Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)

The story of Preston Tucker, the maverick car designer and his ill-fated challenge to the auto industry with his revolutionary car concept.

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

Arnold Schulman, David Seidler

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen, Martin Landau

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Preston Tucker
Joan Allen	...	Vera
Martin Landau	...	Abe
Frederic Forrest	...	Eddie
Mako	...	Jimmy
Elias Koteas	...	Alex Tremulis
Christian Slater	...	Junior
Nina Siemaszko	...	Marilyn Lee
Anders Johnson	...	Johnny
Corin Nemec	...	Noble (as Corky Nemec)
Marshall Bell	...	Frank
Jay O. Sanders	...	Kirby
Peter Donat	...	Kerner
Dean Goodman	...	Bennington
John X. Heart	...	Ferguson's Agent

Storyline

Based on a true story. Shortly after World War II, Preston Tucker is a grandiose schemer with a new dream, to produce the best cars ever made. With the assistance of Abe Karatz and some impressive salesmanship on his own part, he obtains funding and begins to build his factory. The whole movie also has many parallels with director Coppola's own efforts to build a new movie studio of his own.

---

Plot Keywords:

based on real person | man | united states of america | usa | police officer | 

---

Taglines:

When they tried to buy him, he refused. When they tried to bully him, he resisted. When they tried to break him, he became an American legend. The true story of Preston Tucker.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Donat plays a lawyer who is in the pocket of a powerful senator. In The Godfather: Part II (1974), he plays a crooked lawyer in the pocket of mobsters.

---

Goofs

While discussing a new plant, Abe says that the plant is "73 acres long." An acre is a unit of space, not of distance.

---

Quotes

Preston Tucker: Isn't that the idea? To build a better mouse trap?
Abe: Not if you're a mouse!

---

Crazy Credits

The opening credits play over footage done in the style of a Tucker promotional film. The 2018 Blu-ray Disc release of the film includes the actual promo film as a bonus feature, with optional Francis Ford Coppola commentary.

---

Alternate Versions

2018 Blu-ray Disc release features a newly-film introduction to the film by director Francis Ford Coppola.

---

Connections

Featured in Under the Hood: Making 'Tucker' (2000)

---

Soundtracks

Let the Rest of the World Go By
Written by Ernest Ball (as Ernest R. Ball) and J. Keirn Brennan (as J.K. Brennan)
Courtesy of Warner Brothers Music, a division of Warner Brothers, Inc.

User Reviews

Not much but it's still good

Tucker: The Man and His Dream is a good spirited story of perseverance, loyalty, honor, and integrity from legendary director Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola's name is synonymous with landmark cinema that changed the face of the film industry forever with classics like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. This movie is obviously not of that caliber, but it is an enjoyable experience nonetheless. In it, a thinner, younger, and clean shaven Jeff Bridges plays Preston Tucker, a likable businessman who had big ideas for the auto industry that would ultimately lead to bigger consequences. It's a true story about how one man tried to change the auto industry after World War II by creating the greatest car ever made. His financial support in the booming big government economy after WWII is an issue, but he perseveres through it all with the goal of achieving what others say is impossible. It's a happily inspiring tale, performed excellently by Mr. Bridges, one of my all time favorite actors.

Coppola shows in this movie that he can still be a fine director without the backing of a gangster or Vietnam war epic. He has a straightforward directing style for this straightforward film, but it doesn't fault a movie that mainly focuses on character and plot, rather than visual aesthetic. However, the film did get nominated at the Academy Awards for best Art Direction and Costume Design, and deservedly so. Tucker: The Man and His Dream is a period piece, and everything about the film stays true to its time frame. It is always interesting to see such a specific time period like the 1940's projected through an 80's lens, and Tucker: The Man and His Dream does a captivating job at this. The costumes are interesting and relevant, along with the set design and of course the cars. And it is all backed by a fantastic early 1900's jazz soundtrack.

The story itself stays mildly interesting the whole way through. It lags in some spots where not as much is happening, but it sets up for a great climax with a beautifully inspirational speech delivered by Bridges. The flow and pacing of the film has its noticeable issues and parts felt slightly choppy. The beginning of the film starts out with an infomercial/historical newsreel quirk that is very creative, but practically abandoned by the end of the film. Despite some minor flaws nothing significantly deteriorates the overall quality of the film.

Tucker: The Man and His Dream is a solid film that anyone can at least find mildly interesting, since it is based on a true story after all. Putting this film into today's perspective, it is still relevant and interesting what with all the auto industry crises going on today and how I'm sure we all wish we somebody as steadfast and innovative as Preston Tucker could pick the industry back up on its feet. I commend a film if it makes me think in terms of current events, so kudos to this film. I will say that as a Coppola film, it's nothing too special. I would obviously recommend the first two Godfathers and Apocalypse Now long before Tucker: The Man and His Dream. But as just another film, this movie is plenty enjoyable and interesting to watch.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 August 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tucker: L'homme et son rêve

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,709,562, 14 August 1988

Gross USA:

$19,652,638

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,652,638

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lucasfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1