Verne is one of the main characters in Over the Hedge. He is the leader of the foragers and an easygoing, overly cautious, and "naturally tentative" box turtle. He is voiced by Garry Shandling.
Personality
Verne is "naturally tentative" box turtle, who is the leader of the foragers. He does not have much emotion when he talks. He has his own ways of doing the daily tasks which everyone else goes for, but his world is turned upside down when RJ introduces his chaotic lifestyle into the mix. He never really trusted RJ (and he was kind of right for not trusting him). He is genuinely caring for his family and will do anything to protect them. He is best known for his "tingling" tail when a situation is not right, he uses that as a sign to back off. After RJ saves them at the end, he gives up his place as leader to RJ whom he has finally accepted into their family.
Role in Film
Verne leads a group of forest animals, and when first seen in the film they are emerging from hibernation only to find their food cache empty. They begin foraging but find a large hedge blocking the way. Verne investigates, discovering a human residential community on the other side of the hedge, which confuses and frightens him. RJ sees the entire commotion and convinces the other animals it's easier to raid the humans' garbage for food rather than forage for it, and they manage to get enough food to keep them from starving. Verne, however, remains wary, especially after homeowner Gladys Sharp discovers the animals in her yard, chases them out through the hedge, and hires the Verminator to keep watch.
Worried for his family's safety, Verne decides to return the food to the humans. RJ tries to stop him, resulting in an argument between the two. This attracts the attention of a playful Rottweiler who chases them across several lawns before all of the food the animals gathered is destroyed. RJ then blames Verne who, while trying to defend himself, makes a comment that hurts the others' feelings.
RJ helps Verne reconcile with the others. They soon make a plan to steal Gladys Sharp's large food storage. Working together under cover of darkness, the animals get the food. RJ and Verne get into another argument, this time over a can of "Spuddies" potato chips, during which Verne (and the others) learn of RJ's true motives. Gladys wakes up, discovers the animals in her house, and calls VermTech. Dwayne arrives and traps the animals except for RJ, who escapes with the food.
When RJ returns after sacrificing the food, Verne is happy to see RJ again but the others no longer trust him since he abandoned them. They nearly thwart RJ's efforts to help before Verne finally convinces them otherwise. The animals then subdue Dwayne and turn his truck toward home, but the truck goes out of control and demolishes Gladys' house.
The animals hide in the hedge, trapped by Vincent on one side and Dwayne and Gladys on the other. RJ and Verne get an idea to give Hammy the hyperactive squirrel a can of cola, which puts him into overdrive. The plan works, but Dwayne almost escapes only to encounter the same Rottweiler that chased RJ and Verne earlier.
Back in the forest, Verne tells RJ that if he'd explained what he was trying to do in the first place, the others would have helped because "that's what families do," and welcomes him back to the family. Meanwhile, the food cache is restocked.
In a post-credits scene, the animals go to the vending machine seen in the beginning of the film and cause every product to fall into the access bin. However, the amount of snacks prevents the access door from opening.
Trivia
- A running gag in the film is that Verne is constantly being mistaked for an amphibian.
- Verne's shell is also capable of coming off his body, continously showing his butt (another gag in the film).
- Originally, Verne was going to be voiced by Harold Ramis.
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