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 & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Thompson	...	Big John (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
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	...	Cole's Crew

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:

ticklishness | motor vehicle | motor car | cool | vehicle | 

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Taglines:

You can't stop the thunder.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

On July 3, 2013, NASCAR driver Kurt Busch ran a City Chevrolet inspired paint scheme at Daytona International Speedway. That same year, the original car and Kurt's paint scheme, were added to the NASCAR Hall Of Fame for the Lights Camera NASCAR exhibit in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Goofs

In the opening Daytona 500, just after the green flag drops, you can see Cole's City Cheverolet on the right hand side of the screen, even though it does not exist yet.

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Quotes

Tim Daland: [Walks to tractor] See you're enjoying the good life, Harry?
Harry Hogge: Yeah. Well I don't mind spreadin' a little fertilizer round now and then. There's worse things.
Tim Daland: How's the truck runnin'?
Harry Hogge: Runs good.
Tim Daland: [pause] I... uh... I want you to build me a car.
Harry Hogge: [stops tractor] Now, Tim, everyone knows some downtown car dealer can't afford a race team. And no driver worth a damn is gonna sign with you. Cause they wreck one car, you can't afford to build them another, and their out of the deal, you know. And no car's gonna ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman (2015)

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Soundtracks

Thunderbox
Written and Produced by Miss Apollo Smile and The Groove Commander
Performed by Apollo Smile
Apollo Smile courtesy of DGC

User Reviews

Top Gun 2.0

Tony Scott and Tom Cruise reunite in an attempt to replicate the success of Top Gun. Days of Thunder, however, is not Top Gun. It doesn't have the inherent entertainment value or iconic moments. It's a mostly mediocre affair with occasional flashes of inspiration. The most noteworthy thing is probably seeing the burgeoning real-life romance between Cruise and Kidman.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 June 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Days of Thunder

Filming Locations:

Charlotte Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Parkway S, Concord, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,490,445, 1 July 1990

Gross USA:

$82,670,733

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$157,920,733

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 Stereo (analog 35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1