Days Of Thunder

Days of Thunder is a quintessential Tom Cruise movie. It has all the required elements: cocky athlete, challenging rival, wise older mentor, one fatal character flaw, the hot shot winding up with the pretty girl, and finally rival teamwork. Days of Thunder could be considered one of Tom Cruise’s greatest movies because it features some of his fantastic and memorable one-liners. Tony Scott, who also directed Top Gun, directed the film. Days of Thunder is the story of racecar driver, Cole Trickle, who is recruited by a car dealership tycoon to race for his team. Trickle has experience in stock car racing but none in NASCAR, which he has trouble getting a hold of. Robert Duvall plays his mentor and pit boss that comes out of retirement at the request of the team owner to mentor the young rookie into champion material. Like in many of Cruise’s movies as a young star, his character has a hot temper and a hard attitude that gets him into trouble with his team. Of course, as in every Cruise movie, he has a rival who he needs to prove himself better in every single way on and off the course. After a crash on the course, both drivers are hospitalized. Also typically of Cruise, his character falls in love, this time with his neurosurgeon and future real-life wife, Nicole Kidman. In the end of the film, like in all macho-man Tom Cruise films, he partners up with his rival to help him win the final race using his signature slingshot move. Talladega Nights which stars Will Farrell and Sacha Baron Cohen is a spoof on Days of Thunder and a much funnier one.