Madison (2001)

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.

I really like Jim Caveizel and I really wanted to like this movie. But as it went on, even though it is supposedly based on real events, I found the story to be predictable and very unoriginal. All the classic elements of the underdog sports figure story are present: the semi-evil rival, the misunderstanding wife, the idolizing son, the driven hero, the supporting townsfolk, and all the tragedy and obstacles that must be overcome. I don't know anything about boat racing, but as the film went on, one could easily have inserted any sport and still had the same story. I'm sure that the original story was worthy of telling, but I find it hard to believe that the original story was as formulaic as this script was. I'd have to say the producers did the memory of these events a disservice in the writing.

Once the largest river port of the Midwest, Madison, Indiana is just one more dying river town in the 1970s. Its last piece of pride is the town's run down hydroplane boat, the only game in town. The boat runs on a shoestring crew: a gas station attendant, a laid-off river hand, a "retard", and a washed-up, has-been hydroplane driver, Jim McCormick (Jim Caviezel).This is the story of how one man turns a town around, rallying them together to give their boat one last try.The story centers on the relationship between Jim McCormick, his wife, bonnie, and his son, Mike. Jim McCormick, the Madison boat's team captain, has disavowed racing after sustaining injuries after a racing accident that claimed the life of a friend and fellow racer. Torn between his love for his family and the love for his town and its oat, he struggles to find his own peace and his dignity.

Fantastic! I just saw a raw unedited screening in Cincinnati over the weekend and it was fabulous. This movie is going to be a HUGE success and a big BOOM for Madison Indiana, it's tourism industry, the Madison Regatta and hydroplane racing in general. I'm not from Madison but I enjoy visiting there whenever I get the chance. It was great to see so much of Madison's beautiful architecture and so many familiar sites in the movie , the Broadway Fountain, Shipley's, Hinkles, etc... That beautiful, historic old riverboat "The Belle Of Louisville" even makes an appearance. I understand the movie is slated for a somewhat limited release beginning April 22. If you live in or near one of the cities where it is being released GO SEE THIS MOVIE, It's awesome. If not, sit tight, trust me it'll be coming soon to a theater near you. Jim Caviezel does an excellent job at portraying Jim McCormick. McCormick's "Never say never" attitude comes shining through in the end as the small town, local boy makes good on his commitment to the town. This is a great family film, don't hesitate to take your children. No nudity, no violence, and no vulgar language, this one's a winner.