In corsa con il sole

I do have to admit that the only reason I rented Race the Sun was because Sara Tanaka( Margaret Yang from "Rushmore")was in it. Rushmore is one of my favorite movies, but I especially think that Sara Tanaka was good in it. Well anyway, back to the review, I heard quite a lot of negative things about the movies, but I decided to check it out anyway. I was quite surprised. The story about a group of poor students from Hawaii competing in a solar-car race in Australia was well-acted, interesting, and fun. I was kind of disappointed that Sara Tanaka wasn't given enough screentime, but it was still quite an entertaining movie, and Sara Tanaka gave another good performance.

For curious movie buffs, "Race the Sun" is a blend of "Breaking Away", "Walkabout", and "Summer School"; making it quite unique and considerably better than its rating. It's neither ambitious nor technically brilliant; in fact the cinematography somehow manages to NOT capture the inherent scenic beauty of a series of Hawaiian and Australian locations. But the casting and directing are solid and the story has so much charm that you don't mind it being corny and predictable.

Halle Berry and James Belushi play teachers at a Hawaiian technical high school who reluctantly sponsor a team of students building a solar-powered car. "Race the Sun" was inspired by a group of Hawaiian students who actually entered the World Solar Challenge in 1980. The film would have been better if the cartoonish corporate villain had been replaced by some actual scientific explanations and a bit of background on the race itself. Speaking of cartoons, the solar cars look like something out of "Wacky Races" but there is no sign of Penelope Pitstop in this entertaining race.

The school is in Hawaii, which makes for some interesting cultural details (as does the race's Austrialian setting), but for viewer identification purposes the settings could be anywhere.

Thankfully the film avoids a couple of obvious traps. Berry and Belushi end up liking and respecting each other but there are no obligatory romantic sparks between them. Likewise for Casey Affleck and Elisha Dushku-who plays his step-sister.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

OK, not the greatest movie in the world, and the outcome is fairly predictable, but it was another opportunity to see Halle Berry, and I cannot pass that up. Besides that, I am trying to get my teaching certificate, so I watch teacher movies, no matter how silly.

I understand that it is also based upon a true story.

In addition, it also featured Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Tru Calling), Casey Affleck (brother of Ben), and James Belushi.

It wasn't memorable, but it was cute and not a total waste of time. Also, it was written by Barry Morrow, a member of the Association of Retarded Citizens, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Austism Society of America - a lifelong advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. That puts him solidly in my camp as I am also a member of NASW and work with the developmentally disabled. Morrow won an Oscar for writing Rain Man.

The funnest line in the movie I think is when Steve Zahn says There is a God, then... Well to me it's not really predictable and many times I thought that's yes something new happens, so it never ran out of surprise. I had fun watching it. And my, Gilbert's character is such a whooly-wooly.(meaning, herlarious)

Would have liked it better without the added predictable formula add-ins. Loosely based on the Konawaena high school team. In 1989, the High School formed a team of students, faculty and community advisers. Using a grant from the State of Hawaii, the team built a final vehicle that won a three and a half day state race against five other schools. As a result of the victory, the State of Hawaii funded the team for the 1990 World Solar Challenge, a 2000 mile race from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia. The team placed 18th overall winning the World Champion high school division. The first high school to officially finish the World Solar Challenge. I give it a 5 only because they added enough non-factual elements to make many viewers unaware of the true story behind it.