Days of Thunder (1990)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers (WGA):

Robert Towne (story) and
Tom Cruise (story) ...

Release Date:

27 June 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

You can't stop the thunder.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Driver | Stock Car | Racing | Nascar | Team

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Cole Trickle
Robert Duvall	...	Harry Hogge
Nicole Kidman	...	Dr. Claire Lewicki
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

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:10 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | UK:12 (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) (1991) | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 (w) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Bristol, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Trivia:

The scene where Tim approaches Harry on a tractor was filmed on NASCAR legend Junior Johnson's farm.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the shop scene where Cole Trickle is talking to the doctor you can clearly see what is Derrike Cope's purolator car through the window.

Quotes:

Harry Hogge: What do you know about stock car racing?
Cole Trickle: Well... watched it on television, of course.
Harry Hogge: You've seen it on television?
Cole Trickle: ESPN. The coverage is excellent, you'd be surprised at how much you can pick up.
Harry Hogge: I'm sure I would.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Soundtrack:

HEARTS IN TROUBLE

'Top Gun' Tom On The Ground

Boy, Tom Cruise had that obnoxious character down pat for quite some time, didn't he? Here is yet another film in which he plays that type of annoying character you want to slap in the face (or something else). Yeah, if you liked Top Gun and his other "pretty-boy" films of this period - and some were pretty good, actually - you might like this. In fact, this film might be more popular now since NASCAR is televised so much more these days. This movie may get a new audience. Frankly, I could care less about auto racing, back then and now, but I don't hate it, I love most other sports and I like a good movie. This was only fair in all categories. Not bad; not good.

Racing fans tell me there wasn't a lot of realism with this and actual NASCAR events - mainly involving sponsorship - back then, but I was looking an entertaining film....and I like Robert Duvall as actor and don't mind gazing at Nicole Kidman (who can also act.) Michael Rooker and Randy Quaid usually portray interesting people, too.

It's basically a story about a guy who wants to prove himself on the race track, and I have no problem with that. It's not a memorable but it's not a waste of time either. You should be reasonably entertained.