Heart Like a Wheel

A gem. Pretty much ignored when it came out, because the industry tried to push it as a "hot rod movie" which it is not. Bonnie Bedelia gives a brilliant performance (apparently race folks who knew Muldowney believed she appeared as herself in a couple of scenes!). Film and TV seldom succeed in portraying auto racing; but that doesn't matter here because it doesn't pretend to. The movie has the same spirit as BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM; a young woman facing down family and society in order to fight and win in her chosen field. At the end, you will want to pump your fist and cheer, the way I saw a cinema audience do for the recent Beckham piece. Also, some quite heart-piercing moments when Muldowney's ambition and drive and hard shell fall apart from love and betrayal. Beau Bridges loves his role as a boozy cynical scoundrel, and what fun singer Hoyt Axton must have had doing his thing. 1960 out on the Depot Road near Schenectady --- that's what it was like!

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Muldowney. A close friend's older brother was racing in the econo altered class at the local 1/4 mile strip. Muldowney and Garlits were the featured attractions. My friend's older brother was racing in the econo altered class and graciously gave me a pit pass. I immediately went to Muldowney's camp. We hit it off and she showed me what her mechanics were doing, which was tearing the whole damn rig apart and putting it back together. She literally took the time to explain every step to me in detail while simultaneously signing autographs. Class act.

This a pretty interesting based-on-a-true life-story of hot-rod racer Shirley Muldowney. Bonnie Bedalia plays the woman who was a pioneer of her sorts, becoming the first female star in the sport. Whether her life was one big soap opera, I don't know, but the movie concentrates on that sort of thing....with a feminist bias, of course.

I didn't mid the latter because she had to fight a lot of obstacles to become the first female star of drag racing. However, the constant arguments with her husband (a very profane Leo Rossi) and then with crew chief-former lover Connie Kallitta (Beau Bridges) wore thin after awhile. This was just before the PG-13 rating was put into effect, so it's rated PG which is ludicrous with all the profanity.

One very, very memorable scene in here: Muldowney on fire, stumbling down the racetrack after her car caught on fire. That was horrifying and a scene I've never forgotten, and I first saw this almost 20 years ago. Other that that, it's a so-so story and better than so-so if you don't let the language bother you.

The last thing that interests me is auto racing, so when this popped up on the TV channel I was watching, I figured I'd turn it off as soon as I was sure the opening credits promised nothing intriguing. I was drawn into the movie immediately, though, and it held me all the way through. I still don't care about auto racing, but... shh... the movie is really about people.

This was another HBO-fodder summer movie that I would catch either after school or on the weekend. I don't remember too much about it other than it was exceptionally well shot, had some A-list talent in the cast, and it reminded me of my time at the local raceway.

It's a bit of a slow movie, some drama that may or may not have taken liberty with Shirley Muldowney's real story, and overall a bit of a sleeper of a film. I don't recall it getting a lot of promotion on TV before it hit cable, and to be honest I don't recall it ever playing in the local theatres. But it was a decent enough movie to see once or twice.

The 60s and 70s was a time when the women's movement was trying to re-assert female participation in what had become largely a male only world. The film shows some of the sexist barriers she faced, and her interpersonal struggles with her own crew and competition.

I can't say I was a big drag racing fan, and I didn't know too much about her until I saw the movie. The film helped bring her to the fore front for a brief amount of time to non-drag racers (though you did hear about her on occasion on the radio).

The film itself has that mid-range budget feel. It's a bit raw, but still has a good professional gloss to it.

Check it out.