This film's atmosphere and mood that it provides are incredible. The small town feel, the chemistry between the group of actors, the incredible choice of actors, and the amazing writing will forever hold a place in my heart. I watched this film around the time it came out, and I was only 9-10 years old. Despite my age, I was able to recognize the various lessons and the entirety of the beautiful story.
This movie is not just about winning a race, but about winning at life. The character development is something that really stands out to me. In the beginning, the main character (B. C, portrayed by Cedric Sanders) and his best friend (Rudy, portrayed by Johnny Orsini) make their money in unconventional, and unsafe ways. They only racing they did was illegal, as most of B. C's fastest driving came from out-running the local police. They didn't have a sense of direction, and simply wanted to get out of the town. They thought that it was the small town that was preventing them from finding a sense of direction, stating how clearly they wanted to get out so they could do big things. They later realized that this wasn't the case, they just needed to be less closed-minded and open themselves up to new opportunities. They were holding themselves back.
The interactions between B. C and his mother (Winnie, portrayed by Sharon Washington) were extremely impactful. It's revealed that Winnie was hiding her financial troubles for roughly a year as she tried to support B. C's dreams. When her debt becomes too great, she speaks with B. C and apologizes that she couldn't give him more time to pursue his dream. I love the way that this movie showcases the extremes that mothers will go through in silence to support their children's dreams.
The interactions between B. C and Gramps (portrayed by Madison Arnold) were incredible. Gramps was the first one to sponsor B. C before he even raced. When B. C met Gramps at his first race, Gramps gave B. C an old collectible hat from his business, "Gramp's Wings". B. C was too close-minded and insecure to wear the hat, and he threw it away. Gramps noticed this and withdrew the sponsorship. B. C went to apologize and found out that Gramps was close with B. C's late father, and thats why Gramps sponsored B. C. Gramps ended up offering to be a silent investor if B. C wanted to open an auto shop, and even offered to provide B. C's late father's list of loyal customers. Madison Arnold did an outstanding job with this role.
As somebody with racing experience, it's usually hard to stay completely immerged in car-related films. This is because they usually use incorrect terminology, make unrealistic claims, or make the vehicle perform a way that isn't possible. This movie however, does not have any of those issues. All of the terminology used is accurate and correct. The part names they talk about are correct, and when somebody's shown working on something, they're actually doing something real. They bothered to take the cars apart a little bit to show them actually working on them, and I absolutely love that. That little bit of extra dedication really goes a long way.
Overall, there are too many positive things I can say about this film to fit into one review. This movie will forever be one of my top 5 favorite films of all time. I never forgot about this movie since I was a child. This movie taught me lessons about life that stuck with me and probably made me a better person. This movie contributed to the person that I am today in several ways, and it pains me that it didn't get the recognition that it deserves. I hope that one day this movie is found and clips circulate and maybe it's popularity will be regained. I wish I could shake the hands of everyone who worked on this film and personally thank them. This film will forever hold a dear place in my heart.
