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Days of Thunder
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Days of Thunder is an auto racing drama film released in 1990 by producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances by real life racers, such as Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson.
ays of Thunder revolved around a talented, hot-shot auto racing rookie, (#46 and 51) Cole Trickle (Cruise), who, after trying his hand in the American open wheel ranks, seeks to win on the NASCAR circuit.
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Encyclopedia
Days of Thunder is an auto racing drama film released in 1990 by producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances by real life racers, such as Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson.
Plot
Days of Thunder revolved around a talented, hot-shot auto racing rookie, (#46 and 51) Cole Trickle (Cruise), who, after trying his hand in the American open wheel ranks, seeks to win on the NASCAR circuit. His mechanic mentor, Harry Hogge (Duvall), acts as his crew chief. He also develops a romantic relationship with Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman), a young brain surgeon who tries to tame him.
Lo and behold, just when he thought it was safe and easy to get back into a race car and drive, an arrogant and dangerous newcomer by the name of Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes) doesn't make it easy on him, picking on him because he knows he can get away with it. Wheeler not only substitute-drove Trickle's Pink Superflo car while Cole was in the hospital, but now he is teammates with Cole under the selfish, bullheaded leadership of car owner Tim Daland (Randy Quaid). Cole slowly tolerates Russ's arrogance until, after a race in which Russ cheats to win the Checkered Flag, Cole has his tires changed, and violently rams Wheeler from the side after the race, a response to their growing rivalry.
Meanwhile, Cole's relationship with "Rowdy" Burns (Michael Rooker) goes on a completely different course. In their first encounter, Cole, using Rowdy's car, impresses everyone by doing a test lap alone that was clocked as being "under Rowdy's time." This does not sit well with Rowdy, who "hazes" Cole during the rookie driver's first few races. However, once Cole gets his confidence, and, under Harry's mentorship, wins some races, he begins to haze Rowdy back, much to the anger of the veteran driver. During one particular race, both drivers are injured, which begins the bonding process the duo go through. When forced to attend dinner with other higher ups of NASCAR and with one another, Cole and Rowdy instead race one another in separate cars to the restaurant, venting their frustrations. From there, Cole and Rowdy begin to bond as close friends, with Cole and Claire going with Rowdy and his wife to their home and seeing their future property. Later, when Rowdy begins to show signs of a medical problem, it is Cole he finally opens up to. Cole, in turn, is the one who convinces him to see a doctor, and when Rowdy is diagnosed as unable to race, it is Cole he asks to race in his place.
The plot was very loosely based on some real-life NASCAR personalities: Robert Duvall's character was based on crew chief Harry Hyde, Cruise's on Tim Richmond, and Randy Quaid's on a composite of several owners, one of whom was Rick Hendrick. Some critics speculate, if not the producers themselves, that Rowdy Burns' part is reflective of Dale Earnhardt (Not yet proven, but the black car, cockyness, and the aggressiveness says it all) and Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes) of Rusty Wallace. Hendrick also provided the movie cars, driven by then-NASCAR drivers Greg Sacks, Tommy Ellis, Bobby Hamilton, and Hut Stricklin, with Hamilton making his Cup debut at Phoenix in 1989 in a movie car. Although this was not acknowledged by the film publicly this was obvious to fans from many coincidences between the film and well known events.
The film was released in the USA on 27 June 1990, and in Europe on 11 August 1990.
Reception
The movie received middling reviews from critics who mostly shrugged off the sometimes over-the-top special effects and plot in many ways resembling the earlier Bruckheimer, Simpson, Scott and Cruise vehicle, Top Gun (some calling it "Top Gun on wheels" or "Top Gun in Race Cars!"), which had been a huge success four years earlier.
An early working title for the movie actually was Top Run. Some NASCAR aficionados also took offense at the overuse and exaggeration of the "rubbing" (bumping) action of NASCAR, featuring maneuvers between cars that were uncommon and dangerous, especially for the period of time in NASCAR history the movie depicted. This included a scene where Cole, after having been knocked out of a race at the very end by an opponent, instructed his pit crew to replace his flattened tires, proceeding to run out on the track and smash his car into the victorious rival who knocked him out of the race.
Kidman's casting as a brain surgeon was also panned by some critics; they considered that the actress, who was 23 at the time, was too young to play the role of a surgeon, which typically requires many years of training. Her portrayal was also criticized for depicting a brain trauma surgeon riding on a motorcycle without a helmet.
Music
The score for Days of Thunder was composed by Hans Zimmer; Jeff Beck made a guest appearance on guitar. A score album was never released, although a bootleg was later available However, the track "The Last Note of Freedom" on the soundtrack was co-written by Zimmer and Billy Idol. A soundtrack album was released in 1990 by Geffen. Maria McKee's Show Me Heaven was released as a single alongside the movie. The album is also notable for the inclusion of Guns N' Roses' cover of Bob Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door, a year before the song was released on the 1991 album Use Your Illusion II. The soundtrack included also Trail Of Broken Heart a song performed by Cher. The song was released on the single Love And Understanding and belongs to the recording sessions of her 1991 album "Love Hurts".
Soundtrack track listing
- "The Last Note of Freedom" - David Coverdale
- "Deal for Life" - John Waite
- "Break Through the Barrier" - Tina Turner
- "Hearts in Trouble" - Chicago
- "Trail of Broken Hearts" - Cher
- "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - Guns N' Roses
- "Gimme Some Lovin'" - The Spencer Davis Group
- "Show Me Heaven" - Maria McKee
- "Thunderbox" - Apollo Smile
- "Love Live the Night" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
- "Gimme Some Lovin'" - Terry Reid
Trivia
- Kelly McGillis (who had appeared alongside Cruise in Top Gun four years earlier) turned down Kidman's role.
- Kyle Busch has paid tribute to Bobby Hamilton, whose Cup career rose with the movie as a stunt driver, in the Rowdy Burns #51 Exxon car. The idea came as a result of Hamilton's fight against neck cancer in 2006, a fight he would eventually lose in January 2007 with his death to the disease. Busch currently races a Craftsman Truck for Billy Ballew Motorsports, truck #51, and painted similarly to the Rowdy Burns car from the movie, winning several races in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons). Busch even has "Rowdy Busch" painted over the driver's side door where his name would normally be. He also used the paint scheme and name while touring the United States in his late model team that he started in 2007. The original Rowdy Burns Exxon #51 from the movie was used by Bobby Hamilton in his Cup debut in 1989 at Phoenix. At the May 16, 2008 truck race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Busch added to the Hamilton tribute by wearing a helmet similar to the one worn by Michael Rooker in the movie (and by Hamilton in stunt driving, since he drove the car in racing scenes), complete with "Rowdy Burns" on the front and Exxon on the top, although it was a full-face helmet. (NASCAR currently requires full-face helmets on drivers, a rule that was not in play in 1989.)
- Hardee's restaurants as well as Matchbox and Racing Champions distributed 1:64-scale die-cast cars from the movie to the public at Hardee's, Exxon stations, most malls, and some small stores. Many of these cars can be found still on eBay and in local novelty collectible stores.
- Many shots of in-movie races both at the two Daytona 500's and the July Firecracker 400 were taken from the actual 1990 Daytona 500.
- When Cole is first introduced to Jenny, the wife of competitor Rowdy Burns, she says "Hi Tom".
- All of the character's cars in the movie were built by Hendrick Motorsports.
- Monogram produced the #18 Hardee's, #46 City Chevrolet, #51 Mello Yello Chevrolet Luminas has 1:24th scale model kits, the decals for the #46 Superflo Oil and #51 Exxon can be found in the aftermarket.
- Cole's Superflo Oil Chevy appears in the 2007 film Redline. However, its number is 66, and it is blue instead of pink.
- One of the City Chevrolet sponsored cars from the movie was an actual Winston Cup car owned by Rick Hendrick and driven by Tim Richmond, upon whom the character of Cole Trickle was based. The car has since been re-re-skinned to its original appearance, and is on display at the Hendrick Motorsports Museum in Charlotte.
- Another movie car driven by Tom Cruise in close-ups is on display at the real City Chevrolet dealership in Charlotte, which is owned by Rick Hendrick's family.
- Some scenes are adopted in Pixarīs Cars.
- Kings Dominion, an amusement park in Doswell, Virginia had a Days of Thunder themed ride for many years. They still have a replica of the #51 Mello Yello Chevy parked at the Eifel Tower near the entrance. Canada's Wonderland and Carowinds, formally Paramount amusement parks had a Days of Thunder motiona theater for many years. The ride still exists though the park has changed several times and no longer has any racing themes.
- Indian Film Ta Ra Rum Pum, which was filmed at the Milwaukee Mile and Rockingham Speedway, was inspired by Days of Thunder.
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