The World's Fastest Indian

Seeing the movie "The World's Fastest Indian" reminded me why I go see movies. I average about one every two weeks, and this was one of those rare movies that actually made me feel *happy* afterward.

The main character, New Zealander Bill Munroe as played by Anthony Hopkins, is a true man's man. He has spent his entire adult life tinkering with his streamlined motorcycle, a 1920 Indian (hence the title.) Now in his 60's in the year 1963, he wants to realize his life's dream of taking it halfway around the world to the Bonneville Salt Flats Test Track in Utah, the only place where he can find out how fast it will actually go.

The movie pulls off two often-used themes, The Long Journey and Overcoming Adversity, without a hint of phoniness or melodrama. The Long Journey from New Zealand to Utah takes up most of the movie, with Munroe scrounging up travel money, working off part of his passage on a dilapidated freighter, and the long, event-filled drive from the California coast to Utah in an old used car. Overcoming Adversity is portrayed in two ways: by Munroe's awesome mechanical genius as shown by his ability to fashion spare parts out of almost anything and to improvise a la MacGyver, and in his charm and likability when confronted with more human obstacles. Indeed, one of the movie's chief strengths was the character's ability to make friends easily under any situation, with a cast of colorful supporting characters who wonderfully complemented Hopkins' acting.

After finally reaching the test track, the movie's focus shifts from the acting to the cinematography and drama. The dozens of colorful cars, motorcycles, and drivers' outfits contrast strikingly with the blinding white of the salt flats and the mountainous backdrop. And when Munroe finally gets the chance to make his test run, two questions come to mind. How fast can he go? More importantly, will the 64-year-old man and the 43-year-old patched-up bike hold together under the strain?

After seeing the movie and while still in my euphoric state, my skeptical mind wondered how much of it was actually true. I did a little research, and the portrayal of this amazing man seems to be true enough. Go see this movie; if you do, you'll leave the theater feeling good, and perhaps even a little inspired.

I took a look at this film with a slightly wary eye, the title being rather ambiguous and misleading initially. I almost passed it by to watch one of the many screener DVD's I had to view. for possible inclusion in the BAFTA awards. I presumed it was about a runner or maybe an Indian astronaut, possibly. I had no idea initially the "Indian" referred to a great American motorcycle,rather than a particular type of human.I am so glad I wasn't thrown by the title, and started watching. There unfolded a most delightful story about Bert, an instantly rather charming eccentric old character (superbly played by Anthony Hopkins), who built an old 1920's motorcycle in his garden shed. He then attempts to break the world-land speed record on a machine designed to originally travel about 90mph. The plot develops into a most charming and beautiful story of Bert's determination to get to the race event and the journey is as much of the story as the event itself. Obviously I shall not divulge the result or the events that happen, suffice it to say that Bert becomes an instantly likable character by everyone he meets. Bert's charm shines through and he takes everyone he meets at face value and welcomes all with a smile and a shake of the hand. He meets various "characters" along the way who he befriends like long-lost friends,which is a fresh in these days of prejudice and alienation. This was a very innocent time in 1967 for a New Zealander going to America, and there is one of the films most delightful and charming moments when Bert realises all is not quite what it seems when he meets one certain character......... MAKE SURE YOU SEE THIS FILM, it will have you laughing, crying and will uplift you, which is quite uncommon in these days in the movies of blood, killing, violence and savagery. I would be very surprised if Anthony is not at least nominated for his starring role as Bert. Lovely film which needs a different title to me, but then again "it does what it says on the tin", as they say. Go and see it. Great

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer/Director Roger Donaldson has been very prolific in his Hollywood career creating mostly slick, ho-hum projects such as "The Recruit", "Thirteen Days", "Dante's Peak" and "Cocktail". Although there is a touch of sap in this one, Donaldson turns on the charm for the fascinating tale of Burt Munro, the New Zealander who shocked the world with his speed records in the 1960's.

Playing a bit like a motorized "Hidalgo", the film captures your heart and imagination thanks in large part to the amazing journey of this spirited man and the terrific performance of Sir Anthony Hopkins. Making his way half way around the world with almost no money to his name, Munro realizes a life long dream of running his hand-built 1920 Indian "motor-sickle" at the Salt Flats of Bonneville in Utah. his journey and openness introduce him to so many people along the way. His warm heart and courage just will these folks to help him out. Everyone wants ol' Burt to make it.

While you may think to yourself this is just a light-hearted Hollywood feel-good film, just remember the man and the story are real. Donaldson and Hopkins worked together over 20 years ago in "The Bounty" and have another very interesting project under way now with "Papa" - a biopic on Ernest Hemingway. Three supporting performances really stand out: Diane Ladd, (comedian) Paul Rodriguez and Christopher Lawford (Peter's son) as Jim Moffit. Donaldson, in a nice touch, also spreads in a few appearances of the guys from the high speed world.

This is one you can take the family to and almost everyone will enjoy the story, journey and spirit of Burt Munro. And believe me when I say, you will never look at Lemon trees the same again!!

It's a good thing I took my wife, because as all men know the only way not to cry is to look over at your wife/girlfriend and make fun of them for crying.

Seriously, I am a motorcycle aficionado but I truly think this movie transcends that. It's not a "guy's film" at all but a serious look at the life of a man that was average by his own reckoning - by ours he's a hero. When you find yourself looking at that and saying "I would have quit" and it was only the beginning of the movie, well, that's some tough stock Burt Munro came from.

And it's not tedious, not an uphill struggle all the way against insurmountable odds, none of those clichés. It's a great movie about a real guy and I can't imagine someone watching it and not being entertained, moved, and frankly, impressed.

Anthony Hopkins is simply astounding. The man can disappear inside of characters so diverse and capture you so completely, that you have to wonder if his well of talent has a bottom.

This film is at turns charming, bawdy, fascinating, riveting, nerve wracking, hilarious, heartwarming and heartbreaking. As Burt Munro -- an aging New Zealand man losing his hearing, short on money, living in a shed surrounded by weeds, considered a lovable if eccentric oddball by all who know him except one small boy, and obsessed with making a 45 year old motorcycle capable of breaking the land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats -- Hopkins takes us along for the ride every minute of this movie. The fact that this film is based on the true story of Burt Munro makes it all the more captivating, but a lesser actor than Hopkins might very well have lost us along the way. It is no wonder that the children of the real-life Burt Munro were moved to tears by Hopkins' portrayal.

There's a clever ongoing bit about the taste of Burt's hot tea, and you will also wonder a bit about how his lemonade might taste. Every scene is a jewel in this movie, and the cumulative effect proves that extraordinary films do not have to cost bazillions of dollars and take two years of computer-generated special effects to WOW their audience.

Burt is challenged by every imaginable obstacle standing between him and his speed dream: his failing heart may give out any minute, the journey around the world to transport the 1920 Indian motorcycle to the USA seems insurmountable, he has no machine shop or whiz-bang tools and equipment to work his engineering miracles, etc. What he DOES have is an indomitable spirit that will never, ever stop trying. Whether he's battling young ruffians who diss his ancient motorcycle or banking, bureaucrats and red tape, he is a wrinkled but worthy warrior.

The supporting cast is as beautiful and bizarre as it gets, and the audience becomes inordinately fond and just about every one of them except for a nasty foreign cabdriver (Carlos Lacamara), but hey, somebody had to be disliked. Great actors in small roles abound, including Diane Ladd as Ada, a frontier gal that's been lonely a while, Saginaw Grant as Jake, an "Indian" with a really distasteful solution to Burt's prostate problems, and Paul Rodriguez as Fernando, a human and humane used car salesman. Perhaps the best scene -- and heart -- stealer is Chris Williams as Tina, a cross-dressing front desk night clerk at a fleabag hooker hotel. You gotta love him. Or her, as the case may be. Stellar performance, and Hopkins' Burt treats Tina with such dignity it defines friendship.

Don't miss this fine, fine film. And if there is justice in the boffo box office world, The World's Fastest Indian will be a true Oscar contender in 2006.