Madison

This is a heartwarming, true story with a great performance by Jim Caviezel. It puts the small town of Madison, Ind., an historic town along the Ohio River in its best light. However, this film's release has been delayed for a variety of reasons including the ongoing problems with the Premiere Marketing and Distribution Group, which was charged with promoting this fine movie. There are shades of Mayberry in the message of this movie. And, if you lived or been to Madison you'll love the wonderful scenery. It's well worth seeing. Bill Bindley does a fine job directing. However, if there are four or five good movies out there to see, this one probably wouldn't be at the top of list. I hope this movie comes out as currently scheduled at the end of January. The people of Madison deserve to see their hard work -- as well as the cast, crew and actors -- finally get the wide distribution it deserves. Sundance and the Heartland Film Festival acclaims are nice, but this movie is solid entertainment that the general public should have an opportunity to see.

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...

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.

Not yet, anyway. Motto: keep the smaller venues in play. Unapolegeticaly old fashioned and drenched heavily in the spray of cinematic clichés, this time capsule of a family drama clicks on all cylinders. I, however, might be a wee bit biased. I think I saw the Gold Cup Hydroplane Race depicted here on "Wide World of Sports," back in 1971. I was eight. It's one thing to recall the first moon landing, and another thing, entirely, to recall a long ago boat race in Indiana. I must be nuts. But it does create an odd, nostalgic feeling for me. The young boy, played by the kid from the new Star Wars films, emotes excitement well, but is lacking in conveying sorrow or remorse. He does, however, have a nifty Schwin bike: high handle bars, banana seat, and a sweet gear shift. Watching him peddle that two-wheeler through Madison, the Grass Roots blasting on the soundtrack, stirs memories from anyone who was around that boy's age, back then. Like me. The underdog "Miss Madison" team from the small, backwater village of Madison, a location the racing circuit wishes would gracefully fade away, somehow pulls it all together to compete in the big race. Along the watery way, the team suffers through a lack of funds for repairs, blown engines and the death of a skilled driver. It's all quite routine--but, ultimately, well done. The movie had the misfortune of spending four years on the studio's misfit shelf. Fitting. It's better than that. So crank up the air conditioner full blast and enjoy the final blow out.

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!