Il diavolo del volante

Elroy Jackson Junior (Jeff Bridges) drives fast along the back roads of North Carolina delivering moonshine whiskey for his father (Art Lund). Their still explodes and father is sent to jail. Junior starts racing dirt tracks and demolition derby for small time operator Hackel (Ned Beatty) to raise money for his father's legal defense. He builds his own cars. His brother Wayne (Gary Busey) tries to get him a garage mechanic job and his mother is worried about safety. He meets sweet Georgia peach Marge (Valerie Perrine) working one of the races. The races get bigger and bigger.

This has a great sense of the backwoods world of racing. Bridges is terrific as a man waiting to explode. It's got good car sequences. It also has the great Jim Croce song "I Got a Name". The story needs a bit more drama. Junior needs to overcome something insurmountable. It all feels rather predetermined but it's compelling nevertheless.

This is one of my favorite gear head movies.Some really great footage of 311 Speedway and Hickory Speedway.In 1993 I visited 311 Speedway for my first time with a sprint car team to race there.I couldn't believe how I knew just about every inch of the property because of the Last American Hero movie.It was a great experience.This movie captures the vibe that was alive in the early 70's of muscle cars and the will to make it to Winston Cup Racing.It's a fantastic,laid back,country folk,style movie that builds to a dream ending dream!Sam Ard's #00 gets a lot of attention as well as Bobby Allison's #12 owned by Junior Johnson gets a lot of footage as well.Enjoy if you can.I have since 1973....

Jeff Bridges did a great job as Jr. Jackson(Johnson). It was after reading an old interview with Jr. Johnson and him referencing the movie that I sought it out to see. And I was not disappointed. Gary Busey also did a great job. From the moonshine runs, to the demolition derbies there was a lot of truth. To those who've never experienced the deep south and some of it's uniqueness, especially for the era, this was dead on. Here it is more than 30 years later and Nascar hasn't changed all that much. The grooming of drivers has, so movies like "The Last American Hero", help with the preservation of a simpler time and people. Yet the altruism in the seeking to gain another dollar still reigns today, some thirty years later. There aren't many movies you can say that about.

I watched this movie today on AMC and loved it. I don't know how well the film was received upon release, but in light of the current Hollywood narrative for action movies, Last American Hero deserves appreciation. It should definitely be considered an American classic.

The movie is a docu-drama based on the few years in the life of Junior Johnson, a famous stock car racer. A young Jeff Bridges brings the main character to life with a great performance, inspired and entertaining. The supporting cast is also excellent with Gary Busey as the brother and Valerie Perrine as the love interest.

All the elements of a great movie that time forgot: thrilling racing scenes, three-dimensional characters, humor, a complicated plot, and so on.. It's a shame that action movies today don't sacrifice some of the explosions, blood, and high-tech props for the type of entertainment and engrossment that Last American Hero delivers.

This movie is what any NASCAR fan should see.

From the simple fact that not every driver comes with a clean background. You have to do what it takes to live. With that in mind and not giving the story away Jeff Bridges character Junior Jackson does what it takes to make the money. And that of course but racing. From the lower circuits to the higher ones This is kind of a fast pace movie, but its kind of dry. For the viewer that can sit threw the slow times and watch a movie for how a movie should be (for the story) you will enjoy it.

A good underrated movie, and I recommend you see it.