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Difference between revisions of "Bart Gets Hit by a Car"

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{{episode
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{{Tab}}
|image=7f10.jpg
+
{{EpisodePrevNext|Itchy & Scratchy & Marge|One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish}}
|productionCode=7F10
+
{{Quote|Hutz is the name, Mr. Simpson. Lionel Hutz, attorney at law. Here's my card. It turns into a sponge when you put it in water.|[[Lionel Hutz]]}}
|originalAirdate=January 10, 1991
+
{{Episode
|blackboardText="I will not sell school property."
+
|name= Bart Gets Hit by a Car
|couchGag=When the family jumps on to the couch, Homer bumps everyone off so he can have it for himself.
+
|image=Bart Gets Hit by a Car.png
|specialGuestVoices=Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz and as the Heaven voice  
+
|number=23
|Written By=John Swartzwelder
+
|season=2
|Directed By=Mark Kirkland
+
|snumber=10
 +
|prodcode=7F10
 +
|airdate=January 10, [[1991]]
 +
|blackboard="I will not sell school property."
 +
|couchgag=When the family jumps on to the couch, [[Homer]] bumps everyone off so he can have it for himself.
 +
|guests= [[Phil Hartman]] as [[Lionel Hutz]], [[Larry]], and the Heavenly voice
 +
|showrunner1= James L. Brooks
 +
|showrunner2= Matt Groening
 +
|showrunner3= Sam Simon
 +
|writer= [[John Swartzwelder]]
 +
|director= [[Mark Kirkland]]
 +
|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
"Bart Gets Hit by a Car" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' second season. The episode aired on January 10, 1991.
+
"'''Bart Gets Hit by a Car'''" is the tenth episode of [[season 2]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the twenty-third episode overall. It originally aired on January 10, [[1991]]. The episode was written by [[John Swartzwelder]] and directed by [[Mark Kirkland]]. It guest stars [[Phil Hartman]] as [[Lionel Hutz]] and as the Heavenly voice.
  
==Synopsis==
+
== Synopsis ==
Mr. Burns's car hits Bart when he is skateboarding. Bart has an out-of-body experience, and visits Heaven and Hell. He floats back into his body, waking up in Dr. Hibbert's room. The injuries Bart has are a bump on the head and a broken toe, but there is nothing serious. In the room, an attorney named Lionel Hutz comes in and suggests that Homer sue Mr. Burns. Burns offers Homer $100, but he refuses, and he goes to see Lionel Hutz. Hutz promises Homer a cash settlement of $1,000,000. They see Dr. Nick Riviera, who says that Bart is a very sick boy. Marge, however, decries Dr. Nick for saying Bart is sick, arguing that he is not a real doctor.
+
{{desc|[[Bart]] is knocked off his skateboard by [[Mr. Burns]] in his car. After a brief trip to [[Heaven]], and a slightly less brief visit to [[Hell]], he falls to Earth. With the help of dodgy lawyer [[Lionel Hutz]], [[Homer]] tries to sue Burns for a million dollars. And [[Marge]] and [[Lisa]] discover there are many ways you can arrive at the truth.}}
  
Homer sues Mr. Burns, with Bart offering his (unbelievable) testimony that he was playing innocently, until the "Luxury Car of Death" hit him, and Burns saying in his testimony that he was driving to the orphanage to pass out toys until Bart darted in front of him. The jury does not believe Mr. Burns' testimony, who yells at his lawyers and orders them to bring Homer and Marge to his house. At his mansion, Burns offers Homer a $500,000 settlement. Homer and Marge discuss the matter, but Homer objects to the settlement, insisting that Burns knows he will lose the trial and will have to pay the family $1 million. Then Burns overhears Marge telling Homer their lawsuit is based on false evidence and Dr. Nick Riviera is nothing but a quack. Then he reappears and rescinds the $500,000 settlement.
+
== Plot ==
 +
While out riding his skateboard with reckless abandon, Bart is hit by a car driven by Homer's boss, [[Mr. Burns]]. While Burns and [[Smithers]] argue about what to do about him, Bart's soul floats out of his body and he ascends a luminous stairway to Heaven. When Bart spits over the edge, the stairway turns into a chute and sends him directly to Hell. After the [[Devil]] looks over Bart's case history on his computer, he sees Bart is not due to arrive in Hell for nearly another century. As Bart begins to regain consciousness, the Devil tells him to be rebellious and listen to heavy metal music. Bart wakes up in a hospital bed with Homer, Marge, Lisa and a strange man hovering over him. Asking the strange man, Lionel Hutz, who he is, Lionel presents Homer with his card and tells him if he wants to make a lot of money, to give him a call. Acting on his lawyers' advice, Burns offers Homer money to ensure he does not take legal action against him. But he only offers Homer a paltry $100. Homer turns it down and calls Lionel Hutz. After learning Homer is going to sue him, Burns becomes furious and decides to fire him. After Smithers reminds him firing a man who's son he hit with a car would be bad for his image, Burns has no choice but to settle the lawsuit in court or talk the Simpsons out of it.  
  
At the trial, Marge is called to the stand. In her testimony, she denounces Dr. Nick Riviera as being a phony doctor concerned more about wrapping Bart in bandages than in making him feel better, while proving Dr. Hibbert to be a real doctor. She is asked to describe Bart's intense mental anguish and suffering, and when she does, she isn't sure how intense it is, although she mentions that Bart did miss three days of school, and when asked to put a dollar amount on the hardships, she says that Bart would have made $5 if he were able to take out the garbage. With her honest testimony, Marge has effectively destroyed Hutz's case. And Burns has one more settlement to offer: $0. Although Bart receives good treatment and now feels better after the trial, a downbeat Homer worries that Marge cost him $1,000,000, and he tells Marge he is going to Moe's. Moe tries his best to cheer Homer up: "You're better off, Homer...Rich people really aren't that happy." Then Marge comes into Moe's and asks Homer to forgive her for her testimony, but he says that he is not sure he loves her anymore, until he looks her in the eyes to find out and feels happy, and they love each other.
+
Hutz assures Homer if he does exactly what he says, he can get a settlement for a million dollars. But to do it, Bart has to lie about the extent of his injuries. To further stack the deck in their favor, Hutz uses the legal testimony of a shady doctor, Dr. [[Nick Riviera]], to come up with his own diagnosis. Both Bart and Burns present exaggerated memories of the accident on the stand, but the civil jury is more accepting of Bart's fabricated story. In a last attempt to get them to drop the lawsuit, Burns invites Homer and Marge to his home. He offers them $500,000 to settle the case, then leaves the room to let them discuss it. Burns listens in on their conversation in the next room by looking through the cut-out eyes of a painting. Marge, feeling guilty they have been lying, asks Homer to drop the case. She only wants Burns to pay Bart's medical bills and to make an apology for the accident. But Homer wants to hold out for the full million. Upon hearing they are using a quack, Burns walks back into the room, tells them to leave and releases the hounds.
  
==Appearances==
+
In court the next day, Burns' lawyer calls Marge to the stand and reminds her she is under oath. Marge testifies that Hutz and Dr. Riveria made Bart lie about his injuries. A stunned Homer listens in disbelief as his million dollars slips away. That night at dinner, Bart is disappointed that they lost the million, thinking of the great life they could have bought, but Marge reprimands him that honor is more important than easy money. Homer, aghast at how Marge cost him a million dollars, leaves and goes to [[Moe's]]. Marge follows him to Moe's Tavern to apologize, he says he has lost his chance to make anything of his life and is worried that he no longer loves her. Marge, shocked at this, says that if Homer no longer loves her after making eye contact with her will accept their marriage is over. When Homer looks his wife in the eyes, he says he loves her more than ever.
===Characters===
 
* [[Bart Simpson]]
 
* [[Waylon Smithers]]
 
* [[Mr. Burns]]
 
* [[Hortense Simpson|Aunt Hortense]]
 
* [[Orville Simpson]]
 
* [[Snowball I]]
 
* [[Devil]]
 
* [[Marge Simpson]]
 
* [[Ned Flanders]]
 
* [[Rod Flanders]]
 
* [[Jacques]]
 
* [[Homer Simpson]]
 
* [[Lisa Simpson]]
 
* [[Maggie Simpson]]
 
* [[Lionel Hutz]]
 
* [[Julius Hibbert]]
 
* [[Lenny Leonard]]
 
* [[Carl Carlson]]
 
* [[Blue-Haired Lawyer]]
 
* [[Della]]
 
* [[Dr. Nick Riviera]]
 
* [[Judge Roy Snyder]]
 
* [[Herman]]
 
* [[Sam and Larry|Sam]]
 
* [[Sam and Larry|Larry]]
 
* [[Moe Szyslak]]
 
* [[Barney Gumble]]
 
  
===Vehicles===
+
== Production ==
* [[Burns Limo]]
+
The episode's plot was based on {{W|Billy Wilder}}'s 1966 film, ''{{W|The Fortune Cookie}}'' in which [[Walter Matthau]] plays a dishonest lawyer who convinces [[Jack Lemmon]]'s character to fake an injury for a large cash settlement. While working on the court room scenes, director [[Mark Kirkland]] watched ''{{ap|To Kill a Mockingbird|film}}'' and ''{{W|The Verdict}}'' to get ideas for different angles he could use. Although the episode was written by [[John Swartzwelder]], a lot of the ending was pitched by executive producer [[James L. Brooks]], who felt the episode needed a more emotional ending, so some shots were reworked so that voice-overs could be added.
  
===Locations===
+
The episode includes the debuts of three recurring characters, Lionel Hutz, Dr. Nick and the [[Blue-haired lawyer]]. Lionel Hutz was designed by Mark Kirkland, who gave him a evil design, but was asked to make him more "bland looking." He gave him a powder blue suit to make him stand out more. [[Phil Hartman]], who voices Hutz, also guest stars for the first time. He would later become one of the most frequently appearing guest stars, with Hutz and [[Troy McClure]] (who was introduced later in the second season) being his most well-known characters.
* [[Heaven]]
 
* [[Hell]]
 
* [[Springfield General Hospital]]
 
* [[Springfield Mall]]
 
* [[I Can't Believe It's a Law Firm!]]
 
* [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]]
 
* [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]
 
* [[Springfield Court]]
 
* [[Moe's Tavern]]
 
* [[Burns Manor]]
 
  
==Trivia==
+
Dr. Nick Riviera is voiced by [[Hank Azaria]], who used a "bad Ricky Ricardo" impression. The animators modeled Dr. Nick after then-supervising director [[Gabor Csupo]], because they mistakenly believed that Azaria was impersonating him. The Blue-haired lawyer, who does not have a proper name, was based on Roy Cohn, who became famous as Senator Josepth McCarthy's lawyer. His voice, provided by [[Dan Castellaneta]], was also an impression of Cohn. The devil is also shown for the first time, and he was designed by Mark Kirkland, who originally tried to give him a scary design, but the writers asked him to use a more comedic look. The show's then-script supervisor [[Doris Grau]] also appears in the show for the first time. She was used because of her unique voice, and appears as a minor character in this episode, but would later become known for voicing [[Lunchlady Doris]].
*This is the second episode to show its title (the first being [[The Telltale Head]]) and first to show its number (episode 23).
 
*The [[Devil]] was off in his calculation of the next time the Yankees would have won the American League pennant: not "a century from now," but 1996.
 
*The Devil uses a Macintosh computer to check Bart's record.
 
*Sign in Dr. Nick Riviera's office: "Yes, we use anesthetic!" Also, one of his diplomas reads: "I went to medical school for four years and all I got was this lousy diploma."
 
*This episode  shows [[Great-Grandpa Simpson]], [[Aunt Hortense]], and [[Snowball I]] in Heaven.
 
*Dr. Hibbert pokes Bart's bump and he shouts "Ow! Quit it." two times. This was the second time we hear Bart shout "Ow! Quit it." He first shouted it in "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]."  [[Matt Groening]] claims this reference comes from what his real life siblings (Maggie and Lisa) used to do to him when he was a child.  
 
*The program's version of [[Hell]] is an homage to Hieronymus Bosch's triptych ''The Garden of Earthly Delights''; esp. the ''Hell'' panel.
 
*This is one of the most heavily edited episodes in syndication. The full opening sequence is replaced with the short opening from Season 5's [[Rosebud]], and there are 17 cut scenes, none of which are over nine seconds long.
 
*Approximately half-way through the episode, when Bart is on the witness stand, the characters [[Akbar and Jeff]] from [[Matt Groening|Matt Groening's]] comic, [[Life in Hell]], can be seen in the courtroom audience.
 
  
== Cultural references ==
+
== In other languages ==
*The song "Tijuana Taxi" by [[Herb Alpert]] and the Tijuana Brass is heard twice in the show's history: in this episode (as Mr. Burns is recalling the time leading up to the incident), and in "[[On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister]]."
+
{{LanguageBox
*The Devil says "Please allow me to introduce myself", a reference to [[The Rolling Stones]] song [[Sympathy for the Devil]]
+
|fr=yes
*When Bart wakes up from his out-of-body experience, he says, ''"I did go away, Mom! I was miles and miles and miles away, writhing in agony in the pits of Hell! And you were there! And you and you and you,"'' a reference to ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' when Dorothy awakens from her slumber.
+
|frName=Toute la vérité, rien que la vérité
 +
|frTrans=The whole truth and nothing but
 +
|hu=yes
 +
|huName=Barton átgázolnak
 +
|huTrans=Bart is driven over
 +
|br=yes
 +
|brName=Bart É Atropelado
 +
|brTrans=Bart Gets Run Over
 +
|uk=yes
 +
|ukName=Барта збиває авто
 +
|ukTrans=Bart gets hit by a car
 +
|de=yes
 +
|deName=Bart kommt unter die Räder
 +
|deTrans=Bart goes under the wheels
 +
|es=yes
 +
|esName=Un coche atropella a Bart
 +
|esTrans=A car hits Bart
 +
|la=yes
 +
|laName=Bart es atropellado
 +
|laTrans=Bart gets run over
 +
|it=yes
 +
|itName=Bart è investito da un'auto
 +
|itTrans=Bart is hit by a car
 +
|jp=yes
 +
|jpName=インチキ弁護士にご用心
 +
|jpTrans=Beware of Phony Lawyers
 +
}}
  
 +
{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{Season 2}}
 
{{Season 2}}
[[Category:Episodes]]
+
 
[[Category:Season 2]]
+
[[Category:1991]]
[[pt:Bart é atropelado]]
+
[[Category:Bart episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Mr. Burns episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes written by John Swartzwelder]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes directed by Mark Kirkland]]
 +
 
 +
[[de:Bart kommt unter die Räder]]
 +
[[sv:Bart Gets Hit by a Car]]

Latest revision as of 12:38, August 19, 2024

Season 2 Episode
022 "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
023
"Bart Gets Hit by a Car"
"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish" 024
"Hutz is the name, Mr. Simpson. Lionel Hutz, attorney at law. Here's my card. It turns into a sponge when you put it in water."
Lionel Hutz
"Bart Gets Hit by a Car"
Bart Gets Hit by a Car.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 23
Season number: S2 E10
Production code: 7F10
Original airdate: January 10, 1991
Chalkboard gag: "I will not sell school property."
Couch gag: When the family jumps on to the couch, Homer bumps everyone off so he can have it for himself.
Guest star(s): Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz, Larry, and the Heavenly voice
Showrunners: James L. Brooks
Matt Groening
Sam Simon
Written by: John Swartzwelder
Directed by: Mark Kirkland
DVD features


"Bart Gets Hit by a Car" is the tenth episode of season 2 of The Simpsons and the twenty-third episode overall. It originally aired on January 10, 1991. The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Mark Kirkland. It guest stars Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz and as the Heavenly voice.

Synopsis[edit]

"Bart is knocked off his skateboard by Mr. Burns in his car. After a brief trip to Heaven, and a slightly less brief visit to Hell, he falls to Earth. With the help of dodgy lawyer Lionel Hutz, Homer tries to sue Burns for a million dollars. And Marge and Lisa discover there are many ways you can arrive at the truth."


Plot[edit]

While out riding his skateboard with reckless abandon, Bart is hit by a car driven by Homer's boss, Mr. Burns. While Burns and Smithers argue about what to do about him, Bart's soul floats out of his body and he ascends a luminous stairway to Heaven. When Bart spits over the edge, the stairway turns into a chute and sends him directly to Hell. After the Devil looks over Bart's case history on his computer, he sees Bart is not due to arrive in Hell for nearly another century. As Bart begins to regain consciousness, the Devil tells him to be rebellious and listen to heavy metal music. Bart wakes up in a hospital bed with Homer, Marge, Lisa and a strange man hovering over him. Asking the strange man, Lionel Hutz, who he is, Lionel presents Homer with his card and tells him if he wants to make a lot of money, to give him a call. Acting on his lawyers' advice, Burns offers Homer money to ensure he does not take legal action against him. But he only offers Homer a paltry $100. Homer turns it down and calls Lionel Hutz. After learning Homer is going to sue him, Burns becomes furious and decides to fire him. After Smithers reminds him firing a man who's son he hit with a car would be bad for his image, Burns has no choice but to settle the lawsuit in court or talk the Simpsons out of it.

Hutz assures Homer if he does exactly what he says, he can get a settlement for a million dollars. But to do it, Bart has to lie about the extent of his injuries. To further stack the deck in their favor, Hutz uses the legal testimony of a shady doctor, Dr. Nick Riviera, to come up with his own diagnosis. Both Bart and Burns present exaggerated memories of the accident on the stand, but the civil jury is more accepting of Bart's fabricated story. In a last attempt to get them to drop the lawsuit, Burns invites Homer and Marge to his home. He offers them $500,000 to settle the case, then leaves the room to let them discuss it. Burns listens in on their conversation in the next room by looking through the cut-out eyes of a painting. Marge, feeling guilty they have been lying, asks Homer to drop the case. She only wants Burns to pay Bart's medical bills and to make an apology for the accident. But Homer wants to hold out for the full million. Upon hearing they are using a quack, Burns walks back into the room, tells them to leave and releases the hounds.

In court the next day, Burns' lawyer calls Marge to the stand and reminds her she is under oath. Marge testifies that Hutz and Dr. Riveria made Bart lie about his injuries. A stunned Homer listens in disbelief as his million dollars slips away. That night at dinner, Bart is disappointed that they lost the million, thinking of the great life they could have bought, but Marge reprimands him that honor is more important than easy money. Homer, aghast at how Marge cost him a million dollars, leaves and goes to Moe's. Marge follows him to Moe's Tavern to apologize, he says he has lost his chance to make anything of his life and is worried that he no longer loves her. Marge, shocked at this, says that if Homer no longer loves her after making eye contact with her will accept their marriage is over. When Homer looks his wife in the eyes, he says he loves her more than ever.

Production[edit]

The episode's plot was based on Billy Wilder's 1966 film, The Fortune Cookie in which Walter Matthau plays a dishonest lawyer who convinces Jack Lemmon's character to fake an injury for a large cash settlement. While working on the court room scenes, director Mark Kirkland watched To Kill a Mockingbird and The Verdict to get ideas for different angles he could use. Although the episode was written by John Swartzwelder, a lot of the ending was pitched by executive producer James L. Brooks, who felt the episode needed a more emotional ending, so some shots were reworked so that voice-overs could be added.

The episode includes the debuts of three recurring characters, Lionel Hutz, Dr. Nick and the Blue-haired lawyer. Lionel Hutz was designed by Mark Kirkland, who gave him a evil design, but was asked to make him more "bland looking." He gave him a powder blue suit to make him stand out more. Phil Hartman, who voices Hutz, also guest stars for the first time. He would later become one of the most frequently appearing guest stars, with Hutz and Troy McClure (who was introduced later in the second season) being his most well-known characters.

Dr. Nick Riviera is voiced by Hank Azaria, who used a "bad Ricky Ricardo" impression. The animators modeled Dr. Nick after then-supervising director Gabor Csupo, because they mistakenly believed that Azaria was impersonating him. The Blue-haired lawyer, who does not have a proper name, was based on Roy Cohn, who became famous as Senator Josepth McCarthy's lawyer. His voice, provided by Dan Castellaneta, was also an impression of Cohn. The devil is also shown for the first time, and he was designed by Mark Kirkland, who originally tried to give him a scary design, but the writers asked him to use a more comedic look. The show's then-script supervisor Doris Grau also appears in the show for the first time. She was used because of her unique voice, and appears as a minor character in this episode, but would later become known for voicing Lunchlady Doris.

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Germany.png Deutsch "Bart kommt unter die Räder" Bart goes under the wheels
Spain flag.png Español "Un coche atropella a Bart" A car hits Bart
Hispanic America.gif Español "Bart es atropellado" Bart gets run over
France.png Français "Toute la vérité, rien que la vérité" The whole truth and nothing but
Italy Flag.png Italiano "Bart è investito da un'auto" Bart is hit by a car
Brasil Flag.png Português "Bart É Atropelado" Bart Gets Run Over
Hungary flag.png Magyar "Barton átgázolnak" Bart is driven over
Ukraine flag.png Українська "Барта збиває авто" Bart gets hit by a car
Flag of Japan.png 日本語 "インチキ弁護士にご用心" Beware of Phony Lawyers


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Bart Gets Hit by a Car".
Season 2 Episodes
Bart Gets an "F" Simpson and Delilah Treehouse of Horror Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish Dancin' Homer Dead Putting Society Bart vs. Thanksgiving Bart the Daredevil Itchy & Scratchy & Marge Bart Gets Hit by a Car One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish The Way We Was Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment Principal Charming Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Bart's Dog Gets an "F" Old Money Brush with Greatness Lisa's Substitute The War of the Simpsons Three Men and a Comic Book Blood Feud