The Last American Hero (1973)Director:Lamont Johnson |
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The Last American Hero (1973)Director:Lamont Johnson |
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| Cast overview: | |||
| Jeff Bridges | ... |
Elroy Jackson Jr.
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| Valerie Perrine | ... |
Marge
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| Geraldine Fitzgerald | ... |
Mrs. Jackson
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| Ned Beatty | ... |
Hackel
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| Gary Busey | ... | ||
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Art Lund | ... |
Elroy Jackson Sr.
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| Ed Lauter | ... |
Burton Colt
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| William Smith | ... |
Kyle Kingman
(as William Smith II)
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| Gregory Walcott | ... |
Cleve Morley
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| Tom Ligon | ... |
Lamar
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| Ernie F. Orsatti | ... |
Davie Baer
(as Ernie Orsatti)
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Erica Hagen | ... |
Trina Kingman
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Jimmy Murphy | ... |
Spud
(as James Murphy)
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Lane Smith | ... |
Rick Penny
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I watched this movie today on AMC and loved it. I don't know how well the film was received upon release, but in light of the current Hollywood narrative for action movies, Last American Hero deserves appreciation. It should definitely be considered an American classic.
The movie is a docu-drama based on the few years in the life of Junior Johnson, a famous stock car racer. A young Jeff Bridges brings the main character to life with a great performance, inspired and entertaining. The supporting cast is also excellent with Gary Busey as the brother and Valerie Perrine as the love interest.
All the elements of a great movie that time forgot: thrilling racing scenes, three-dimensional characters, humor, a complicated plot, and so on.. It's a shame that action movies today don't sacrifice some of the explosions, blood, and high-tech props for the type of entertainment and engrossment that Last American Hero delivers.