Smash Mouth starred in one of the funniest movies of the 2000s

After the death of frontman Steve Harwell, Smash Mouth and movie fans are remembering the band’s incredible appearance at the end of one of the funniest movies of the 2000s.

Few songs have been able to command the mass consciousness like ‘All Star’; it doesn’t even need as much as the first line to get people singing along, just the specific inflection of “Some…” for another to belt “body once told me.”

Originally released in 1999, it’s the ultimate anthem for both millennials and Gen Z, whether you were listening to it when it first hit the charts and nabbed a Grammy nomination, or you discovered it like many of us did: with Shrek booting his outhouse door open into the swamp. That was more than 20 years ago – after all, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming.

Steve Harwell, the band’s lead singer, died on September 4, 2023, at the age of 56. Following his death, fans have remembered another big-screen appearance from the group in an underrated early aughts comedy.

Smash Mouth fans remember Rat Race

Rat Race follows a scrappy group of contestants who drive, fly, scrap, and hustle their way to New Mexico to claim a $2 million prize put up by gambling tycoon Donald Sinclair (John Cleese).

At the end of the movie, they accidentally crash a Smash Mouth gig when they get their hands on the bag of cash – but the concert is in aid of Feed the Earth, and they accidentally agree to give it all away to charity. They’re initially devastated, but they’re overwhelmed by the gratitude and admiration of the audience – they’re even compared to Jesus’ 12 disciples – so instead, they sucker Sinclair and his despicable cohorts into matching their huge donation.

To celebrate the nonprofit’s unprecedented haul (and Sinclair’s misery), Smash Mouth closes the gig with ‘All Star’ as the credits roll. It’s an amazing, hilarious ending, and fans have been revisiting it following the news of Harwell’s passing.

“My favorite movie, and my favorite scene! RIP king, you were a HUGE staple in my childhood and I thank you. Rest in paradise you all star,” one user commented. “Kids today have no idea how big this song was back in the day. RIP to Steve Harwell. A true All Star for life,” another wrote. “This was where I found ‘All Star.’ Not Shrek nor Digimon. RIP Steve you will always be an early ’00s icon to us ’90s babies,” a third commented.

“Rip Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth – you were an iconic addition to Rat Race,” another tweeted. “The real Smash Mouth film is Rat Race. Gonna stick it on in tribute and celebration,” a fifth wrote. “No joke Rat Race is one of my top five films of all time, so I’m very sad about the death of Mr. Smash Mouth Steve cos them appearing at the end of that film is the cherry on top of an already heavily layered and rich and wonderful sundae,” another wrote.

How to watch Rat Race – is it streaming?

Rat Race is available to stream on Paramount Plus. It’s also available to rent or buy digitally on-demand from Amazon Prime and other platforms.

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