Winning

Rating:
Summary: not top notch, nut still worth seeing
Review: This movie is often mentioned as a member of the great pantheon of classic race movies, and it does belong there but it is more of a bottom feeder compared to "Grand Prix" and certainly "Le Mans". It is not the quality of the race footage or the throughout great performances of Newman, Woodward, and a very junior Richard Thomas, impressive on his movie debut. It is more the script that is the problem, and the movie lacks crucial time in the beginning to develop the characters and their relationships. Robert Wagner is a weak link in this movie since he never establishes himself as the friend and rival of the Newman character Frank Capua, and the whole delivery of his part in the affair with Capua's wife is weak. Where "Le Mans" does very much with little words, this movie sometimes fails to establish the relationship drama in key scenes, yet is very touching at times.
The track drama on the other hand is captured flawlessly, and the viewer gets some very interesting impressions on how the Indy 500 were run in the late 60ies, just before the hayday of the snakepit. With the right level of expectation this is an enjoyable movie, and the quality of the DVD leaves nothing to desire.

Rating:
Summary: All around good racing movie
Review: Whether you are a racing Fanantic like me, or a person who likes a good basic story line this is one movie that fits the criteria. The footage of actual racing scenes from the golden era of the 1960s are priceless, if you know your racing, you can't help but admire those crazy SOBs who raced then, with a lot less safety measures incorporated then as it is in the sport today. And as far as story guidelines goe, who else fits the part of the typical, all-american (Dan Gurney type) racer than Paul Newman and his icy blue eyes. Joanne Woodward and Richard Thomas perform great as well to support the rest of the story. Yeah, the story line may be predictable to a degree, but the acting and the fact this movie was made without any foul language makes it a treasure in itself. It's only a shame that Dave Grusin's soundtrack isn't available, as it is a classic, like the ST from "A MAN and A WOMAN".