The World's Fastest Indian

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2009)

These are the kind of films I like, an eccentric lead character to take you through an uplifting and feel-good journey, and it is story that really happened, from director Roger Donaldson (Species, Dante's Peak, The Bank Job). Basically Burt Munro (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is the ageing pensioner from New Zealand who has been dreaming for twenty five years about taking his motorcycle, an "Indian", to the salt flats of Bonneville, Utah and breaking a land speed record. So, when heart disease threatens his life, he mortgages his house to get the money he needs to travel to Los Angeles, he gets the Indian through customs, and one in America he buys an old car and begins his journey. Along the way, stopping for food and mending the motorcycle when damaged and for improvements, he meets and charms many people with his open and direct friendliness, and some of these people seem just as unusual as him. They include the foreign car salesman Fernando (Rat Race's Paul Rodriguez), transvestite Tina (Chris Williams) who helps run a brothel he stays in, Native American Jake (Saginaw Grant) who gives him natural medicine to help his prostate problems, elderly Ada (Diane Ladd) who helps him repair the racer and becomes his lover, and young Air Force pilot Rusty (Patrick Flueger) from Vietnam he gives a ride to. Burt finally reaches the salt flats, greeted by fellow racer Jim Moffet (Christopher Lawford), but it looks like for a while he may not be able to run as he did not register three months ago, and they inspect his vehicle thinking that it is not safe enough, having no parachute, no proper breaks, and no heat resistant clothing. They also worry that his health is a problem for him, but all his new friends help him stand against the organisers, and they do decide to bend the rules to let him have what might be his last opportunity. He successfully clocks a new record speed on his recorded run, and Burt returns home to keep improving his Indian to run another nine times, setting numerous more records, one still unbeaten in the present day. Also starring Iain Rea as George, Tessa Mitchell as Sarah, Aaron Murphy as Tom, Tim Shadbolt as Frank, Annie Whittle as Fran, Bruce Greenwood as Jerry and Road Trip's Jessica Cauffiel as Wendy. Hopkins is wonderful, it is his finest performance since The Silence of the Lambs, he is just the lovable eccentric who makes everyone feel good, the audience included, and you really get into the story, with the interesting characters in his road trip, and of course you hope he achieves what he wants to, a great and highly watchable heartwarming adventure based on a true story. Very good!