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IMDbPro

Days of Thunder

  • 19901990
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
91K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,009
2,530
Days of Thunder (1990)
On this IMDbrief, sponsored by Coca-Cola, we're putting the pedal to the metal on the best racing films of all time.
Play clip4:37
Watch How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
1 Video
99+ Photos
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A young hot-shot stock car driver gets his chance to compete at the top level.A young hot-shot stock car driver gets his chance to compete at the top level.A young hot-shot stock car driver gets his chance to compete at the top level.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
91K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,009
2,530
    • Tony Scott
    • Robert Towne(story)
    • Tom Cruise(story)
  • Stars
    • Tom Cruise
    • Nicole Kidman
    • Robert Duvall
    • Tony Scott
    • Robert Towne(story)
    • Tom Cruise(story)
  • Stars
    • Tom Cruise
    • Nicole Kidman
    • Robert Duvall
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 157User reviews
    • 85Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Videos1

    How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
    Clip 4:37
    Watch How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes

    Photos111

    Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Sen. Fred Thompson plays William Jennings Bryan.  Ironically, both held presidential aspirations (Bryan getting the Democratic nominee 3x).
    Randy Quaid in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, and John C. Reilly in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Cary Elwes in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Michael Rooker in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Robert Duvall in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder (1990)
    Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder (1990)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tom Cruise
    Tom Cruise
    • Cole Trickle
    Nicole Kidman
    Nicole Kidman
    • Dr. Claire Lewicki
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • Harry Hogge
    Randy Quaid
    Randy Quaid
    • Tim Daland
    Cary Elwes
    Cary Elwes
    • Russ Wheeler
    Michael Rooker
    Michael Rooker
    • Rowdy Burns
    Fred Thompson
    Fred Thompson
    • Big John
    • (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
    John C. Reilly
    John C. Reilly
    • Buck Bretherton
    J.C. Quinn
    J.C. Quinn
    • Waddell
    Don Simpson
    Don Simpson
    • Aldo Bennedetti
    Caroline Williams
    Caroline Williams
    • Jennie Burns
    Donna W. Scott
    Donna W. Scott
    • Darlene
    • (as Donna Wilson)
    Chris Ellis
    Chris Ellis
    • Harlem Hoogerhyde
    Peter Appel
    Peter Appel
    • Cole's Crew
    Stephen Michael Ayers
    • Cole's Crew
    Mike Slattery
    Mike Slattery
    • Cole's Crew
    John Griesemer
    • Len Dortort
    Barbara Garrick
    Barbara Garrick
    • Lauren Daland
      • Tony Scott
      • Robert Towne(story) (screenplay)
      • Tom Cruise(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Production began without a finished script. Scenes were often written the day of filming. During one driving sequence, Tom Cruise actually had to read his lines off cue cards attached to his windshield, which resulted in a minor car accident. For subsequent driving sequences, Cruise was fitted with a special earpiece to have lines fed to him.
    • Goofs
      In the scene where Cole and Rowdy line up at the stop light in opposite vehicles, Rowdy is in a Ford Taurus. When the light turns green, they both gun it and you see smoke coming form the tires of the Taurus. The smoke is coming from the rear tires. The Ford Taurus never came with a RWD option, they were all front wheel drive, thus the rear tires should not have smoked up.
    • Quotes

      Harry Hogge: Cole, you're wandering all over the track!

      Cole Trickle: Yeah, well this son of a bitch just slammed into me.

      Harry Hogge: No, no, he didn't slam you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you... he *rubbed* you. And rubbin, son, is racin'.

    • Connections
      Edited into Redline (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Gimme Some Lovin'
      Written by Steve Winwood, Muff Winwood and Spencer Davis

      Performed by The Spencer Davis Group (as Spencer Davis Group)

      Courtesy of EMI Records (by arrangement with CEMA Special Markets)/Island Records

    User reviews157

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Fun Film But Lots of Goofs
    I like NASCAR, and I enjoyed Days of Thunder. The opening sequence at the Daytona 500 gives me goosebumps and makes me want to crank up the surround sound - a homage to NASCAR, the late 80s, and Americana. There were other fun sequences in the movie, like when Cole Trickle is crashing his car every week and when his crew played a prank on him after winning his first race. The movie came out during the height of the "Tom Cruise is Cool" era. And, Cruise is cool in this movie. Robert Duvall, who plays his crew chief, is even better in the film.

    That said, there were so many errors in this film, it's laughable. The racing shots were taken from real races, and the film editing did a poor job of disguising real race cars (like Dale Earnhardt's No. 3) for fictional ones. The timing is off. There's a scene where Tom Cruise is talking but his lips don't move. There's another scene where a character in the movie calls him Tom instead of Cole - really inexcusable that a error that big was missed. The scenes of cars ramming into one another while leading the race wouldn't be possible in reality: they would wreck or cause too much damage to remain at top speed.

    By conventional standards, it's a terrible movie. But, somehow, it's still a fun movie! Action on the race track is similar to the action in the sky in Top Gun. If you're up for a little escapism and wish fulfillment, then Days of Thunder lives up to the billing. But, if you're a critical viewer, you won't be impressed by this film - unless you're looking for ways to laugh at its mistakes.
    helpful•13
    5
    • msmary
    • May 26, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 27, 1990 (United States)
      • United States
      • Official Facebook
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
    • Production company
      • Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 47 minutes
      • Color

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