Taglines: You can’t outrun the thunder.
Days of Thunder movie storyline. Cole Trickle is a young racer from Eagle Rock, California, with years of experience in open-wheel racing winning championships in the United States Auto Club (USAC). His goal was to win the Indianapolis 500 but realises that “You can’t win at Indy without a great car and my name isn’t Andretti or Unser”.
He is recruited by Chevrolet dealership tycoon Tim Daland to race for his team in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Daland also convinces former crew chief and car builder Harry Hogge to come out of retirement and lead Cole’s pit crew. After Trickle sets a fast time in a private test at Charlotte, Hogge builds him a new Chevrolet Lumina to drive in the Winston Cup, though the season has already started.
During his first few races, Cole has difficulty adjusting to the larger NASCAR stock cars and communicating with his crew while being intimidated on the track by Winston Cup Champion Rowdy Burns; this results in Cole not finishing the races, mostly due to crashes or blown engines. After discovering that Cole does not understand the common terminology used by NASCAR teams, Harry puts him through rigorous training. This pays off at the Darlington race, when Cole uses a slingshot maneuver from the outside line to overtake Rowdy and win his first race.
The rivalry between Cole and Rowdy intensifies throughout the season until tragedy strikes. At the Firecracker 400 in Daytona, both drivers are seriously injured after their cars are destroyed in a multi-car wreck. While recovering from his injuries in Daytona Beach, Cole develops a romantic relationship with Dr. Claire Lewicki, a neurosurgeon at Halifax Hospital who was senior doctor on duty when he was brought in after his crash and who was attending to his health.
At the same time, NASCAR president Big John, brings Rowdy and Cole together in a meeting and warns them that he and his sport will no longer tolerate any hanky-panky from the two rivals. Afterwards, Cole and Rowdy go out to lunch together by Big John’s persuasion, and settle their differences. Cole and Rowdy change from bitter rivals to close friends.
As Cole is still undergoing therapy, Daland hires hot-shot rookie Russ Wheeler as a substitute to fill the seat. Weeks later, Cole returns to active duty, with Daland now fielding two teams – the second car driven by Wheeler. Though Cole shows signs of his old self, he now finds himself in a rivalry with his new teammate. At North Wilkesboro, Russ gets dirty on pit road and spins Cole out to win the race. In retaliation, Cole crashes his car into Russ’s car following the race, resulting in Cole and Harry being fired by Daland.
When Rowdy discovers that he has to undergo brain surgery to fix a broken blood vessel, he asks Cole to drive his car at the Daytona 500 so his sponsors will pay for the year. Cole reluctantly agrees and convinces Harry to return as crew chief again. Hours prior to the race, Harry discovers metal in the oil pan, a sign of engine failure, so he manages to have Daland provide him a new engine.
During the race, Cole’s car suffers a malfunctioning transmission after being spun out by Russ, but the combined efforts of his pit crew, as well as those working for Daland, manage to fix the problem and get him back on the lead lap. This sets the tone for a final showdown between Cole and Russ. On the final lap, Russ predicts that Cole will attempt his signature slingshot maneuver from outside, but Cole tricks him with a crossover, overtaking him from the inside to win his first Daytona 500.
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, and Michael Rooker.
The film also features appearances by real life NASCAR racers, such as Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson. This is the first of three films to star both Cruise and Kidman (the other two being Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut).
Days of Thunder (1990)
Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Michael Rooker, John C. Reilly, Donna W. Scott, Chris Ellis, Caroline Williams
Screenplay by: Robert Towne
Cinematography by: Ward Russell
Film Editing by: Robert C. Jones, Chris Lebenzon, Bert Lovitt, Michael Tronick, Stuart Waks, Billy Weber
Costume Design by: Susan Becker
Set Decoration by: Thomas L. Roysden
Art Direction by: Benjamín Fernández, Thomas E. Sanders
Music by: Hans Zimmer
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: June 27, 1990
Hits: 174
