8 Seconds

8 Seconds (1994)

*** (out of 4)

This here was billed as telling the true story of Lane Frost (Luke Perry) who would become the youngest National Champion in bullriding. The story behind the riding was a lot darker as he was married young to a woman named Kellie (Cynthia Geary) and the two suffered many problems.

8 SECONDS was a film that was meant to turn Perry into a major movie star but it was released to a lot of lukewarm reviews and it didn't do overly well at the box office. The film pretty much didn't live up to what it was trying to do and it certainly left a mark on Perry's career.

I'm really not sure why the film didn't do better. Perhaps it was a bit too dark for a kids movie yet not quite adult enough to cater to older viewers. In my opinion the film was unjustly criticized and it's really too bad because this was a pretty good movie that at least told a good story and featured some nice performances.

I think the film probably would have been better had it gone straight out as an adult movie and dealt with the darker issues in a more serious manor. Both Perry and Geary are so good in their roles that you can't help but enjoy them as they take us through the story. The two of them are especially good during the more dramatic moments and they certainly sell the story of the young couple dealing with things they don't quite understand.