Days of Thunder (1990)

Directed by: Tony Scott | 107 minutes | action, drama, romance, sports | Actors: Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Michael Rooker, Fred Dalton Thompson, John C. Reilly, JC Quinn, Don Simpson, Caroline Williams, Donna Wilson, Chris Ellis, Peter Appel, Stephen Michael Ayers

Those were the days of speed. Fast music, fast guys and fast cars. With ‘Days of Thunder’ Tony Scott hoped to capture that speed on film. Although it is one of the better movies about motorsports, ‘Days of Thunder’ was best known for the romantic fact that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman became an item during filming. For years they were also known as Hollywood’s most successful star wedding. A fairy tale that only just made it into the next century (from December 24, 1990 to August 8, 2001).

In addition to the romance that also emerges on the screen of the famous couple, ‘Days of Thunder’ is mainly an action film as you can expect from director Tony Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Scott made Cruise famous with “Top Gun” and must have immediately thought of Tom when he played Cole Trickle. This falls under the heading typecasting. Here too Cruise plays a recalcitrant young man who can steer well, but has no clue about team play. In the meantime, very literally this time, he is hindered by an unsympathetic colleague and he falls head over heels for the female beauty whom he only just happens to meet.

The problem with Nascar is that it can be quite boring for someone who isn’t crazy about the sport. Therefore, several elements have been added to the story to keep the suspense. Interesting detail is that all accidents and fights are based on true stories, but in this film they are all experienced by one person. Nevertheless, some things seem unbelievable. So don’t look too critically at ‘Days of Thunder’, because thanks in part to the well-filmed races and the acting of Robert Duvall as Harry Hogge, it is certainly worth watching.