3 [Archive] - Off Camber Forums

Brickman

12-12-04, 12:41 AM

I was surprised how well he played the part. Sure they put in all the corny lines and corny Dale quotes and even the internet's favorite hairy backed 3 fan was portrayed, but not sitting in the stand at Bristol. But I think they captured ol Iron Head. I saw myself in the real life clip at the end of the show when he won his only road course win. He took off the steering wheel and stood up on the car after winning Sears Point. If he hadn't been blocking for his son and died... I suspect he would have had the farewell tours of all time... which in a way he did...

SteveH

12-12-04, 01:02 AM

No kidding? It was realy that good? Gotta admit I'm surprised.

theunions

12-12-04, 06:17 AM

and even the internet's favorite hairy backed 3 fan was portrayed

I must've blinked...when was that?

chop456

12-12-04, 09:49 AM

No better hero than a cheater. Gotta' love it.

pchall

12-12-04, 12:12 PM

No better hero than a cheater. Gotta' love it.

Junior Johnson is a much better "hero" for NASCAR, but unfortunately raced a generation too early.

fourrunner

12-12-04, 12:25 PM

No better hero than a cheater. Gotta' love it.

YUP ... hindsight is 20/20

Looking back, I certainly remember the rivalry between Earnhardt & Daryl Waltrip ... Waltrip was a "cheater" also and was equally hated by a lot of fans

Amazing how both of them now have reputations that rival Mother Theresa!

I wonder how Waltrip likes his portrayal, the movie doesn't really "redeem" him ?

Neil Bonnet comes off as a bit of a dufus, which is totally opposite what I remember of him during his TV stint before his illfated decision to return to racing.

theunions

12-12-04, 02:37 PM

Neil Bonnet comes off as a bit of a dufus, which is totally opposite what I remember of him during his TV stint before his illfated decision to return to racing.

I also don't remember him having a high-pitched voice, curly hair and mullet. :gomer:

theunions

12-12-04, 02:38 PM

Junior Johnson is a much better "hero" for NASCAR, but unfortunately raced a generation too early.

Why did they specifically have to identify Junior, T. Wayne and Childress on screen - but nobody else?

FRANKY

12-12-04, 03:44 PM

Why did they specifically have to identify Junior, T. Wayne and Childress on screen - but nobody else?

They needed to identify the players in the smoked filled back room deal?

In 1981 Jim Stacy was Dale's car owner having bought the team from Osterlund, but four races into the season he went belly up, I believe it was Winston Money (T.Wayne) that kept Dale running with Childress, he had won his first Championship in 1980, they wanted him in a car. At the end of the season Dale went with Bud Moore for two years before adding another 18 years with Childress.

DaveL

12-12-04, 06:11 PM

dando

12-12-04, 06:27 PM

By far the best of the ESPN movies so far...but that's like claiming to be the tallest dwarf. They also had some makeup issues with the HD broadcast.

-Kevin

FRANKY

12-12-04, 08:28 PM

The movie was riddled with historical and continueity errors, but it was good never the less.

Good point regarding Neil Bonnett and his hair. Bad casting decision. The actress who played Teresa needed different hair too.

Yea the "rattle your cage" after the Waltrip Richmond crash was 10 years too early. I though Bonnett was Petty at first.

theunions

12-12-04, 08:35 PM

They needed to identify the players in the smoked filled back room deal?

In 1981 Jim Stacy was Dale's car owner having bought the team from Osterlund, but four races into the season he went belly up.

Actually according to the film, the deal was in Junior's non-smoke filled living room. ;)

While Dale's career with Stacy did last only four races, Stacy didn't actually fold until mid-1983.

DaveL

12-12-04, 09:54 PM

While Dale's career with Stacy did last only four races, Stacy didn't actually fold until mid-1983.

JD Stacy's name is still mud in the NASCAR garage.

JohnHKart

12-13-04, 05:57 AM

Other than Le Mans and Grand Prix, which I've only seen parts of, this was the best racing movie I have seen. And the only reason I am saying that is because the others have been so bad, you'd have to be a complete idiot to not do better. It should have been in the theatres and should have been at least a half hour longer. It could have had the scene where Dale and Terry Labonte were working a commemorative car on Saturday Feb 17, 2001 (I think the cars were going to commemorate the two drivers' long consecutive races record) and the event would take place in April or May. Earnhardt said "that's if I make it that long". I mean Hollywood can't invent stories that eerie.

John

rabbit

12-13-04, 09:58 AM

I agree. One of the best racing movies ever. Barry Pepper was incredible. I watched part of the the call-in show they did on ESPN Classic after the movie, despite Myroot's presence, and they played part of an interview with Pepper. He said he went around for months with a bunch of Earnhardt audio on his iPod. He said some of the producers/directors wanted to take the corny sayings out because "Nobody talks like that." But he said that was Earnhardt and it had to stay. I enjoyed it and am thinking about buying the DVD (my first NASCAR related purchase, ever).

Easy

12-13-04, 11:07 AM

I suspect he would have had the farewell tours of all time...

And his retirement was going to be racing the Corvette at Sebring and LeMans. Would've been a nice shot in the arm for the 24 hours US publicity, the ALMS and sports car racing general.

chop456

12-13-04, 11:20 AM

No mention of Senna, I assume?

Jervis Tetch 1

12-13-04, 11:57 AM

Roger Maris. Dale Earnhardt. I wonder what historical sports figure Barry Pepper will do next?

He did a good job on both.

Maybe he can lace up the skates and do a made-for-TV movie on The Great One. :D

DaveL

12-13-04, 12:09 PM

Maybe he can lace up the skates and do a made-for-TV movie on The Great One. :D

All I wanna do is play hockey, Daddy.

Fio1

12-13-04, 10:47 PM

It was a good movie, I'm glad they spend too much time in the 90's. I'm glad we didn't see 2-hours of the black number 3, basically things we knew. It was cool seeing him as a kid and seeing him struggle as a youth. The Kerry Earnhardt part of the movie was very interesting.

Rogue Leader

12-14-04, 12:07 AM

I just watched it and I thought it was really great, one of the better racing movies I've ever seen.

Jervis Tetch 1

12-14-04, 03:11 PM

All I wanna do is play hockey, Daddy.
Man, all I wanna do is go to another hockey (NHL) game before it's too late!

The Doctor

12-17-04, 02:28 AM

Man, all I wanna do is go to another hockey (NHL) game before it's too late!

I wonder if Mario Andretti wouldn't mind saving hockey, too?

Pepper did a great job as Earnhardt. Great choice. Well done portraying the characters well, save for Waltrip. I thought the actor playing Waltrip didn't get his attitude down right. He just seemed off.

JohnHKart

12-17-04, 08:07 AM

I wonder if Mario Andretti wouldn't mind saving hockey, too?

Pepper did a great job as Earnhardt. Great choice. Well done portraying the characters well, save for Waltrip. I thought the actor playing Waltrip didn't get his attitude down right. He just seemed off.

Some more thoughts about this movie. I agree, the Waltrip felt wrong as did the Neil Bonnet both in looks and voice. Bonnet was articulate even though he was from Alabama, and the movie just made him look like another good ole boy that could hardly put a sentence together. The Childress and Junior were good, but Childress seemed a little older and fatter than I remember him looking in 1981. If you listened closely, the actor playing Ralph Earnhardt didn't quite nail the southern accent right. It seemed to switch on and off depending upon the words. There were things that should have been in the movie...How about that amazing last win at Talladega, where Earnhardt was something like tenth with one and half laps to go and then procceded to pass all those cars? I can still hear the call and see him pass those cars in my head. Just amazing. Speaking of Talladega, the crash there and then sitting on the pole and leading half the race a few weeks later while still injured at Watkins Glen was a great story also.

John

KaBoom21

12-17-04, 02:05 PM

I thought the ridiculous promos with the prosthetic moustache and the announcer going "Mr. Dale Earnhardt" were gone but now they are hawking the video.

How was the crash portrayed? Is this how the movie ended?

Andrew Longman

12-17-04, 05:03 PM

It was a puff piece but entertaining and well done. I really expected a poor job but my son and I really enjoyed it.

I thought Dale Jr was very well protrayed too. His mannerisms, posture and bodymovements were uncanny at times.

And it must have pretty good for this crowd to like it ;)

rabbit

12-17-04, 06:46 PM

How was the crash portrayed? Is this how the movie ended?
They showed him before the race wishing Jr. luck and giving Teresa a kiss. They showed some race footage and the picture kind of grayed out. You saw the shot of he and Marlin bumping and the car turning sideways. The picture faded out before he hit the wall and you heard Waltrip's call, saying "I hope Dale's ok." (I'll never forget the sound in Waltrip's voice when he said that. I knew then that it was bad.) Then they showed Dale as a kid again, waiting on his dad to come out of the mill. Then they walked off together.

dando

12-29-04, 04:34 PM

BTW, in case folks missed it, here's Speed's take on 3:

http://speedtv.com/commentary/14431/

-Kevin

fourrunner

12-29-04, 07:52 PM

BTW, in case folks missed it, here's Speed's take on 3:

http://speedtv.com/commentary/14431/

-Kevin

After reading the review, I'm left wondering if the writer wrote it to emphasize that Dale was bigger than the movie portrayed him or if he wrote it to let all of us know that he is one of the 4 most significant writers covering NASCAR! ;)

pchall

12-29-04, 09:06 PM

You saw the shot of he and Marlin bumping and the car turning sideways. The picture faded out before he hit the wall and you heard Waltrip's call, saying "I hope Dale's ok." (I'll never forget the sound in Waltrip's voice when he said that. I knew then that it was bad.)

I remember waking up on the couch just in time [?] to see the wall hit and thinking -- that's a fatality.

Never cared for the guy as a racer, but it was a shame that his own hubris bit him in the basal neck structure.

dando

12-29-04, 09:23 PM

After reading the review, I'm left wondering if the writer wrote it to emphasize that Dale was bigger than the movie portrayed him or if he wrote it to let all of us know that he is one of the 4 most significant writers covering NASCAR! ;)
Yeah, I wasn't sure he got the point either.

-Kevin

BNica

12-30-04, 04:35 PM

DaveL

12-30-04, 05:40 PM

The quotes in the review just illustrate St. Dale's contempt for safety.

Racewriter

12-30-04, 08:27 PM

Dale was pretty cavalier about life.

With that said, he lived to be 49.

Meaning that he outlived his great-grandfather, his grandfather, and his father. When all your male ancestors kicked off before they reached 50, you might have a different perspective on things.

trish

12-30-04, 09:18 PM

^ That doesn't bode well for Dale Jr.

Methanolandbrats

12-30-04, 09:18 PM

The movie was fairly accurate and a hell of a lot better than 99% of the **** on TV. :thumbup:

DaveL

12-31-04, 10:15 AM

Meaning that he outlived his great-grandfather, his grandfather, and his father. When all your male ancestors kicked off before they reached 50, you might have a different perspective on things.

What, drive like you want to make sure your competitors don't live to 50 either? If Dale had a cavalier attitude towards his own life and had no regard for his own safety that was his business. It did not mean he had to take that same attitude towards his fellow competitors who maybe, just maybe, wanted to retire from racing with their lives intact.

Andrew Longman

01-03-05, 01:08 PM

There are a couple of things they could have shown, such as more on Jr. racing Jr. and winning his race. Him hiring Michael Waltrip as well- it has some sort of resonance - but knowing Mikey, he'd probably want to play himself.

- a little more on #3's business savvy, which is a story in and of itself would have been good.

Teresa griped about the movie - but she comes across looking pretty darn good.

What about hiring DW to drive Steve Parks car? First time in years DW had decent equipment to drive and his greatest rival gave it to him. That would have been good to include.

Andrew Longman

01-03-05, 01:20 PM

BTW, in case folks missed it, here's Speed's take on 3:

http://speedtv.com/commentary/14431/

-Kevin

The cynic in me sees DE and Helton dreaming up that PR stunt to make up for Helton's/NASCAR's fiasco in handling the safety issues in 2000.

That doesn't really change Jenson's point on the power and influence of DE, but what better way to sell tickets and squash a run away problem than have DE call Jeff Gordon a p@ssy? In other words, "Shut up and drive!". Maybe DE dreamed this up on his own, but NASCAR had to know and approve of it.

Didn't work so well when CART looked out for safety and cancelled a race. Much better for business to have the drivers challenge each other's manhood.