Dragster: vivere a 300 all'ora

A gem. Pretty much ignored when it came out, because the industry tried to push it as a "hot rod movie" which it is not. Bonnie Bedelia gives a brilliant performance (apparently race folks who knew Muldowney believed she appeared as herself in a couple of scenes!). Film and TV seldom succeed in portraying auto racing; but that doesn't matter here because it doesn't pretend to. The movie has the same spirit as BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM; a young woman facing down family and society in order to fight and win in her chosen field. At the end, you will want to pump your fist and cheer, the way I saw a cinema audience do for the recent Beckham piece. Also, some quite heart-piercing moments when Muldowney's ambition and drive and hard shell fall apart from love and betrayal. Beau Bridges loves his role as a boozy cynical scoundrel, and what fun singer Hoyt Axton must have had doing his thing. 1960 out on the Depot Road near Schenectady --- that's what it was like!

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.

I have been a Shirley Muldowney fan forever and this is a wonderful movie. It is very accurate and the actor's portrayals are great. If you have ever been around the races and pits, you will realize that it is right on. I have forced many of my non-racing fan and non-Shirley fan friends to watch this movie and the majority of them all thought that it was a great movie and most say they would watch again.

For those of you that don't like racing, or have never heard of Shirley Muldowney, it is a great movie to show the struggle that women had/have fitting in to the so called "man's world." The fact that it is set in an overwhelmingly male field makes it even more interesting. As stated above, I have been a fan of Shirley's for years, and I have always stated that she is my idol. Everyone laughs when I say this, but I have always come away with - if Shirley managed to make it in drag racing, I can make it in (fill in the blank). Great movie.

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.

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.