Verdict
Summary
Racing With the Moon is a sensitive and honest coming of age film that might win your heart thanks to a script by Steve Kloves that never over sensationalizes the antics of its well-drawn characters, and a group of up-and-coming actors who all perfectly personify their roles. I’ve watched this movie several times over the years on VHS and DVD, but this is by far the best it’s ever looked.
Plot:
Six weeks before shipping out to World War II, two teenagers experience their last time together before their lives change forever.
Review:
With six weeks to go before they both ship off to join the war in Europe, two teenagers who work at a bowling alley ride out their last weeks of freedom as boys-about-to-become-men. Henry (Sean Penn) is a good-hearted young man whose humble parents love him dearly; his father is a gravedigger in the local cemetery, and his mom has dreams of him becoming a concert pianist some day. Nicky (Nicolas Cage) is a bit of a wild buck, and he sees the war as his chance to get out of town for good. It’s Christmas time and Henry’s eyes wander to a pretty girl who works at the ticket booth at the movie theater in town. The girl is Caddie (Elizabeth McGovern), whose mom is a live-in maid at a mansion just outside of town, but when Henry begins courting her, he makes the mistake of believing that she’s a “Gatsby,” meaning a rich kid, but he couldn’t be more wrong. They fall in love with each other rather quickly, and with the certainty that Henry is going to be going away – possibly never to return – weighs heavy on their romance. Nicky, meanwhile, gets a local girl pregnant, and he scrambles to try to come up with raising $150 to fund her a back alley abortion, which leads to him and Henry getting into trouble trying to hustle the money at pool halls.
Racing With the Moon is a sensitive and honest coming of age film that might win your heart thanks to a script by Steve Kloves that never over sensationalizes the antics of its well-drawn characters, and a group of up-and-coming actors who all perfectly personify their roles. In addition to the leads, there are small roles for Michael Madsen (in a great little scene as a wounded veteran), Crispin Glover, Dana Carvey, and Carol Kane. Filmed in Northern California, and scored by Dave Grusin, this is a gem. Richard Benjamin directed it.
Fun City Editions brings Racing With the Moon to Blu-ray for the first time, and the striking transfer is from a 4K scan of the 35mm negative. I’ve watched this movie several times over the years on VHS and DVD, but this is by far the best it’s ever looked. It comes with an audio commentary by Benjamin, and a commentary by several film historians, as well as a making of feature and an image gallery.
