Days of Thunder (1990)

A young hot-shot stock car driver gets his chance to compete at the top level.

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers:

Robert Towne (story), Tom Cruise (story),

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Cole Trickle
Nicole Kidman	...	Dr. Claire Lewicki
Robert Duvall	...	Harry Hogge
Randy Quaid	...	Tim Daland
Cary Elwes	...	Russ Wheeler
Michael Rooker	...	Rowdy Burns
Fred Dalton Thompson	...	Big John
John C. Reilly	...	Buck Bretherton
J.C. Quinn	...	Waddell
Don Simpson	...	Aldo Bennedetti
Caroline Williams	...	Jennie Burns
Donna W. Scott	...	Darlene (as Donna Wilson)
Chris Ellis	...	Harlem Hoogerhyde
Peter Appel	...	Cole's Crew
Stephen Michael Ayers	...	Crewmember

Storyline

Cole Trickle enters the high-pressure world of Nascar racing. He's a hot driver with a hot temper, and this attitude gets him into trouble not only with other drivers, but members of his own team as well.

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Plot Keywords:

driver | nascar | racing | stock car | team | 

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Taglines:

Cruise like Thunder.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 June 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Días de trueno

Filming Locations:

Bristol, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$82,670,733 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (analog 70 mm prints) CDS (digital 35 mm and 70 mm prints) Dolby SR (analog 35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall characters are (very) loosely based on former driver Tim Richmond and his crew chief Harry Hyde. Richmond was known as an overnight sensation, and Hyde was the veteran crew chief. The scene where Duvall's character teaches Cruise about tire management is based on an actual incident between Hyde and Richmond, who died of AIDS complications the year before the film was released.

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Goofs

In the final Daytona race, Russ Wheeler pushes Cole into Harry Gant and spins him. During the spin, a car switches from Gant (#33) to Brett Bodine (#26).

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Quotes

Harry Hogge: [discussing Cole's fearfulness after his big crash by intentionally destroying his engine during a race] You done it deliberate... done it deliberate! Nine thousand, four hundred RPM... according to the little tell-tale button.

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Connections

Featured in Wild Things: Foursome (2010)

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Soundtracks

"MOON RIVER"
Written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer

User Reviews

Cruise goes with what works

This movie is basically paying homage to Top Gun. The same team that made that movie a success got together to create another pumped up movie.

Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a very cocky and smooth indy car driver that lost his ride and decided to head to NASCAR with team owner Tim Daland,(Randy Quaid), and be coached by legendary crew chief Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall). During the Daytona 500 Cole and nemesis Rowdy Burns are involved in a nasty wreck that hospitalizes both of them and threaten to end their careers. They become friends but Cole realizes his mortality and must overcome it if he is to ever race effectively again.

This has better romantic chemistry than Top Gun. Due in part to the fact that Cruise and Kidman really were attracted to each other and we know the rest is history. The action scenes are great and filmed superbly. It's also a very loud movie. It received an Oscar nomination for best sound. It's just another mindless action movie to help relieve boredom. 7 out of 10.