Hey, Richard Pryor and Pam Grier, I'm in. I also loved the idea of a biopic on Wendell Scott, who broke the racial barrier in the sport of NASCAR in the South in the 1950's, a considerable feat given how conservative the racing world is generally, and the pervasive racism at the time. The film gets some elements of that struggle right - the brutal use of the N-word, the deliberate attempts to wipe him off the road, and race officials failing to announce him as the winner - but even so, it feels a little soft. The abrupt turnaround of racist-turned-bosom buddy (Beau Bridges) didn't seem authentic, among other things.
The film is also not helped by the lengthy preamble in which Scott runs moonshine past cartoon cops ala Smoky and the Bandit. I loved Pryor in a serious role, but it felt like filmmakers wanted to appeal to a wider audience by putting these silly elements in instead of his usual humor, which I think was a mistake. Pryor and Grier had great chemistry early on - you could sense real passion in those kisses in the front seat of the car - but Grier's character quickly gets relegated to the background, which was also unfortunate. It's only 96 minutes long but felt longer, because of how predictable and safe it all felt. However, despite my criticisms, for the film even being made, the visibility it gave this pioneer, and Pryor and Grier at this stage of their careers, it's worth seeing, and I rounded my review score up a bit.
The film is also not helped by the lengthy preamble in which Scott runs moonshine past cartoon cops ala Smoky and the Bandit. I loved Pryor in a serious role, but it felt like filmmakers wanted to appeal to a wider audience by putting these silly elements in instead of his usual humor, which I think was a mistake. Pryor and Grier had great chemistry early on - you could sense real passion in those kisses in the front seat of the car - but Grier's character quickly gets relegated to the background, which was also unfortunate. It's only 96 minutes long but felt longer, because of how predictable and safe it all felt. However, despite my criticisms, for the film even being made, the visibility it gave this pioneer, and Pryor and Grier at this stage of their careers, it's worth seeing, and I rounded my review score up a bit.