Madison

I just saw this film at Sundance 2001.

A feel good movie that's honest. The treatment is respectful and moving. The acting is very good, production value is very good. Good casting. It really captures the essence of the struggles of life along the Ohio in the middle of the 20th Century.

I look forward to seeing it again during the theatrical release.

This turned out to be a "sleeper," a good film that few people have heard of, I suspect, outside of Madison, Indiana. Being in an area that used to host hydroplane races, it intrigued me. I also usually enjoy movies that star Jim Caviezel.

Mainly, this was a nice film with a feel-good David vs. Goliath story based on a real-life occurrence back in 1971. It involves the sport of hydroplane racing, meaning extremely fast boats raced in different bodies of water around the USA. A town nearby where I live used to have these, but I haven't heard of them in decades.

Anyway, this story takes place in a small Indiana town that was on the skids by 1970 but plants closing all the time and people moving elsewhere. The hopes of its boat, "Miss Madison" also seem to be about lost until, as fate would have it, the town is awarded the opportunity to host the "Gold Cup," the biggest event of the sport.

A string of failures, followed by new disasters, include the death of the pilot, near-death of another one and the boat being just about totaled in the process. How the town - led by former racer "Jim McCormick" (Caviezel) - can raise the money to resurrect the town, the boat and the driver himself, are all shown here. McCormick not only has to pull off several miracles but also try to win the support of his wife and son, who have had their fill of disappointments with this sport.

The film winds up being a sports movie and a drama about a family, a team of workers and an entire small town trying to pull together and beat tremendous odds. I have to use two clichés here: it's a heartwarming story and, yes, it's a good family movie. You don't have to worry about offensive material. It reminds me, in spots, of a made-for-TV movie. It kind of plays old-fashioned corny but in a way that makes you glad you watched it.

I have lived in and around Madison for 47 years. In the movie the voice over says that the Miss Madison had not won a race since 1973. Well that all changed in 2001 (30 years after the movie was set) when the Miss Madison won the Gold Cup in front of the hometown crowd a second time.

In that race Steve David brought the Miss Madison to the win in his first appearance in our hometown. He has since stayed with the team and they are showing quite respectfully.

The sport has meant a lot to the town but unfortunately the fan basis seems to have tapered off. As a youngster I remember the river bank being filled like it was portrayed in the movie. I hope this movie helps breath some life into both the sport for the Miss Madison and the town of Madison.

I was waiting to see this movie since I heard about it, in Madison. I was a bit disappointed at how hokey it is, but at lease I can enjoy the scenery. You sure get to know the 421 bridge *G* and I loved seeing those riverfront scenes because I've been there many times.

I am in Madison on the first week of April most years, for a hot pepper festival at the Thomas Family Winery. I love these old Ohio River towns.

In the lodge at Clifty Falls State Park (on the west edge of town), they have another Miss Madison on display, a much smaller boat, I think from the 1940s or 1950s, with a Crosley engine.

Oh, one other thing - when the father and son go into the cavern, that's an unfinished railroad tunnel in the Clifty park, you can walk through it. Bring a lantern, you'll look funny walking the trail with it in the daytime, but it will be handy in the tunnel...

My twin nieces, Haley and Hunter Reed, were in the movie Madison. They weren't even a year old (now they are 3) when they shared the part of Jim and Bonnie McCormick's baby daughter! Our family was lucky enough to see the film in Indianapolis in October of 2001 during the Heartland Film festival. They have a lot of scenes in the movie that I didn't expect to be there. A heart wrenching scene where one of them is crying in the back seat of the car made it in...I just happened to be at the set the day they filmed the scene. It was hard to watch it that day too! They are my little movie stars in the making!

The movie was great! Jim Caviezel was amazing! I can't wait for it to be released so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be soon. I saw a portion of the movie before John Mellencamp did the narration and I think that he definitely added a lot to the film! It is great to have another movie that Indiana can be really proud of. I would rank it up there with Hoosiers and Breaking Away!