edu/newsletterfiles/Central_Coast_Agriculture_Highlights8364.pdf+%22blueberry+production%22+%22Chile%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2&ie=UTF-8] in "Central Coast Agriculture Highlights" a newsletter published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, February 2006 issue, page 2, accessed [[August 24]], [[2006]].
*Nauman, W.D. Web page[http://www.actahort.org/books/346/346_6.htm] titled "Overview of the Vaccinium Industry in Western Europe," a summary of an article by W.D. Naumann presented at the Fifth International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture and published in July 1993, from the Web site of the International Society for Horticultural Science, accessed [[August 24]], [[2006]].
*San Jose, n.d.: San Jose Farms Web site, "Products: Blueberries" Web page[http://www.sanjosefarms.com/fruits1.php], accessed [[August 24]], [[2006]]
*Sweeney M.I., Kalt W., MacKinnon S.L., Ashby J. and Gottschall-Pass K.T. Feeding of diets enriched in lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) for six weeks decreases stroke severity in rats. Nutritional Neuroscience 5: 427-431, 2002.
*Matchett, M.D., MacKinnon, S.L., Sweeney, M.I., Gottschall-Pass, K.T., and Hurta, R.A.R. Blueberry flavonoids inhibit matrix metalloproteinase activity in DU145 human prostate cancer cells. Biochem Cell Biol. 83: 637-643, 2005.
*University of California Cooperative Extension (2006). [http://cesantabarbara.ucdavis.edu/newsletterfiles/Central_Coast_Agriculture_Highlights8364.pdf ''Strategies for Off-Season Blueberry Production on Coastal California Small Farms''] (pdf file) an article by Mark Gaskell in ''Central Coast Agriculture Highlights'' newsletter. Accessed [[August 24]] [[2006]].
* Joseph, J.A., Shukitt-Hale B., Denisova, N.A. Bielinksi D., Martin, A., McEwen, J.J., & Bickford, P.C., 1999. Reversals of age-related declines in neuronal signal transduction, cognitive, and motor behavioral deficits with blueberry, spinach, or strawberry dietary supplementation. ''Journal of Neuroscience'' 19 (18): 8114–8121.
*{{cite book | author=Sumner, Judith | title=American Household Botany: A History of Useful Plants, 1620-1900 | publisher=Timber Press | year=2004 | id=ISBN 0-88192-652-3 | pages=125}} [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=ZFZU5mfn2KEC&dq=blueberries+cornmeal&prev=http://books.google.com/books%3Fq%3Dblueberries%2Bcornmeal&lpg=PA125&pg=PA125&sig=IBNVO5jFcE8r3UUnt3LNWhrl-qQ Google books link]
* [http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPS/C-CAB/Castudies/pdf/6-022.pdf Wild blueberry culture in Maine] ([[FAO]])
*[http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/blueberrybulletin/ "The Blueberry Bulletin" newsletter (New Jersey)]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
*[[Elizabeth Coleman White]], a New Jersey agricultural specialist who was one of the first to commercialize blueberries.

==External links==
*[http://www.nswildblueberries.com '''Nova Scotia''' Wild Blueberry Producers Association]
*[http://www.blueberry.org/ '''US''' Highbush Blueberry Council]
*[http://www.blueberries.com/ '''Michigan''' Blueberry Growers Association]
*[http://www.bcblueberry.com/ '''British Columbia''' Blueberry Council]
*[http://www.floridablueberrygrowers.com/ '''Florida''' Blueberry Growers Association]
*[http://www.abga.com.au/index.htm '''Australian''' Blueberry Growers Association]
*[http://www.blueberriesnz.co.nz/ Blueberries '''New Zealand''' Inc.]
[[Category:Vaccinium]]
[[Category:Berries]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]


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Revision as of 03:41, 11 October 2008

For other uses, see Blueberry (disambiguation).

Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
Class:
Magnoliopsida
Order:
Ericales
Family:
Ericaceae
Genus:
Vaccinium
Section:
Cyanococcus

Species

See text.

Blueberries are flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, sect. Cyanococcus. The species are native only to North America. They are shrubs varying in size from 10 cm tall to 4 m tall; the smaller species are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), and the larger species as "highbush blueberries". The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and from 1–8 cm long and 0.5–3.5 cm broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish.

The fruit is a false berry 5–16 mm diameter with a flared "crown" at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally indigo on ripening. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes hide in forests with trees through October in the Northern Hemisphere; "blueberry season" peaks in July, which is National Blueberry Month in the United States and Canada.[1]

Beginning in 2005, blueberries have been discussed among a category of functional foods called superfruits having the favorable combination of nutrient richness, antioxidant strength, emerging research evidence for health benefits[2] and versatility for manufacturing popular consumer products.[3][4]

Origins

All species whose English common names include "blueberry" are currently classified in section Cyanococcus of the genus Vaccinium. Several other plants of the genus Vaccinium also produce blue berries which are sometimes confused with blueberries, mainly the predominantly European bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), which in many languages has a name that means "blueberry" in English. See the Identification section for more information.

Although blueberries are native to North America, they are now grown also in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, New Zealand and South American countries,[5] and are air-shipped as fresh produce to markets around the world.

Species

Some other blue-fruited-species of Vaccinium:

Identification

True wild blueberries (section Cyanococcus of the genus Vaccinium) occur naturally only in eastern and north-central North America. Other sections in the genus, native to other parts of the world including western North America, Europe, and Asia, include other wild shrubs producing similar-looking edible berries such as huckleberries, cranberries, bilberries and cowberries. These are sometimes colloquially called blueberries and sold as blueberry jam or other products.

The names of blue berries in languages other than English often translate as "blueberry", e.g. Scots Blaeberry and Norwegian Blåbær, although those berries may belong to another species. For example, Blåbær and French myrtilles usually refer to the European native bilberry, while bleuets refers to the North American blueberry.

Aside from location of origin, blueberries can be distinguished from bilberries by cutting them in half. Ripe blueberries have white or greenish flesh, while bilberries and huckleberries are colored purple throughout.

Cultivation

Blueberries are cultivated and picked (semi-)wild. In North America, the most common cultivated species is V. corymbosum, the Northern highbush blueberry. Hybrids of this with other Vaccinium species adapted to southern U.S. climates are known collectively as Southern highbush blueberries.

Blueberry flowers

So-called "wild" (lowbush) blueberries, smaller than cultivated highbush ones, are prized for their intense color. The lowbush blueberry, V. angustifolium, is found from the Atlantic provinces westward to Quebec and southward to Michigan and West Virginia. In some areas, it produces natural blueberry barrens, where it is practically the only species covering large areas. Several First Nations communities in Ontario are involved in harvesting wild blueberries. Lowbush species are fire-tolerant and blueberry production often increases following a forest fire as the plants regenerate rapidly and benefit from removal of competing vegetation. Wild has been adopted as a marketing term for harvests of managed native stands of low-bush blueberries. The bushes are not planted or genetically manipulated, but they are pruned or burned over every two years, and pests are "managed".[6]

There are numerous highbush cultivars of blueberries, each of which have a unique and diverse flavor. The most important blueberry breeding program has been the USDA-ARS breeding program based at Beltsville, Maryland, and Chatsworth, New Jersey. This program began when Frederick Coville of the USDA-ARS collaborated with Elizabeth Coleman White of New Jersey. In the early part of the 20th Century, White offered wild pickers cash for large-fruited blueberry plants. 'Rubel', one such wild blueberry cultivar, is the origin of many of the current hybrid cultivars.

Rabbiteye Blueberry (V. virgatum, syn. V. ashei) is a southern type of blueberry produced from the Carolinas to the Gulf Coast states.

Other important species in North America include V. pallidum, the Hillside or Dryland Blueberry. It is native to the eastern U.S., and common in the Appalachians and the Piedmont of the Southeast. Sparkleberry, V. arboreum, is a common wild species on sandy soils in the southeastern U.S. Its fruits are important to wildlife, and the flowers important to beekeepers.

Growing areas

Significant production of highbush blueberries occurs in British Columbia, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington. The production of southern highbush varieties in California is rapidly increasing, as varieties originating from the University of Florida and North Carolina State University have been introduced. Southern highbush berries are now also cultivated in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, Southern Hemisphere countries and China.

United States

Blueberries were first cultivated in the United States by Elizabeth Coleman White in the southern New Jersey village of Whitesbog. New Jersey remains a leading producer of highbush blueberries.

Maine produces 25% of all lowbush blueberries in North America, making it the largest producer in the world. Maine's 24,291 hectares (FAO figures, 60,023 acres) of blueberry were propagated from native plants that occur naturally in the understorey of its coastal forests. The Maine crop requires about 50,000 beehives for pollination, with most of the hives being trucked in from other states for that purpose. Many towns in Maine lay claim to being the blueberry capital and several festivals are centered around the blueberry. The wild blueberry is the official fruit of Maine and is often as much a symbol of Maine as the lobster. While Maine is the leader of lowbush blueberry production in the United States, Michigan is the leader in highbush production.[7]

Significant acreages of highbush blueberries are cultivated in the southern states of Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.[8]

Canada

Canadian exports of blueberries in 2007 were $323 million, the largest fruit crop produced nationally, occupying more than half of all Canadian fruit acreage.[9] Among the most productive growing regions in the world, British Columbia is the largest Canadian producer of highbush blueberries, yielding 63 million pounds (29 million kg) in 2004[10][11] and over $100 million in 2008 revenues.[9]

Quebec produces the largest quantity of wild blueberries, especially in the regions of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (where a popular name for inhabitants of the regions is Bleuets, or "blueberries"), and Côte-Nord which together provide 40% of Quebec's total provincial production. Due in part to declining frequency and intensity of spring frosts, Quebec's wild blueberry production (27 million kg in 2008)[12] now rivals that of Maine, creating cross-border tensions on pricing and regional markets.[13]

Nova Scotia, also a major producer of wild blueberries, recognizes the blueberry as its official provincial berry.[14] The town of Oxford is known as the Wild Blueberry Capital of Canada. New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are other Atlantic provinces with major wild blueberry farming.[15]

Atlantic Canada contributes approximately half of the total North American annual production of 68 million kg of wild blueberries, a three-fold increase just since the 1980s.[16] Gains in yield derived from improved field management, including better weed control, fertility management and irrigation methods, increased use of bees for pollination, and application of mechanical harvesters.

Europe

Highbush blueberries were first introduced to Germany and the Netherlands in the 1930s and have since been spread to Poland, Italy, Hungary and other countries of Europe (Nauman, 1993).

"Many growers in France, Austria, and Italy realized too that it pays to cultivate highbush blueberries, and that good economic gain can be obtained," according to an industry researcher. "Even in Belgium and Norway, some very promising trials with special methods of blueberry cultivation resulted in a limited commercial production which is very successful. ... Except in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain, a blueberry industry is developing in all regions where the production is possible due to the climatic and edaphic conditions ..." (Nauman, 1993). Blueberries grow wild in Scotland.

Southern Hemisphere

In the Southern hemisphere, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia now export blueberries.

Blueberries were first introduced to Australia in the 1950s, but the effort was unsuccessful. "In the early 1970s David Jones from the Victorian Department of Agriculture imported seed from the U.S. and a selection trial was started. This work was continued by Ridley Bell", who imported more American varieties. In the mid-1970s the Australian Blueberry Growers Association (ABGA) was formed. (Clayton-Greene)

By the early 1980s, the blueberry industry was started in New Zealand and is still growing. (BNZ, n.d)

South Africa exports blueberries to Europe.

The industry is even newer in Argentina: "Argentine blueberry production has increased over the last three years with planted area up to 400 percent," according to a 2005 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But that increase comes from a tiny base of 400 hectares in 2001 (to 1,600 hectares in 2004). The industry is new in the country and farmers are still learning the business. "Argentine blueberry production has thrived in three different regions: the province of Entre Rios in Northeastern Argentina, the province of Buenos Aires, near the country’s capital city Buenos Aires, and the southern Patagonian valleys," according to the report. (Gain, 2005)

Chile is the biggest producer in South America and the largest exporter to the northern hemisphere, with an estimated surface of 6,800 hectares (as of 2007). Introduction of the first plants started in the early 1980s and production started in the late 80s in the southern part of the country. Today production ranges from Copiapó in the north to Puerto Montt in the south, which allows the country to offer blueberries from October through late March. The main production area today is the Bio Bio region. Production has evolved rapidly in the last decade, becoming the 4th most important fruit exported in value terms. Fresh market blueberries are exported mainly to North America (80%) followed by Europe (18%). Information from the Fruit Export Association,[17] Chile exported in 2007 more than 21 thousand MT of fresh blueberries and more than 1,000 MT of frozen product. Most of the production comes from the highbush type, but several rabbiteye blueberries are grown in the country as well. Information taken from the Chilean Fruit Producers Federation[18] and their Blueberry Committee, stands that there are over 800 blueberry producers with surfaces ranging from 50 to 200 hectares.

Growing seasons

A maturing Polaris blueberry (vaccinium 'Polaris')

Blueberry production in North America typically starts in mid-May (in Florida) and ends in September, when some fruit is held over in controlled-atmosphere storage in Oregon, Washington, and Canada. (Gaskell, 2006).

Sources give different periods for the growing season in the southern hemisphere. According to the University of California Extension Service, Chile, New Zealand and Argentina begin harvesting in the winter and continue till mid-March, when Chilean blueberries are held over in controlled-atmosphere storage for about six weeks. "As a result, blueberries reach annual peak prices in mid-April."(Gaskell, 2006)

In Chile, San Jose Farms, which says (according to its Web site) that it is one of the oldest blueberry producers in the country (it started in the early 1990s), states that its harvest season starts in November and continues through March. (San Jose, n.d.)

In Argentina: "The marketing year (MY) for blueberries begins in September and ends in February," according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. (Gain, 2005) Blueberries grow in April & May.

Uses

Blueberries are sold fresh or processed as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, purée, juice, or dried or infused berries which in turn may be used in a variety of consumer goods such as jellies, jams, pies, muffins, snack foods, and cereals.

To freeze freshly picked blueberries, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When frozen, put in freezer containers. It is best to rinse before using, but not before freezing.

Blueberry jam is made from blueberries, sugar, water, and fruit pectin. Premium blueberry jam, usually made from wild blueberries, is common in Maine, Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

Beginning around 2003, pure or blended blueberry juice has become a popular product in Canada and the United States.

Research

Among various berries, research on blueberries for their potential anti-disease effects was relatively higher in 2007-8,[19] indicating elevated scientific investigation and consumer interest.

Nutrients and phytochemicals

Blueberries at market.
Blueberries, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy239 kJ (57 kcal)
14.5 g
Dietary fiber2.4 g
0.3 g
0.7 g
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Thiamine (B1)
3%
0.04 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
3%
0.04 mg
Niacin (B3)
3%
0.42 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
2%
0.1 mg
Vitamin B6
6%
0.1 mg
Vitamin C
11%
10 mg
Vitamin E
4%
0.6 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
0%
6 mg
Iron
2%
0.3 mg
Magnesium
1%
6 mg
Phosphorus
1%
12 mg
Potassium
3%
77 mg
Zinc
2%
0.2 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
manganese 0.3 mg20%
vitamin K 19 mcg24%
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[20] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[21]

Blueberries have a diverse range of micronutrients, with notably high levels (relative to respective Dietary Reference Intakes) of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber (table).[22] One serving provides a relatively low glycemic load score of 4 out of 100 per day.

Especially in wild species, blueberries contain anthocyanins, other antioxidant pigments and various phytochemicals possibly having a role in reducing risks of some diseases,[23] including inflammation and different cancers.[24][25][26]

Potential anti-disease effects

Researchers have shown that blueberry anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, flavonols, and tannins inhibit mechanisms of cancer cell development and inflammation in vitro.[27][28][29][30] Similar to red grape, some blueberry species contain in their skins significant levels of resveratrol,[31] a phytochemical with increasing evidence as an anti-cancer compound.[32]

Although most studies below were conducted using the highbush cultivar of blueberries (V. corymbosum), content of polyphenol antioxidants and anthocyanins in lowbush (wild) blueberries (V. angustifolium) exceeds values found in highbush species.[33]

At a 2007 symposium on berry health benefits were reports showing consumption of blueberries (and similar berry fruits including cranberries) may alleviate the cognitive decline occurring in Alzheimer's disease and other conditions of aging.[34]

Feeding blueberries to animals lowers brain damage in experimental stroke.[35][36] Research at Rutgers[37] has also shown that blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections.

Other animal studies found that blueberry consumption lowered cholesterol and total blood lipid levels, possibly affecting symptoms of heart disease.[38] Additional research showed that blueberry consumption in rats altered glycosaminoglycans which are vascular cell components affecting control of blood pressure.[39]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vaccinium_corymbosum.
  • BNZ, n.d: "Blueberries New Zealand Inc" Web page[15] at the site of the organization of the same name, accessed August 24, 2006.
  • Clayton-Greene, K.: Web page titled "The Blueberry Industry in Australia: An Overview" a summary of an article[16] at the Web site for the International Society for Horticultural Science. The article appears to have been written in the 1990s, accessed August 24, 2006.
  • Gain, 2005: "USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: GAIN Report: Global Agriculture Information Network"[17], January 12, 2005, accessed August 24, 2006
  • Gaskell, Mark. "Strategies for Off-Season Blueberry Production on Coastal California Small Farms," an article[18] in "Central Coast Agriculture Highlights" a newsletter published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, February 2006 issue, page 2, accessed August 24, 2006.
  • Nauman, W.D. Web page[19] titled "Overview of the Vaccinium Industry in Western Europe," a summary of an article by W.D. Naumann presented at the Fifth International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture and published in July 1993, from the Web site of the International Society for Horticultural Science, accessed August 24, 2006.
  • San Jose, n.d.: San Jose Farms Web site, "Products: Blueberries" Web page[20], accessed August 24, 2006
  • Sweeney M.I., Kalt W., MacKinnon S.L., Ashby J. and Gottschall-Pass K.T. Feeding of diets enriched in lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) for six weeks decreases stroke severity in rats. Nutritional Neuroscience 5: 427-431, 2002.
  • Matchett, M.D., MacKinnon, S.L., Sweeney, M.I., Gottschall-Pass, K.T., and Hurta, R.A.R. Blueberry flavonoids inhibit matrix metalloproteinase activity in DU145 human prostate cancer cells. Biochem Cell Biol. 83: 637-643, 2005.
  • University of California Cooperative Extension (2006). Strategies for Off-Season Blueberry Production on Coastal California Small Farms (pdf file) an article by Mark Gaskell in Central Coast Agriculture Highlights newsletter. Accessed August 24 2006.
  • Joseph, J.A., Shukitt-Hale B., Denisova, N.A. Bielinksi D., Martin, A., McEwen, J.J., & Bickford, P.C., 1999. Reversals of age-related declines in neuronal signal transduction, cognitive, and motor behavioral deficits with blueberry, spinach, or strawberry dietary supplementation. Journal of Neuroscience 19 (18): 8114–8121.
  • Sumner, Judith (2004). American Household Botany: A History of Useful Plants, 1620-1900. Timber Press. p. 125. ISBN 0-88192-652-3. Google books link
  • Wild blueberry culture in Maine (FAO)
  • "The Blueberry Bulletin" newsletter (New Jersey)

Footnotes

  1. ^ "blueberry month". North American Blueberry Council. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  2. ^ "Scientists Zero In on Health Benefits of Berry Pigments :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center". www.npicenter.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
  3. ^ Superfruits — superheroes of functionality - Functional Ingredients Magazine
  4. ^ Superfruits Take Center Stage :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center
  5. ^ Fresh blueberries, US Highbush Blueberry Council
  6. ^ Wild Blueberry Network Information Centre
  7. ^ Agricultural Marketing Resouce Center[1]
  8. ^ US Highbush Blueberry Council[2]
  9. ^ a b Scrivener L. Economy singing the blues, but berries are booming: Health-conscious consumers can't get enough of Canada's most valuable fruit crop, Toronto Star, Jul 28, 2008 [3]
  10. ^ British Columbia Blueberry Council[4]
  11. ^ United States Highbush Blueberry Council[5]
  12. ^ Quebec Wild Blueberries, 2008 harvest update.
  13. ^ Daley B. for the Boston Globe, International Herald Tribune, Climate change brings blueberries - and competition[6]
  14. ^ Nova Scotia: Official emblems and symbols[7]
  15. ^ Wild Blueberries, Carrots, Cranberries, Battered Vegetables
  16. ^ Yarborough DE. Factors contributing to the increase in productivity in the wild blueberry industry, Small Fruits Review, 3(1-2), July 2004, 33-43, Abstract[8]
  17. ^ (ASOEX, 2007)
  18. ^ (FEDEFRUTA, 2007)
  19. ^ Gross PM. Berry research breakthroughs: ten trendsetters of 2007-8, Natural Products Information Center, June 2008[9]
  20. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  21. ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154.
  22. ^ In-depth nutrition information on raw blueberries, Nutritiondata.com[10]
  23. ^ Scientists Zero In on Health Benefits of Berry Pigments :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center
  24. ^ http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/antioxidantsprevention][http://newsletter.cancerresearchsociety.ca/bulletin/omni/articles/5835.aspx
  25. ^ Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry,...[J Agric Food Chem. 2006] - PubMed Result
  26. ^ Cranberry and blueberry: evidence for protective e...[Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007] - PubMed Result
  27. ^ Effect of anthocyanin fractions from selected cult...[J Agric Food Chem. 2007] - PubMed Result
  28. ^ Differential effects of blueberry proanthocyanidin...[Cancer Lett. 2006] - PubMed Result
  29. ^ Phenolic compounds from blueberries can inhibit co...[J Agric Food Chem. 2005] - PubMed Result
  30. ^ Russell WR, Labat A, Scobbie L, Duncan SH. Availability of blueberry phenolics for microbial metabolism in the colon and the potential inflammatory implications. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Jun;51(6):726-31.[11]
  31. ^ Rimando AM, Kalt W, Magee JB, Dewey J, Ballington JR. Resveratrol, pterostilbene, and piceatannol in vaccinium berries. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Jul 28;52(15):4713-9.[12]
  32. ^ Gross PM. Berry research breakthroughs: ten trendsetters of 2007-8, Natural Products Information Center, June 2008[13]
  33. ^ Interspecific variation in anthocyanins, phenolics...[J Agric Food Chem. 2001] - PubMed Result
  34. ^ Scientists Zero In on Health Benefits of Berry Pigments :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center
  35. ^ Feeding rats diets enriched in lowbush blueberries...[Nutr Neurosci. 2002] - PubMed Result
  36. ^ Dietary supplementation with blueberries, spinach,...[Exp Neurol. 2005] - PubMed Result
  37. ^ Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research & Extension
  38. ^ Kalt W, Foote K, Fillmore SA, Lyon M, Van Lunen TA, McRae KB. Effect of blueberry feeding on plasma lipids in pigs. Br J Nutr. 2008 Jul;100(1):70-8.[14]
  39. ^ Wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) consumpti...[J Nutr Biochem. 2006] - PubMed Result

See also

  • Elizabeth Coleman White, a New Jersey agricultural specialist who was one of the first to commercialize blueberries.

External links

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