This movie played a few days ago on one of the old movie channels (Fox Movie Classics I believe). I had seen it a few years ago, but hadn't remembered much about it. It's not one of those movies that has much memorable about it.
I felt the story had the potential to go places, but the acting was just not up to carrying it. I was disappointed in Kenny Rogers' performance (he should stick to singing). The kids were mostly blah, with the exception of "Breezy/Heather". But I also felt "Doc" and "Swifty" did a decent job.
My son (who is almost 6) enjoyed watching this. He likes car racing, which was I'm sure his major attraction. And I enjoyed it for the most part too (it is a cute story). Some parents might not care for the boy (Swifty) cussing. He uses such words as "schit", "bastard", "damn", "hell", but never the "F" word.
SPOILER...
Brewster Baker (K.Rogers) is a down-on-his-luck race car driver. He is passing through a small Texas town and stops to fuel. During the stop, six kids strip his car. Brewster later chases down the culprits, rescues one from the river, and learns they are orphans. He also discovers that the local sheriff is in on their criminal enterprise. (The sheriff and his cohort deputy remind me a lot of Boss Hogg & Co. from Dukes of Hazard).
Brewster is thrown in gaol but one of the kids (Swifty) breaks him out. (I found this scene humorous with Swifty toting a gun and trying to act like a gunslinger from some old west movie). Brewster flees town with the kids in tow and the sheriff in hot pursuit. But they all escape thanks to the resourcefulness of the kids who tampered with the sheriff's car.
The kids get attached to Brewster and finagle their way into being his pit crew. And Brewster begins to warm to the kids also, but doesn't like the idea much.
With the kids' help Brewster works his way back to a high position in the racing circuit. Things seem rosy until they meet Brewster's arch rival, Turk. It seems Turk is the reason Brewster lost out on his previous racing career. The kids pull a fast one on Turk, Turk and Brewster get into it, and in the last race of the film it seems Brewster is going to beat Turk and win the race. But, Brewster sees his kid pit crew being taken away by the Texas sheriff and gives up the race to save the kids. (Turk doesn't win BTW).
The end of the movie shows Brewster marrying his girlfriend and keeping all the kids. (It's a nice ending).
END OF SPOILER.
My thoughts are they could have done so much more with this story. Some parts had the feeling that they were trying to copy stuff like "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Dukes of Hazard". They should have just done their own thing and forgotten about other programmes.
On a positive note: There were a lot of good bonding scenes with the kids. Story-telling in the motel room, hunting for Breezy when she ran away, singing songs in the RV. And, although not well-acted, Brewster's relationship with the kids was exemplary...he acted the parental role (correcting Swifty's language, counseling Breezy, etc.), and still had fun with them (joking, stories). They developed his role well enough that you felt he was suitable to care for the kids.
I'm giving a mediocre rating of 6 for this. Personally, I would have no problem with kids viewing this movie, but there is some mild language, and a couple of scenes (Breezy soliciting Turk in his trailer & Brewster's fight with Turk) that some may find inappropriate.
This would be another of those rainy-day movies.
I felt the story had the potential to go places, but the acting was just not up to carrying it. I was disappointed in Kenny Rogers' performance (he should stick to singing). The kids were mostly blah, with the exception of "Breezy/Heather". But I also felt "Doc" and "Swifty" did a decent job.
My son (who is almost 6) enjoyed watching this. He likes car racing, which was I'm sure his major attraction. And I enjoyed it for the most part too (it is a cute story). Some parents might not care for the boy (Swifty) cussing. He uses such words as "schit", "bastard", "damn", "hell", but never the "F" word.
SPOILER...
Brewster Baker (K.Rogers) is a down-on-his-luck race car driver. He is passing through a small Texas town and stops to fuel. During the stop, six kids strip his car. Brewster later chases down the culprits, rescues one from the river, and learns they are orphans. He also discovers that the local sheriff is in on their criminal enterprise. (The sheriff and his cohort deputy remind me a lot of Boss Hogg & Co. from Dukes of Hazard).
Brewster is thrown in gaol but one of the kids (Swifty) breaks him out. (I found this scene humorous with Swifty toting a gun and trying to act like a gunslinger from some old west movie). Brewster flees town with the kids in tow and the sheriff in hot pursuit. But they all escape thanks to the resourcefulness of the kids who tampered with the sheriff's car.
The kids get attached to Brewster and finagle their way into being his pit crew. And Brewster begins to warm to the kids also, but doesn't like the idea much.
With the kids' help Brewster works his way back to a high position in the racing circuit. Things seem rosy until they meet Brewster's arch rival, Turk. It seems Turk is the reason Brewster lost out on his previous racing career. The kids pull a fast one on Turk, Turk and Brewster get into it, and in the last race of the film it seems Brewster is going to beat Turk and win the race. But, Brewster sees his kid pit crew being taken away by the Texas sheriff and gives up the race to save the kids. (Turk doesn't win BTW).
The end of the movie shows Brewster marrying his girlfriend and keeping all the kids. (It's a nice ending).
END OF SPOILER.
My thoughts are they could have done so much more with this story. Some parts had the feeling that they were trying to copy stuff like "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Dukes of Hazard". They should have just done their own thing and forgotten about other programmes.
On a positive note: There were a lot of good bonding scenes with the kids. Story-telling in the motel room, hunting for Breezy when she ran away, singing songs in the RV. And, although not well-acted, Brewster's relationship with the kids was exemplary...he acted the parental role (correcting Swifty's language, counseling Breezy, etc.), and still had fun with them (joking, stories). They developed his role well enough that you felt he was suitable to care for the kids.
I'm giving a mediocre rating of 6 for this. Personally, I would have no problem with kids viewing this movie, but there is some mild language, and a couple of scenes (Breezy soliciting Turk in his trailer & Brewster's fight with Turk) that some may find inappropriate.
This would be another of those rainy-day movies.