eli@uw-june (Eli Messinger) (08/12/83)
I don't think this film is in general release yet -- and might never be. My understanding is that it is being given a test run here in Seattle (at the Varsity Theater on University Way for those in the area). Apparently some folks from the Seattle International Film Festival convinced 20th Century Fox to test it here before shelving it. If all goes well here it should see general release. "Heart Like a Wheel" is the story of drag-racing phenominon Shirley 'Cha-Cha' Muldowney. About half-way through the film I realized that that name had been etched into my brain by countless "40 Nitro Burning Funny Car" adds... ie. it's a true story. Originally this film tested in Indianapollis, where it was billed as a drag-queen story. Unfortunately for the film the auto-racing aspects of the plot are not all that pertinent, and the showing bombed. This is a story of a very talented and strong woman, pushing to be allowed to escape traditional 1950's-60's stereotypes and enter a pro- fession that was basically a male's haven. It also concerns the rel- ationships with the four men in her life, and how her struggles affect her abilities to deal with them and them with her. The casting is quite good, as is the script and photography. They've managed to put in just enough Drag footage to give you the feel of the track without putting in so much that you feel greasy. Simlarly, and this is something I don't remember seeing too often, the few fight sequences are amazingly realistic -- two or three punches for each par- ticipant before they are either unable or unwilling to fight anymore. (How many times have you seen someone cracked on the head with a crowbar seven or eight times and still move?) I don't want to say too much -- in hopes that the film will see general release. I'm thankful for films like "Norma Rae" that have paved the way for acceptance of this genre (if you could call it that yet). Who would have thought ten years ago that a film about a lower-middle-class female's desires and needs to break the sacred wife-mother model would ever be produced? If it comes to your town SEE IT! (And if you're in the Seattle are go see it at the Varsity ASAP... 20th Century Fox is watching) ... uw-june!eli
emma@uw-june (Joe Pfeiffer) (08/29/83)
This is the biography of Shirley Muldowney, who is arguably the best top fuel drag racer in the history of the sport. The film is being given a test release in the Seattle area, and may later be given national release; I'm reviewing it so you can get it on your lists for when it gets to you. I was a bit nervous about seeing this one, having visions of "Norma Rae Goes Racing" or something. It is easy to see how a film like this can become a Good Woman Overcomes Evil Stereotypes sort of film; I'm very pleased to say this is not the case. The film does a lot to explore a person with a very single-minded pursuit of her goals -- a set of goals that not many people in our society seem to understand. Along the way, she sacrifices her marriage and very nearly her life, but in view of the character which has been established this is seen as inevitable. Though very good, the film is not perfect. It seems to emphasize her success as a woman at the expense both of other women's success and her success itself. So far as you can tell from the film, she is the only woman ever to drive a drag racer; people like Paula Murphy (who drove for a Studebaker factory team in 1964 and was the first woman to hold an NHRA top fule license) and Shirley Shahan (the Drag-On Lady, who was the first woman to win a major NHRA elimination in 1965) were ignored. About the only measure of Muldowney's success you get from the film is that she has been Top Fuel points champion three times and is the only person to get it more than once; you don't hear that she has made more runs over 200 mph and more runs under 6 seconds than anyone in the history of the sport. I give it 4 stars out of 5. -Joe P.
Hankins.PA@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (10/11/83)
Just saw this. It sounded pretty awful to me (was compared to Coal Miner's Daughter) But it was actually an interesting film and it worked real well. It covers the racing career of Shirley Muldowny, the first female top-fuel race car driver and first woman to win the World Championship. The film covers how she got interested in racing, what it did to her family life and, of course, it has some racing scenes. There is not much of the racing tho' as the story mostly concentrates on how her racing affects her life.