Heart Like a Wheel

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.

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.

Bonnie Bedelia got her career role in this biographical study of Shirley Ann Muldowney aka Cha Cha who became the first female drag racing champion. She cracked a lot of glass ceilings and this film is particularly good viewing as another woman is poised to crack the biggest glass ceiling of them all this year.

There were a lot of heartaches on the way for Muldowney, the break up of her marriage where her husband Leo Rossi felt relegated to the sidelines in his role reversal as her mechanic. There was also an affair with another drag racing champion played by Beau Bridges.

Bedelia is just wonderful in a role where she gradually ages almost 20 years and she's convincing at all stages of her life. She gets good support from her supporting cast. Special mention should go out to Leo Rossi who has a complex role as the husband who is never made a stereotypical alpha male. No trace of a Donald Trump like character is found in his performance. Also country singer Hoyt Axton does well as Bedelia's father.

I think more than drag racing fans will like Heart Like A Wheel which got an Oscar nomination for costume design.

This is one of those rare performances in which you fall in love with the actress. Bonnie Bedelia was apparently nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress for her performance as Shirley Muldowney - she should have won an Oscar.

Whether or not you care anything about drag racing - I don't - this is just as much a movie about an unusual, sweet but driven, woman through two decades. It's really tops.

The only criticism I have is that the movie lets the character off rather lightly for abandoning her husband and child after a fight over whether she should be gone from home throughout the year. The truth is that it must be terribly difficult for someone not in the industry to keep a marriage going - including parenthood of a 12 year old - with someone who wants to be gone throughout the year and throughout the country. At one point, Beau Bridges accuses her of abandoning her husband due to ambition - and I suspect there may be more in the accusation than the movie allows the viewer to believe (since Beau Bridges at that point is behaving pretty awfully).

Still, Bonnie Bedelia is so charming, sweet, pretty, winning in every way - that the viewer does nothing but cheer her success.

This is very enjoyable.