|
Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)
Starring Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen, Martin Landau, and Christian Slater. Cinematography by Vittorio Storaro. Edited by Priscilla Nedd-Friendly. Produced by Fred Fuchs and Fred Roos. Written by Arnold Schulman and David Seidler. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
In the mid 1940’s, Preston Tucker has designed a better, safer, and more economical automobile. The Tucker Tornado features a fuel injected engine, disc brakes, a break-away windshield, and seat belts for every passenger; all revolutionary ideas at the time. He eventually finds funding for his project, but now faces new obstacles put in place by the established automobile manufacturers (referred to as “The Big Three”). Tucker’s ideas have threatened their way of business and he eventually looses control of his company. He is then brought up on charges of fraudulent use of his company’s finances and has to go as far as Washington to defend himself. In the end he is shut down and only the fifty Tornados that he manufactured himself remain.
Francis Ford Coppola’s fascination with Preston Tucker started when he was a child. His father, Carmine, had been one of the investors in Tucker’s company that would later produce Tucker’s Tornado; the car of tomorrow, today. In 1976 Coppola announced that he was in the development stages on a biopic based on the life of Preston Tucker that would star Marlon Brando as Tucker. His idea of the picture then evolved and soon he was working it into a large scale musical production that would feature not just Tucker, but a number of revolutionary inventors in American history. This film would star Jack Nicholson and would be scored by Leonard Bernstein. But after serious discussions about the practicality of Coppola’s imagination the project was eventually dropped. The story was then revived in the mid eighties with the help of Coppola’s long time friend George Lucas (Coppola and Lucas each own one of the fifty Tornadoes produced). Lucas put up twenty five million dollars in Lucasfilm funds and production began in April of 1987.
As a child dreaming of the day that he would get his very own Tucker Tornado, it would have been impossible to see how similar the lives and careers of both Francis Coppola and Preston Tucker would become. Both men dreamed of producing a superior product to that which was already available outside of the established community. Both men would risk everything to see that dream come to life, only to watch it all be taken away from them. With this spirit in mind, one can possibly find a deeper understanding of what Coppola was trying to do with this picture. It is a beautifully shot film, seemingly right out of the pages of “Life” magazines from the era. The energy is high and is reeks of American optimism. The performances are brilliant; particularly that of Jeff Bridges who plays Tucker. All in all Tucker: A Man and His Dream is a great film, and despite the mediocre turnout at the box office, it easily holds a place among Coppola’s very best.
Budget: $25,000,000
Total US Gross: $19,652,638
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 110 Minutes
US Release Date: 8/12/88
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Nominated for best art direction/set decoration, best costume design, and best supporting actor. Golden Globes: Nominated for best supporting actor.
Tagline: When They Tried To Buy Him, He Refused. When They Tried To Bully Him, He Resisted. When They Tried To Break Him, He Became An American Legend. The True Story Of Preston Tucker.
Quote: “Is there anybody in this room who can look me in the eye and tell me we can’t do it?”
|
