MovieChat Forums > 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) Discussion > Let Earnhardt's work speak for itself.

Let Earnhardt's work speak for itself.

posted 20 years ago by btguinn
7 replies | jump to latest

I do not believe this movie should have been made. First off some of the family members do not think that it portrays how Dale grew up and also down-plays some of Ralph's accomplishments. If someone's family does not want a studio to make movie of their late relative the studio should respect that. Secondly, it would be one thing to make another Days of Thunder type movie that would be loosely based on Earnhardt, but to come out and title the movie after him and not even have it all correct is wrong. Tim Richmond was the basis for Days of Thunder, but it never said anything about that in the movie. It had some parts that were true to Tim's amazing life and some things that weren't. I do not believe that a movie about the greatest driver in racing history can even be made. Earnhardt made moves on the track that cannot even be duplicated. Let his work speak for itslef! If people can't watch old races, such as the 87' Winston where he got clipped and went into the grass at 180 and came back out still in the lead, or the 00' Talledega race where he came from 18th to 1st in a matter of 5 laps, and get the idea of just how good he was, then they would have to be blind. I do not want my future children in 25 years to wonder who Dale Earnhardt was and watch a video made by ESPN, who never gave Earnhardt the respect he deserved while he was alive, to get the gist of the man who millions call "The Intimidator". Dale Earnhardt is one of the only people who was like something out of a movie in real life. There is no way that Barry Pepper can imitate Dale's scoul and stern look after a heated race. Is Pepper going to be able to say the quote that made "The Intimidator", "...then he came down there and tried to spin me out twice. I didn't take it!", and the audience get the same feeling in their hearts as when Dale said it. This is a man who made grown men cry as Bill France quoted, "Nascar has lost its greatest driver ever, and I have personally lost a great friend". There is no movie that can sum up the life of this man...THE MAN.

[–] georgejo 20 years ago

You made some good points about the rights of the family.

As to saying, there no way, that Pepper can capture the moment, I doubt this.
Acting is all about this and since many great actors have captured great moments, I don't think your argument is reasonable. You have actors who've captured Churhill, Rosevelt, ..., Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Ray Charles, Malcolm X, Moses, all kinds of people who've enjured great hardship. Assuming Pepper is a good actor, I think your comments in that area are dead wrong. At best, it could turn out after one has seen the movie that Pepper was the wrong actor. To say however that actors as a profession cannot act is utter @#@.

[–] btguinn 20 years ago

I am not arguing that actors cannot act. I am just saying that nobody can capture the pure emotion that is shown in sports...especially by someone like Earnhardt. I have seen a couple of Pepper's movies and he is a good actor. However, I would not be satisfied with any actor playing Earnhardt. It is just like no-one will ever be able to capture the emotion of a Michael Jordan, Ray Lewis, or any other entertainer who makes people who are not even interested in their profession stop to take notice. I also believe that you have to watch Earnhardt's races to get an idea of just how good he was. It will have to be a very powerfull movie for it to bring out the same emotion that many fans felt when Earnhardt won his seventh championship, his Daytona 500 victory, and the horrid news recieved on Feb. 18, 2001.

[–] track100 20 years ago

You should watch "Dempsy." Treat Williams plays a better Jack Dempsy than Dempsy. (This is sarcasm.) But how would I know that? The real Dempsy died long before I was born.

My point is that you have no idea what you are talking about btguinn. You know as much about the emotions of Earnhardt as I know about Dempsy's, but Barry Pepper does. That's his job. Pepper is going to show us a side of Earnhardt we don't know. Most of his fans will sadly never read Earnhardt's biography, but they will all watch this movie. This movie is extremely important to help carry on this man's legacy not just as a god of athletes, but at a human being just like everybody else. This movie will remind us that he is a human with problems and anyone of us can achieve our dreams just like him.

[–] btguinn 20 years ago

If Williams played a better Jack Dempsy that Jack Dempsy then he did not do his job, did he? The job of these actors playing real people is not to glorify them and make them some mystical figure, but to protray the real person. And I still do not believe that Barry Pepper will be able to do this. I think that he will either make him into too much of a god-like figure, or downplay him too much and make him into any other person who overcame circumstances. Take a lesson from Jamie Foxx in Ray. He simply told the story, he did not try to make the character into his own or make Charles' seem like something he was not. He did not put a spin of any sorts on the movie, and that is why he is getting the reviews that he is.

[–] track100 19 years ago

You still don't know what you are talking about and you don't understand sarcasm.

Barry Pepper can act. Go watch 61*. He plays Roger Maris at the same level Foxx plays Charles. He's perfect for the role. He has every qualification.

[–] btguinn 19 years ago

No, you still don't know what you are talking about. I am not talking specificly about Pepper. I don't care if Nicholas Cage, Johnny Depp, or Kevin Costner was playing the role. I don't beleive ANYONE can get it right, or for that matter SHOULD get it right.

[–] track100 19 years ago

Jeff Gordon could and you know it.