The Racing Scene (1969)

Wonderful character development!

So much average

One of my all time favorites.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This is the kind of documentary best saved for a rainy day when there is literally nothing else to watch. It can be slow moving at times. There's also a raw grittyness to it that distracts from the story. Many shots, especially at the beginning, are hand-held and very shaky. The film literally follows James Garners interactions with the cars. There is almost no mention of what else Garner had going on in his life. There's no sense of how Garner balanced racing with the rest of his life. There's no sense of how Garner interacted with the team off the track. It may well be that Garner simply wrote checks and showed up on race day. That's not a very compelling story.If you're not into cars there might not be much for you here. If you are into cars then the race track footage from the drivers perspective and the track side footage of one hell of a crash make it worth seeing.

No, this is not LeMans, nor is it Grand Prix or the original Gumball Rally, but if you are a die-hard road racing fan, this is a great movie.Sure, I read the prior remark - yes, it does have Garner doing Garner stuff - and that's what makes it a great show for those of us that chase road racing, and can identify with what Jim does in this movie. This takes us back to a time where yes, money was important, but unlike today, you could get by without a multi-million dollar budget, you could hang out with the race teams - they were just like us - and today you don't have that.If you are looking for a slick Hollywood production loaded with stars, this isn't for you, but if you are looking for a great show that borderson being a PBS documentary - you will love this show.I'm trying to find a tape of this, I enjoyed it that much.

This film has some great in-car racing footage in it, but between the racing scenes, we're treated to James Garner walking around and doing a bunch of self-important stuff, some of it racing related. A ten minute scene devoted to Garner getting out of bed, showering, and shaving is just one of the ridiculous non-events that add up to make this film a major bore.

I saw this on SpeedVision, which usually bores me to tears. A year in the life of James Garner, his car, and his racing team. Garner's narration really lets you know the strategies, the problems, the stresses of running such an operation. Note: these are endurance races, where mechanics and engineering count for at least as much as drivers.