Bruce McLaren Movie

Not sure if this is the correct spot to post this but for the Aussies on the forum the Bruce McLaren movie is now showing in cinemas around the country. At the moment there is not a lot of sessions being screened so if you want to see it on the big screen it would pay to go sooner rather than later.

The movie was quite well done and I thought it was worth the wait. There was a bit of early GT40 testing footage amongst it, as well as footage from LeMans. Overall I thought it was a pretty decent tribute to a guy who was obviously a very clever and talented individual.

Cheers,

Ben.
 
Depends what you are looking for.
For the most part it's an old style documentary about a man who did more than most of us could dream of achieving, and he did it without a silver spoon.
Some reenactment and cutaways to some crappy American western movie that were supposed to assist the narrative I guess but imo weren't really necessary. I found the latter jarring - maybe because I would rather eat rat bait than watch an American western...
Some footage I hadn't seen before, that on its own made it worth it for me.

I found it quite emotional. I remember as a child hearing about Timmy Mayer's death at Longford. I was very young but I remember the emotion at the time - I am Tasmanian and my Father used to be involved in a team that raced at Longford. He talked about it quite a lot in the years following.
Whenever I am near the old track I drop in to the pub and spend a quiet minute at the Timmy Mayer exhibits.
(If you ever make it to Tasmania the old pub is well worth a visit - It is a veritable museum of the race.)
The death of Bruce Mclaren affected me in similar ways. Stories from my Father, and, although it didn't happen locally, Bruce was local, one of us, the Australia New Zealand family.

The movie is not the typical slick formulaic crap we usually get these days but that's one reason I liked it. It felt real and personal, not distant and movie like.
It isn't typical Hollywood crap and that on its own is a good reason to see it.

Other films about other drivers are great and those drivers were great, but Mclaren's is a different kind of story, he was a lot more than just a driver.

Maybe not the greatest film ever made (I have no idea what makes a good film in most people's eyes - I dislike most of them these days), but it is about one of the greatest racers who ever lived.

A pity there isn't a lot more footage of those times.

On the whole I liked this film. Imo It was a Mclaren in a world too full of overrated, over polished, overpriced, overhyped Ferraris.

Tim.
 
Well I reckon it was the best two hrs I've ever spent in a long time, brought back many memories of Ardmore and the Pukekohe for the Gran Prix, and watching the beach races a Murawai,, but what I didn't know was how close he came to partnering up with Sir Jack, but what he achieved in 12 short years is unsurmountable in my books,
truly one of the greats.
John
ps WTF did the cowboy bull have to do with the story.
 
I think the cowboy scenes were from 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (?). Later in the doco they refer to Bruce having just seen it and his talking about it. Honestly I don't know why they included them either. That time could've been spent showing more Can Am or workshop footage.

I think the poor reviews received online probably have more to do with the person reviewing's idea of what a movie should be rather than the film itself. I think most people on this forum would enjoy 'McLaren' far more than most of the other films they've seen in the last decade or so.

Mike, 'Senna' was a good film but as a pretty hardcore Senna fan I liked the film but preferred 'Racing is in my Blood' or the 'Senna, Lifestyle in Brazil' that was in the Senna Tribute boxed set. Each to his own I guess.

Cheers,

Ben.
 
went and saw it last night. private screening with the Lotus Club Victoria, Victorian Clubman Builders Group & Evolve Driver Training organising enough people to book and fill cinema #4 at the Jam Factory on Chapel St in Parahan. Was a large group.

I really enjoyed the Documentary (its not really a movie) and about halfway through I was itching to get back to work on the GT40. Those big block canams were a beast!

I would encourage anyone on this forum to go and see it. some of the footage of Bruce throwing the GT40 prototype around at the test session is great.

Ryan
 
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