Days of Thunder (1990)

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

Colour:

Colour (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:

Many real-life NASCAR drivers (including Rusty Wallace) appear in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Numerous problems with the juxtaposition, cleanliness, and markings of cars.

Quotes:

Harry Hogge: [after Cole gets spun out by Russ] Cole, you OK?
Cole Trickle: [Giving Harry a dianogsis of the car before coming onto pit road] The good news is the accelerator's fixed. The bad news is the transmission's screwed. I'm coming in!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The O.C.: The Mallpisode (#2.15)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

BYE, BYE, LOVE

Cruise goes with what works

This movie is basically paying homage to Top Gun. The same team that made that movie a success got together to create another pumped up movie.

Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a very cocky and smooth indy car driver that lost his ride and decided to head to NASCAR with team owner Tim Daland,(Randy Quaid), and be coached by legendary crew chief Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall). During the Daytona 500 Cole and nemesis Rowdy Burns are involved in a nasty wreck that hospitalizes both of them and threaten to end their careers. They become friends but Cole realizes his mortality and must overcome it if he is to ever race effectively again.

This has better romantic chemistry than Top Gun. Due in part to the fact that Cruise and Kidman really were attracted to each other and we know the rest is history. The action scenes are great and filmed superbly. It's also a very loud movie. It received an Oscar nomination for best sound. It's just another mindless action movie to help relieve boredom. 7 out of 10.