What if Lantern Entertainment was founded in 1928?/Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham is a 2019 American animated film loosely based on the 1960 Dr. Seuss book of the same title. It was produced by Lantern Entertainment (aka Lantern Cartoon Studio), A Very Good Production, A Stern Talking To, Big Kid Pictures, and Gulfstream Entertainment, distributed by Netflix (all media) and Shout! Factory (Theatrical and Home Video), directed by Lawrence Gong and Piero Piluso and produced by Milos Brajovic.

It was a critical and commercial success, saving Lantern's cartoon division from closing down it's doors and leading to a sequel called Green Eggs and Ham: The Second Helping and a spin-off named Chickeraffe. However, a film about Chickeraffes is cancelled following DreamWorks' How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World's Oscar loss on February 9, 2020.

Plot
In the town of Glurfsburg, Sam-I-Am breaks into a zoo and liberates a Chickeraffe, a rare and endangered animal. Meanwhile, Guy-Am-I, an inventor, presents his invention, a self-flyer, so that he can win a ticket to Meepville. His invention fails while his fellow inventors all get to go. Michellee, a literal bean counter for the company, worries over her daughter EB, who spends her days trying to be adventurous. She catches wind of the Chickeraffe's escape and plans to catch it, but Michellee prevents her as they are headed to Meepville as well. Hervnick Z. Snerz, the head businessman in Meepville wants the Chickeraffe for his pet collection while a deadly serious "poacher" named McWinkle and his sidekick Gluntz from the BADGUYS business try to find the thief. A defeated Guy, who decides to be a paint watcher, stops by a diner and encounters Sam who orders green eggs and ham. Despite Guy voicing his distaste for the dish, Sam orders it for everyone in the diner. Guy ends up leaving, but accidentally takes Sam's identical suitcase. As he rests for the night in a motel, he finds to his horror that Sam's suitcase contains the Chickeraffe, who proceeds to destroy the motel room and Guy tries to sequester the creature.Sam returns to his home, a run down isolated RV, and discovers that he has the wrong suitcase.

After getting an earful from Snerz, the optimistic Gluntz learns that McWinkle plans to retire from BADGUYS after they find the Chickeraffe and manage to trace it back to Sam's home just as Guy figures out where he lives. Guy is confronted by the two, but is rescued by Sam who steals their car and flees. Sam reveals that he is an animal liberator and that, just like Guy, is headed to Meepville. Not wanting to put up with him, Guy gets out in the middle of the desert. He flags down another car which just so happens to be driven by Michellee. She turns down picking him up, despite EB's protests and Guy ends up hallucinating from the heat. He is rescued by Sam who once again offers him green eggs and ham, but he tells him that "[he] will not have them in a car". Guy sleeps, but awakens to see Sam and the Chickeraffe running beside the car and heading towards a cliff. Sam rescues Guy from the car as it lands in a lake and flattens the house of a fish family. He reveals that he had to get rid of it so that it cannot be traced.

They buy a couple of tickets for a train, forcing Guy to stay with Sam for a while longer. Michellee and EB also take the train as they head to Meepville. As the car is fished out of the water, McWinkle and Gluntz find evidence of the Chickeraffe being there and deduce that it is on a train. Snerz reveals that he wants the Chickeraffe to impress his cronies. Sam and Guy run into Michellee and EB where Sam orders them green eggs and ham ("I will not have them on a train"). Later at night, Sam sneaks out with the Chickeraffe and runs into EB who learns of the creature's existence. She decides to name it Mr. Jenkins. Guy and Michellee bond in the Quiet Car as the narrator implies that they are developing feelings for one another. In the morning, Guy angrily tells Sam that he wants nothing to do with him anymore. As he gets off the train, he is confronted by McWinkle and Gluntz. Guy gets back on the train with McWinkle and Gluntz in hot pursuit.

He makes it back to Sam and Mr. Jenkins where EB inadvertently reveals its existence to Michellee who gets upset at Guy for being lied to. Sam, Guy and Mr. Jenkins are forced to jump off of the train to escape the BADGUYS and end up in a quarry. As McWinkle and Gluntz try to have the train turned around, they get kicked off for not having any tickets. Snerz invites his cronies to a met gala for his eventual Chickeraffe. Michellee learns that EB was riding on top of the train and puts her on strict supervision. Sam and Guy learn that Mr. Jenkins likes to eat ties and spot a farm house in the distance. The house has no ties, but a fox named Michael who guards its green eggs and tries to impress Sandra, one of the hens, wears a tie. Michael is trying to vent his love for eggs and as he meditates, Sam and Guy break into his foxhole to steal his tie. They are successful, but open a closet full of green eggs. Michael spots them and furiously lunges at them, but breaks down and reveals his hopeless love of green eggs and his contradictory love for Sandra and Sam and Guy leave with the ties promising not to say anything.

As the sun sets, they spot a motel sign, but learn that it is actually in the middle of a junk pit and they get stuck. They find an exit, but it turns out to be a large tube of toxic sludge and they get trapped on a pile of trash. Guy reveals that all of his previous inventions have exploded and he has lost hope. The narrator reveals that Mr. Jenkins was separated from his mother. With Sam's encouragement, Guy builds a contraption and they escape.

Meanwhile, Michellee and EB leave the train and drive to a B&B. EB becomes bored, especially when Michellee fails to grasp EB's imaginative side. EB discovers that Michellee drew a perfect picture of the Chickeraffe as a way to make up for losing it. Sam, Guy and Mr. Jenkins arrive at a diner in Prinz Pazookle, but a woman's pet flea scares Mr. Jenkins and he breaks free from his suitcase and begins running amok in the restaurant.

With no money, Sam and Guy resort to working at the local carnival where they disguise themselves by switching hats as Randy and Dave while Mr. Jenkins hides as a prize. McWinkle and Gluntz learn that Sam and Guy are in Prinz Pazookle and head there to try and win Mr. Jenkins. Meanwhile, Michellee takes EB to see the world's smallest thermometer. When EB voices her displeasure about how boring she can be, Michellee is filled with the gumption to take her to the carnival to prove her wrong. They get on a tilt-a-whirl ride just as Guy switches jobs with Sam and finds himself sending the two on a wild ride. Afterwards, Guy speaks with Michellee who once again gets upset at him for supposedly lying to him. The BADGUYS try to make off with Mr. Jenkins, but Sam and Guy rescue him.

EB gives the two a bruckle and they ship themselves to Shvizelton with McWinkle and Gluntz in hot pursuit. As Sam and Guy switch hats back, Sam suddenly gets arrested by a police officer. He manages to escape his cuffs, but after seeing Guy and Mr. Jenkins leaving by taxi, Sam solemnly allows himself to be arrested.

Guy is hit with guilt over leaving Sam and he decides to go get him at the jail. McWinkle and Gluntz arrive in Shvizelton and, after interrogating the locals, learn that Sam was incarcerated. Sam meets his cell mate, a mouse that he names Squeaky who to itself speaks with a proper French accent, but to others communicates in unintelligible squeaking. He was arrested for stealing a small piece of cheese for himself and his family.

Guy arrives and allows himself to be arrested as Squeaky reveals that he has dug a tunnel to escape. McWinkle and Gluntz arrive just in time to see the group grab their things and flee through the sewer system. The group manages to come out far from the prison as Squeaky leaves to reunite with his family. It begins to rain and they trek before encountering a cabin. They are greeted by Michellee, who does not lets them in because they are fugitives. Sam, Guy and Mr. Jenkins are forced to sit out in the rain where Sam realizes that Guy has a crush on Michellee. EB begs Michellee to let them stay indoors for the night and she finally caves. As McWinkle and Gluntz continue their search, Snerz hires a bounty hunter named Thelonious T. Goat to look for the Chickeraffe and sends his aid to go and recruit him.

Sam has Guy hang out with EB to dry up Mr. Jenkins while he stays with Michellee to cook a vegan tofu version of green eggs and ham. Guy and EB have trouble using a giant bellows to dry Mr. Jenkins, so EB uses Michellee's jar of beans and accidentally launches it out of the roof and into the woods. The two jump after it while Sam distracts Michellee. EB learns that Guy likes her mom and they find the jar with Giroosters, the meanest judgivores, and get chased by them. Guy uses his cynical criticism of them to get them to give them the jar back. Michellee panics when Sam accidentally reveals that they were in jail, but Guy and EB return in time to divert suspicion.

The gang get ready to leave together to Meepville as Guy and Michellee grow close. When Guy spots Goat out in the front, Sam explains that he is dangerous and convinces him to let Michellee and EB leave ahead without them to protect them. Goat proceeds to attack the cabin as Guy and Sam distract him and escape with Mr. Jenkins. They end up climbing a snowy mountain where Goat kidnaps Mr. Jenkins. Seeing his friends in danger gives Mr. Jenkins the courage to fight back and toss Goat away up the mountain; allowing them to escape. They use Goat's credit card to buy bus tickets to Stovepipe Junction which concerns Guy.

Snerz gets interviewed for a magazine where he reveals that his love of animals stems from losing his pet Flemur which he blames his mother for. The interviewer meets with his mother and learns that Snerz loved the Flemur too much and it wanted to leave which the mother complied. McWinkle and Gluntz are saddened over not finding any leads until the former suddenly realizes Sam's love for green eggs and ham.

As McWinkle and Gluntz zero in Sam, Goat survives the avalanche and continues to hunt for the Chickeraffe. Sam, Guy and Mr. Jenkins arrive and try to book a motel room where everyone seems to recognize Guy. It is revealed that Stovepipe Junction is Guy's birthplace and he was considered most likely to succeed in high school.

Guy wants to avoid seeing his family as they consider him a failure and they try to enter his childhood tree house. They get caught, but contrary to Guy's claim, his family is fully supportive of his creative endeavors. He announces to them all that he is no longer inventing and that he is going to become a paint watcher and leaves to his tree house angrily.

Sam goes to talk to him and reveals that he himself never had a family (throughout the film he mentions his bizarre past with his mother, but he lied). His love for green eggs and ham is so he can find her. Guy feels better and apologizes. When Sam enters the house he calls Snerz, revealing that he is taking the Chickeraffe to him.

A guilt ridden Sam tries to stall Guy who has bought tickets for the ferry to Meepville. McWinkle and Gluntz arrive at the Am-I household, but Sam and Guy manage to escape. It is at this point that McWinkle and Gluntz reveal that BADGUYS is actually an acronym for Bureau of Animal Defense Glurfsburg Upper Yippville Section and that they have been trying to save the Chickeraffe. After getting an earful from their boss, the Am-I's comply with them. Sam and Guy get on the ferry and run into Michellee and EB again. While EB is happy to see them, Michellee still is upset with Guy, even though he apologizes for splitting from them.

As the ferry transforms into a submarine and dives, Guy and Michellee finally grow closer. Sam gets over his guilt after speaking with EB and decides to save Mr. Jenkins for real. They arrive in Meepville and Michellee gives Guy her phone number. Goat appears and scares Sam and Guy back onto the boat. He causes it to capsize and even though they all escape, Goat grabs the briefcase and makes off with Mr. Jenkins.

McWinkle and Gluntz catch up with Goat and manage to capture him. Sam and Guy arrive to get Mr. Jenkins back, but Guy gets caught. He learns about McWinkle and Gluntz's true purpose and is taken in to be questioned. He is told about Sam and his many aliases and his intent to sell Mr. Jenkins. Michellee takes EB to the Hall of Walls, an art gallery, and EB learns that Michellee used to paint for a living, but gave it up once her husband passed away so that she can take care of her and they bond.

Sam tries to break Guy out of holding, but he is angry at him and is further angered at being offered green eggs and ham ("I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam-I-Am!"). Sam sadly leaves with Mr. Jenkins when Guy tells him his mother did not want him and he tells McWinkle and Gluntz that Snerz is buying the Chickeraffe; letting him go. Snerz puts on his met gala as Michellee and EB attend. EB spots Sam at the gala and wanders backstage to discover, to her horror, that Sam is "selling" Mr. Jenkins to Snerz. She tries to break Mr. Jenkins out and ends up getting the attention of both Michellee and Guy who proceed to argue with one another. EB realizes that the Chickeraffe is actually a painted Girooster, which relieves Guy. The three escape just as Snerz realizes he has been had.

They find Sam at a cold air balloon port with plans to send Mr. Jenkins back home. He is still upset at Guy for what he said earlier and he makes it up to him by finally eating green eggs and ham. ("I do so like green eggs and ham!"). McWinkle, Gluntz and Snerz arrive and chase the group up the port tower. Snerz gets entrapped while McWinkle and Gluntz let them go upon learning of Sam's mission. The balloon gets hijacked by Goat and Guy uses his invention to save Mr. Jenkins and finally defeat Goat, as well as receiving a kiss from Michellee. Later, Sam and Guy are having green eggs and ham when Sam recognizes the eggs' taste as his mother's. He learns that the eggs come from East Flubria and he and Guy set off again.

Cast

 * Adam DeVine as Sam, a happy-go-lucky enthusiast of green eggs and ham.
 * Michael Douglas as Guy, a cantankerous inventor who dislikes green eggs and ham.
 * Keegan-Michael Key as Narrator
 * Eddie Izzard as Snerz, an arrogant businessman.
 * Jillian Bell as Gluntz, McWinkle's rookie sidekick.
 * Diane Keaton as Michellee, the overprotective mother of E.B.
 * Jeffrey Wright as McWinkle, a deadly serious member of BADGUY.
 * Ilana Glazer as E.B., a good-hearted girl and Michellee’s daughter.
 * Tracy Morgan as Michael, an eccentric fox
 * Daveed Diggs as Squeaky, a French-accented mouse.
 * John Turturro as Goat, a bounty hunter sent by Snerz.
 * Billy Eichner as Mr. Bigman, McWinkle and Gluntz's boss.
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Mr. Jenkins, the Chickeraffe.
 * Tom Kenny as The Red and Yellow Guy, the owner of the Glurfsburg Hotel.

Songs

 * "Back Flip" performed by Rivers Cuomo
 * "Hotel Anthem" performed by The Red and Yellow Guy
 * "Eggs and Ham of Doom" by Tom Kenny
 * "Surfing Good Time" performed by Queen
 * "Calm Your Eggs Down" performed by Tracy Morgan
 * "A Mouse's Life" by Daveed Diggs
 * "Carnival Worker" by Jillian Bell
 * "Back Flip Part Two" performed by Rivers Cuomo