I’m not a NASCAR guy. I don’t get it. That said, I was drawn into this story very quickly and found myself getting into the racing scenes. While this film doesn’t break new ground in how it films racing, it does admirable work.
Actually, “admirable” is a good word for the whole film. This is not some huge, big-budget deal. This is a TV movie which means it is restricted by time elements and, of course, budget. Director Russell Mulcahy and the producers of the film get a good bang for their buck.
Barry Pepper does a career performance playing the troubled Earnhardt. The care in which he handled the role is evident. The film is worth seeing based purely on Pepper’s performance.
I think the main reason this film works is due to screenwriter Robert Eisele’s taut script. Eisele is a veteran TV writer and the economic storytelling he’s used throughout the years have come in handy. Given the restrictive timeframe that he had to work with, Eisele manages a brilliant job of cramming a full life into an hour-and-a-half movie.
Another half-hour of behind the scenes at NASCAR material and/or more detail on Earnhardt’s ascent into fame would have better filled out this film. I understand the obedience to time constraints, given this was made for TV; however, the film felt lacking in some of these key areas. I hope to see another film about this interesting man that can take its time and give us the whole story.
Article comments
1 - dietdoc
Nehring,
Thanks for the review. I, also, am not a NASCAR follower but I seem to remember this film stirred a bit of controversy within the ranks of the Dale Earnhardt fan base. I am not sure what the complaints were but, as I recall, the "true fan" didn't appreciate the film.
I wonder what their complaints were? Realism? Factual? Barry Pepper playing their hero?
Cheers,
Ron