A Dozen Great Movies about Racing Review

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve racing -- as often as not informal, spur-of-the-moment events.  Ah, the memory of us running as fast as we could over an open prairie lot or sometimes down someone's driveway, not worrying about how we looked or what spectators would think but committing every ounce of strength and energy to a prize which wouldn't amount to much.  It is the purity of childhood races that impresses me -- nobody ever won anything but there were no real losers either.

Seeing who could get the farthest the fastest probably constitutes Man's oldest sport.  (The second oldest sport: betting on who could get the farthest the fastest.)  No matter how mature or sophisticated we become, most of us crave the thrill of racing (or watching it) so it is little wonder that great racing movies have been made.  Here are a dozen of my favorites.  (Though varied in plot and locale, each of these films contains dramatic racing footage.)  You probably have favorites of your own and that's okay -- that's what makes horse races!

Ben-Hur, 1959

The Romans elaborated on racing, adding bells and whistles to it.  Just ask anyone who was involved in filming the famous chariot race scene which legend has it took four months and cost the life of a crew member.  William Wyler directed this masterpiece which was the story of the rivalry between Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), an aristocratic Jew, and his childhood friend and adult enemy, Roman officer Messala (Stephen Boyd).  The escalation of betrayal and anger between them comes to a head and is resolved during the chariot race.  (Hint: pump up the volume during any racing scene -- the sound effects are half the fun.)

Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates, 1962

Speed skating was born out of necessity on the Dutch frozen canals centuries ago -- it was the best way for people to get around without having to walk over treacherous ice.  This is about a young boy named Hans Brinker (Rony Zeander) whose poverty-stricken family has fallen upon hard times.  To help support them, Hans travels to Amsterdam where he gets a job and also enters the famous Silver Skates skating race to win the prize money.  It wouldn't have been much of a movie if he didn't have to compete with a formidable rival played by Lennart Kielborn.  Directed by Norman Foster and first telecast for Disney's "Wonderful World of Color", this is a racing film that even the kids can enjoy and is available for rental from Netflix.

The Naked Prey, 1966

Based on a true story and directed by Cornel Wilde, this is about a safari guide (Wilde) whose thankless task it is to shepherd a party of white hunters through the African wilderness where they behave so arrogantly and insensitively that they are captured and tortured by the natives. (Warning: This movie is definitely not for the kids.)  The tribesmen spare the guide whom they know and respect and also because they notice that he is in excellent condition.  After a long, hard day of torturing people, it seems that an opportunity for a little fun has presented itself so they undress Wilde's character and give him a chance to run for it.  Naked, unarmed, lacking provisions, and enjoying only the smallest of "head starts", he must run for his life and try to elude capture from those who will pursue him.  This movie was filmed on location in Africa and is beautifully made.  Aside from everything else, it is obvious that there was a lot of actual running involved, especially by Cornel Wilde and Ken Gampu, who played the most persistant of his pursuers. 

Downhill Racer, 1969

In this movie directed by Michael Ritchie, Robert Redford plays an arrogant, ambitious, but talented member of the U.S. Olympic ski team.   In one of his best roles, Redford portrays an unlikeable person who alienates his fellow characters but somehow manages to gain the sympathy and compassion of the audience. 

Breaking Away, 1979

Peter Yates directed this masterpiece, the triumphant result of the best efforts of a great ensemble cast.  Dennis Christopher starred as Dave Stohler, an ordinary boy and gifted cyclist who hangs with his buddies in Bloomington, Indiana, but dreams of racing with a team of Italian riders whom he idolizes.  He even speaks Italian around the house which worries his mother (Barbara Barrie) who frets "I hope he doesn't become a Catholic!"  This is the endearing story of Dave and his friends during the first summer after high school graduation -- the joy, heartbreak, disillusion, rejection and all that other good coming-of-age stuff which they endure and which a lot of us can relate to.  Everything is resolved during the thrilling running of the famous "Little 500" Bicycle Race held at the University of Indiana at the end of the film.   

The Jericho Mile, 1979

Directed by Michael Mann and filmed on location in Folsom Prison, this is the story of "Rain" Murphy (Peter Strauss), a lonely young man who counteracts boredom and anxiety by running around the prison track.  "Lickety-Split" (as he has been nicknamed by his fellow prisoners) doesn't really care how fast he is but one day a prison honcho watching from his office window happens to notice that Murphy has run the mile in under four minutes.  Serious lobbying then follows in the hopes of gaining the young prisoner a chance to run in the Olympics with surprising results. 

Chariots of Fire, 1981

Even if you are not interested in running or racing, you're probably gonna love this movie which was directed by Hugh Hudson and concerns various human interest stories pertaining to the 1924 Olympics.  A lot of great sub-plots unfold, i.e. Young Jewish Guy (Ben Cross) Facing Down Anti-Semitism and Attending Cambridge" or "Young Devoutly Christian Guy" (Eric Liddell) Who Passes Up a Major Race Because He Won't Run on Sunday."  This film won many awards both here and in Britain and it is no wonder -- it must have cost a fortune to make, everyone took a starring turn, and there are great Olympic racing scenes.  My favorite part comes early in the film, when the Young Jewish Guy is faced with the challenge of racing with time itself.  Encouraged by his wildly cheering classmates, he must complete a lap around a courtyard before the tower clock finishes chiming the hour of 12 Noon.

Personal Best, 1982

Robert Towne directed this triangular love story which crops up among athletes who are training for the trials for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.  Mariel Hemingway and Scott Glenn were good in this but the gold medal here should go to real-life Olympian pentathlete Patrice Donnelly for playing Tory who falls in love with and gives up her competitive edge to Chris (Hemingway).  When it comes to acting, Donnelly came in first.

Heart Like a Wheel, 1983

Directed by Jonathan Kaplan and starring Bonnie Bedelia, this is the story of drag racer Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowny who became hooked on auto racing as a youngster and went on to bridge the gender gap, beat the odds, and triumph in this male-dominated sport. 

Champions, 1984

John Irvin directed this great British film based on the true story of British jockey Bob Champion (John Hurt) and a horse named Aldaniti (who played himself).  Both the jockey and his horse had suffered adverse physical problems and had virtually been given up for dead but in the movie's thrilling conclusion, they overcome impossible odds to win the grueling British Grand National Race.

Far and Away, 1992

Ron Howard directed this film which is the story of a young couple who immigrate from Ireland to this country when it was young, back in the days when would-be settlers could race for a chance to stake out the land they wanted out in Oklahoma.  For young lovers played by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, just getting to the starting line was a triumph of survival and a gripping story which only gets better when the race is underway.  (Hint:  Try to watch this film in the wide-screen version.)

Seabiscuit, 2003

I didn't actually know that there is an annual "Horse of the Year" award but in 1938, this honor was bagged by a strange little steed named Seabiscuit.  This film directed by Gary Ross and based on the book by Laura Hillenbach, starred Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and William Macy in the true-life Depression era tale of this famous, beloved horse and the people who believed in him.

Something to Think About.

In a few weeks, a multitude of wonderful, dedicated athletes will gather in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics.  Most of them won't win medals or gain even 15 minutes of personal fame but for this they deserve our sympathy and respect ... never our pity or scorn.  Things haven't changed that much since the dawn of history and it is still true today that ... among the ranks of those who do their best, run the good race and finish the course ... there are no real losers.