Heart Like a Wheel (1983)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Jonathan Kaplan

Writers:

Ken Friedman (writer)
Joan McCall (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Plot:

Shirley Muldowney is determined to be a top-fuel drag racer, although no woman has ever raced them before...

Plot Keywords:

Racing | Drag Racing

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Bonnie Bedelia	...	Shirley Muldowney
Beau Bridges	...	Connie Kalitta
Bruce Barlow	...	Bass Player, Tex's Band
Leo Rossi	...	Jack Muldowney
Anthony Edwards	...	John Muldowney (age 15-23)
Hoyt Axton	...	Tex Roque
Paul Bartel	...	Chef Paul
Missy Basile	...	Angela
Creed Bratton	...	Photographer
Jesse Aragon	...	Carlos
Tiffany Brissette	...	Little Shirley
Paul Bryar	...	Matt, Card Player
James Burton	...	Guitar Player, Tex's Band
Martin Casella	...	Repoter #1
Michael Cavanaugh	...	NHRA Boss

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate #26895) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Beeline Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Company:

Aurora

Trivia:

Sound clips from the movie was used on the song "Shirley" by L7 on their CD "HUNGRY FOR STINK" from 1994.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Shirley first meets Connie Kalitta in 1966 (and indeed in many scenes thereafter), his funny car is prominently featured - a 1971-73 Ford Mustang.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Shirley Muldowney: Behind the Wheel (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Happy Together

Moving story about an unusual woman

This is one of those rare performances in which you fall in love with the actress. Bonnie Bedelia was apparently nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress for her performance as Shirley Muldowney - she should have won an Oscar.

Whether or not you care anything about drag racing - I don't - this is just as much a movie about an unusual, sweet but driven, woman through two decades. It's really tops.

The only criticism I have is that the movie lets the character off rather lightly for abandoning her husband and child after a fight over whether she should be gone from home throughout the year. The truth is that it must be terribly difficult for someone not in the industry to keep a marriage going - including parenthood of a 12 year old - with someone who wants to be gone throughout the year and throughout the country. At one point, Beau Bridges accuses her of abandoning her husband due to ambition - and I suspect there may be more in the accusation than the movie allows the viewer to believe (since Beau Bridges at that point is behaving pretty awfully).

Still, Bonnie Bedelia is so charming, sweet, pretty, winning in every way - that the viewer does nothing but cheer her success.

This is very enjoyable.