DAYS OF THUNDER
US, 1990, 107 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Fred Dalton Thompson, Michael Rooker, Cary Elwes.
Directed by Tony Scott.
Days of Thunder has good credentials but thunder seems an overstatement. The story was devised by its star, Tom Cruise, who collaborated with writer Robert Towne (Chinatown, Personal Best, Tequila Sunrise). The screenplay is very conventional - though there are some attempts at critique of stock car drivers and their `infantile' macho attitudes.
The film is a star vehicle for Tom Cruise after his success in such films as Top Gun and Cocktail. However, he is capable of much better performances as in Colour of Money, Rain Man and his Oscar nomination in Born on the 4th of July.
Robert Duvall is steady as his trainer and Randy Quaid as the weak promoter. Nicole Kidman seems strangely out of place as a 22-year-old brain surgeon in a Daytona hospital (but still keeping her Australian accent). However, it is she who has the chance to mouth the criticisms.
The film was directed by Tony Scott and was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckenheimer, the group responsible for Cruise's success in Top Gun. However, this film is not nearly as good in characterisations, nor in action sequences. There have been much better and involving films about car racing, including Paul Newman in Winning, Steve McQueen? in Le Mans, Jeff Bridges as The Last American Hero and Bonnie Bedelia in Heart Like a Wheel.
1. Impact of the film? Drama? Stock car racing and its world?
2. The film's credentials: the background of Top Gun, the strong writer, the reliable cast?
3. Panavision photography, the American locations, the speedways? Daytona? The special effects and camerawork, especially for the car racing sequences?
4. The title, justified or not? In relation to the sport? People involved?
5. Audience response to car racing, stock car racing? The scenes of the crowds and their acclamation? The focus on drivers and their instincts and skills? Speed and danger? Competition? The crashes, possible danger? Injuries and death? The competitive nature of car racing, managers and trainers, building cars, maintenance?
6. Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle - first seen as smart and smug, self-ability, clash with Rowdy, using his car, going against orders? Tim and his promotion of him, taking him on? Harry training him - and their clashes? Rowdy and bumping him, crashes? Competitiveness? The various races, his lack of success? His trying to understand cars, Harry's help? The winning and the effect, chasing Harry? The clash with Rowdy? The injury and his going to hospital, the incident on the road with the woman disguised as the policewoman, his treatment of Claire? His backing town? His injuries, recovery, ringing Claire, dating her, the affair? Rowdy and his injuries, avoiding him? Claire persuading him to go and see Rowdy, persuade him to go for the operation? The visit to hospital, Rowdy's advice? The contrast with their clashing - especially when called by the manager of Daytona and their hiring the cars and racing roughly together? Cole and his friendship with Jenny and the children? Rowdy's operation? Making Cole reflect, Claire's criticisms? The clash with Russ Wheeler, the taunts? The races? Tim and his support of Russ, dropping Cole? Harry and his continued support? The team? The build-up to the final race, clashing with Russ, outwitting him and winning? The macho ending?
7. Harry, on his farm, Tim's approach the collage of building the car? Meeting Cole, watching him, his instinct? Taking him on? His not knowing about cars, their clashes and fights? The advice, Cole's not winning? The eventual victory? The friendship growing between the two? The joke with the policewoman? The injury, Harry in the hospital, supporting Cole, supporting Claire, the joke, apologising to her? In the background, the clashes with Tim? His own past, sense of responsibility for deaths? The son of the dead man working on the team? Changing the cars, Cole and his comeback, the clash with Tim? The final victory, his emotional response, success?
8. Tim, the used car salesman, the entrepreneur, approaching Harry, supporting Cole? The initial teamwork, the pit stop crew? Failures, success? Enjoying the success? Going cold on Cole, Russ as the competitor? The clashes with everyone else? The final race, his coming on-side?
9. Russell Wheeler, the up and coming driver, the taunts to Cole, clashing with him on the track, tricks, violence, his being outwitted and beaten?
10. Rowdy, the champion, his relationship with his wife and children? The clashes with Cole, his victories? Their fights? Being called to order, hiring the cars and bashing them as they raced each other? The macho image? The injury, rowdy in hospital, brain damage? Unwilling to go to hospital, Cole's visit, Claire's insistence and his initial suspicions of her? Going to have the operation, wanting Cole to drive for him? Financial situation?
11. The boss of Daytona, the other officials, their standards for races?
12. Claire - the Australian accent, her age, brain surgery and her expertise? No nonsense? Professional skills, interest in Cole, clashes with him? Concern about Rowdy? The dating, the affair? Her straight talk about infantile macho attitudes? Her not wanting to watch, but her going, sharing in the celebrations? (Token feminine presence in the film?)
13. The comparison of this film with others on the theme - budget and style, stars? Exploration of character? Action sequences on screen?
