3 Weeks to Daytona (2011) Reviews

• A racing movie about people and their dreams

  Wolfie-92011-03-27

  There are a few spoilers here and there in this review - read at your own risk. Scott Cohen plays Chuck Weber, who's day job is driving an airport limo, but his real passion is driving race cars... unfortunately, he hasn't won a race in 20 years. Jorja Fox plays Cheryl, Chuck's crew chief and girlfriend - by day she works in a machining plant turning out doodads, but her real dream is to open a speed shop (a race car repair shop). Neither of them have much money, and if Chuck keeps losing races they're not going to make any. My original interest in this movie was Jorja Fox, but after seeing it (at a private screening in New York in March of 2011), I'd want to see it again even if she wasn't in it. The movie moves along smoothly, with no wasted scenes or nonsense moments; every scene tells part of the story. While the background of the movie is B-circuit NASCAR, it's about the people and their dreams, especially Chuck. As you might expect, Jorja Fox does a magnificent job in this film, really getting into character as she usually does. She shows (and goes through) a wide range of emotions, from joy to sadness, laughter to tears, anger and complacency. Chuck and Cheryl have a solid, comfortable relationship, based on their mutual interests, and they get along well enough that she took him in when he got divorced several years ago and his wife threw him out. At the very end, Chuck and Cheryl kiss, and it's better than any other kiss we've seen from her. Cheryl believes in Chuck enough that she bets on his races, despite his losing ways. The scene where Chuck and Cheryl tear around a dirt parking lot in the limo (carving out a heart with the tires) was priceless, and very enjoyable. Talk about taking a girl out for a drive... Just about everyone does a good job in this; perhaps the weakest portrayal was the guy who played Steve, Chuck's rival at the limo company - he was more caricature than character, but it still worked out well. For whatever reason, the character just didn't gel for me, even though I've met people like that in real life. Chuck's boss at the limo company was also a little weak, but his character was very understandable. Everyone else is dead on target and nicely believable, with some interesting bits of pathos and humanity. Rip Torn is spot on as Sal, the curmudgeon owner of the Speedbowl race track, and Scott Cohen is exactly what you'd expect from the role, fitting into it quite nicely. There's no trouble figuring out motivations in this movie, even with the secondary characters - most of them are in it for the money and are tired of Chuck's losing ways; the characters are laid out well. There's no mystery to the movie, but there doesn't need to be - it's fun. Several comical scenes in this that got a laugh out of the audience, especially the one where Cheryl uses a car jack to prop up Chuck's sagging recliner. There were a few scenes that got winces out of the audience as well, especially those showing Chuck dealing with his son, "Worm" - he's not much of a father, though everything eventually works out. The various furniture commercials with Rob (played by John Viener) are a comedic riot; Rob as Bogie or as Dr. Strangelove... This is a small, independent film which uses a lot of actual locations, giving it an air of realism and personality. It is well-written, acted, and directed - everything you expect a good movie to be. All in all this is an enjoyable movie if you're a NASCAR fan, a Scott Cohen fan, a Jorja Fox fan, or a Rip Torn fan - or if you just like people movies. Overall, I'd rate it an 8 out of 10, and it's something I'd definitely recommend to people. I definitely want to get this when it comes out on DVD. It's full of energy and is just all-around fun; I never once felt the urge to look at my watch or squirm in my seat.

• Don't waste your time!!

  garyfor882013-03-06

  I have never have done a review here on IMDb or anywhere else for that matter. But, this movie was so awful, I'm inclined to help others from wasting their life watching this debacle because someone with an agenda rated it high. So here it goes, I don't know where to start. Factually it is wrong on just about every scene. The acting is bad. You can see the boom in some scenes. It was amateur night. Rip Torn has stooped to a new low. The only reason I even watched this was because the only review on here gave it an 8 out of 10. Maybe that user has a directors cut, or he is off his rocker. I believe the review was made by someone affiliated with the movie, because it was that awful and they were plugging it. I finally quit watching after about 40 minutes into the movie and I could no longer take it and waste another minute of my life watching it. I should have known something was up after reading the other review when he stated that he never "looked at his watch" or "squirmed in his seat". It was a dead giveaway. In the end, trust me, this movie is bad. I actually feel dumber having watched 40 minutes and why the heck I watched that long, I'll never know. I think I watched it for about 35 minutes too long. I should have used better judgement. 1 star for my rating and if I could have given it a 0, that is what it would have been. But its just my opinion. Gary