Greased Lightning

This movie showed the life of one mans adversity in a sport that he loved but not always loved him back. I had the great pleasure of meeting Wendell Scott at a car show in the 80's. He was a very kind hearted man that loved to meet and greet people. I have this movie on tape so that I can show my son when he grows up. It is a great story that every man of any race should see.

I was going to rate this movie a 5/10 or lower based upon the start. It was so absurd.

Wendell Scott (Richard Pryor) was a moonshiner steadily running from the law. He was so good he would always get away from the local sheriff in Danville, Virginia. He was able to parlay his moonshining into NASCAR racing.

That's not the absurd part. What was absurd was that the police knew who he was, knew he was running liquor, yet, for whatever reason, they had to catch him in the act to arrest him. If they couldn't catch him in his car with the booze then they would have to let him go. It was like watching Dukes of Hazard.

But, because the way the movie wrapped up and, more importantly, because Wendell Scott was a real person--I couldn't give it a bad rating in good faith. Pryor, however ill-suited for the role, represented a real black man that really won in NASCAR in the 60's. That's powerful. So, even if the movie was overly dramatized, I have to respect them bringing Wendell Scott to the public.

Richard Pryor shows his versatility, in this story of a black moonshine runner who forces his way into the white-dominated professional racing circuit. I'm not sure how historically accurate it is, but the film drew me into the story, right off the bat. When they establish Pryor's character as a WWII veteran, that automatically buys some sympathy, and it's not hard to guess how hard it would have been for a black man to make his mark in the white-dominated south, let alone the white-ultra-dominated auto racing field. This particular aspect of racing, I think, still shows today in the incredibly-low percentage of black drivers in the major leagues of auto racing. I know it's not because African-Americans can't build or drive cars - I believe it's still because of the redneck image of pro stock-car racing.

Anyway, off my soapbox. This is a great movie. Pryor is very believable and turns in a fine performance as the protagonist. It's also great to see how the small local drivers started to build up the sport into the massive, ugly organization that is is, today. The film also kept my interest by showing the NASCAR races, year after year, showing their evolution and devolution.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, front to back - of course, I'm kind of tilted towards car films. But the way the actors played out their characters in this film made them very human. I recommend this to any open-minded NASCAR fan. This'll show you where it came from.

Wendell Scott (Richard Pryor) returns home from WWII. He marries Mary Jones (Pam Grier) and starts a taxi service. Eager for action, he joins Peewee (Cleavon Little) on moonshine runs with the excuse of needing money to buy a garage. They outwit and outpace the bumbling police under Sheriff Cotton (Vincent Gardenia). When he finally gets caught, the local race track owner forces him to race to get out of jail. He becomes popular with the black crowds as the first black racer. Hutch (Beau Bridges) is first a rival driver, then a friendly competitor, and finally his mechanic in NASCAR.

This is a biopic loosely based on his life. I remember something about the race he won but was denied at first. Otherwise, I have nothing to say about the accuracy. There are characters that feel a little stereotypical. Bridges is trying too hard. I like Pryor's performance for the most part but he can never be not Pryor. The racing action is fine but it's not the most thrilling. This is compelling history and it has a great actor stretching his skills.

This movie showed that. Nothing can hold you down. Not even color. Wendell Scott showed what a person can do. When the backs and prejudiced are up against the wall. I'm so proud of him I dont know what to do. I can view this movie over and over again.