IMDb > Race the Sun (1996)

Race the Sun (1996) More at IMDbPro »

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Race the Sun (1996) -- Open-ended Trailer from Tristar
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Overview

User Rating:
5.1/10   1,431 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writer (WGA):
Barry Morrow (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Race the Sun on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 March 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Adventure | Comedy more
Tagline:
A dream can make all the difference under the sun.
Plot:
A bunch of high school misfits in Hawaii, introduced by their new teacher, attend a science fair in... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Nice Little Film more (24 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Halle Berry ... Miss Sandra Beecher

Casey Affleck ... Daniel Webster

Eliza Dushku ... Cindy Johnson
Kevin Tighe ... Jack Fryman
Anthony Ruivivar ... Eduardo Braz

Steve Zahn ... Hans Kooiman

Dion Basco ... Marco Kito
J. Moki Cho ... Gilbert Tutu

Nadja Pionilla ... Oni Nagano
Adriane Napualani Uganiza ... Luana Kanahele
Sara Tanaka ... Uni Kakamura
Bill Hunter ... Commissioner Hawkes

James Belushi ... Frank Machi
Robert Hughes

Jeff Truman
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG for mild language and a brief incident of teen drinking.
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
100 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
SDDS (8 channels)
Certification:
Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Spain:T | USA:PG | Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Adelaide Town Hall, King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia more
Company:
TriStar Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
At the science fair, Marco calls the students from the competing team mahu(s) which is the Hawaiian word for homosexuals. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When introducing herself to the students, Ms. Beecher prints her name on the blackboard. It repeatedly changes between printed and cursive throughout the scene. more
Soundtrack:
Send Me On My Way more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
Nice Little Film, 21 May 2007
7/10
Author: aimless-46 from Kentucky

For curious movie buffs, "Race the Sun" is a blend of "Breaking Away", "Walkabout", and "Summer School"; making it quite unique and considerably better than its rating. It's neither ambitious nor technically brilliant; in fact the cinematography somehow manages to NOT capture the inherent scenic beauty of a series of Hawaiian and Australian locations. But the casting and directing are solid and the story has so much charm that you don't mind it being corny and predictable.

Halle Berry and James Belushi play teachers at a Hawaiian technical high school who reluctantly sponsor a team of students building a solar-powered car. "Race the Sun" was inspired by a group of Hawaiian students who actually entered the World Solar Challenge in 1980. The film would have been better if the cartoonish corporate villain had been replaced by some actual scientific explanations and a bit of background on the race itself. Speaking of cartoons, the solar cars look like something out of "Wacky Races" but there is no sign of Penelope Pitstop in this entertaining race.

The school is in Hawaii, which makes for some interesting cultural details (as does the race's Austrialian setting), but for viewer identification purposes the settings could be anywhere.

Thankfully the film avoids a couple of obvious traps. Berry and Belushi end up liking and respecting each other but there are no obligatory romantic sparks between them. Likewise for Casey Affleck and Elisha Dushku-who plays his step-sister.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

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