Today Is for the Championship

TV Movie
1980
PG
1h 50m

YOUR RATING

This propagandistic, race-car documentary is a vehicle for Werner Erhard (the founder of EST) to express his philosophy on motorized competition. Aphorisms and platitudes sprout up at every ... Read allThis propagandistic, race-car documentary is a vehicle for Werner Erhard (the founder of EST) to express his philosophy on motorized competition. Aphorisms and platitudes sprout up at every turn as the cars make their way around the track. Erhard and his group communicate in emot... Read allThis propagandistic, race-car documentary is a vehicle for Werner Erhard (the founder of EST) to express his philosophy on motorized competition. Aphorisms and platitudes sprout up at every turn as the cars make their way around the track. Erhard and his group communicate in emotional terms when they do not win, filling the time between races with their viewpoints on ... Read all

Director
- Dan E. Weisburd
Star
- Werner Erhard

See production info at IMDbPro

YOUR RATING

Director
- Dan E. Weisburd
Star
- Werner Erhard

1User review

See production info at IMDbPro

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Werner Erhard

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laurenceplatt2

Not Your "Business As Usual" Motor Racing Film

Contrary to what superficial glances may conclude, this extraordinary film isn't about motor racing. It actually has more for organizational theorists, business consultants, and team coaches than for motor racing enthusiasts.

Its focus on the United States Gold Cup motor racing circuit and Werner Erhard's dramatic success as a rookie race car driver in it in the late 1970s, is secondary. Of primary interest is the Breakthrough Racing research project which is what this film is really about.

The inquiry in this film is "What makes teams work?". A medium in which Werner Erhard has no natural skills (race car driving) was chosen so that, in the unfolding of the project, it could be noted and documented what it really takes to have a team come together in unfamiliar territory, and work regardless.

This film isn't your "business as usual" motor racing film. You may have to watch it twice - in case you miss the subtlety of what it's really about, the first time.

It's extraordinarily moving, completely "out there", and given its obvious inherent dangers, daring, courageous, and brave.

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Trivia
On the Criterion DVD and laserdisc edition of This Is Spinal Tap, Harry Shearer alleges that Peter Smokler was hired as that film's cinematographer because he had worked on Today Is for the Championship.