Racing Dreams
{{Short description|2009 American film directed by Marshall Curry}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Racing Dreams
| image = Promotional_poster_for_Racing_Dreams.jpg
| caption = Promotional poster for Racing Dreams
| director = Marshall Curry
| producer = Marshall Curry
Bristol Baughan
| writer = Marshall Curry
| starring = Annabeth Barnes
Josh Hobsen
Brandon Warren
| music = Joel Goodman
| cinematography = Marshall Curry
Peter Gordon
Wolfgang Held
Alan Jacobsen
| editing = Marshall Curry
Matthew Hamachek
Mary Manhardt
| studio = Marshall Curry Productions LLC
Reason Pictures
White Buffalo Entertainment
Hyperion Media Group
| distributor = Hannover House
| released = {{Film date|2009|06||Silverdocs|ref1={{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2009/05/dreams-to-race-in-silverdocs-competition-70419/|title="Dreams" to Race in SILVERDOCS' Competition|date=20 May 2009}}|2010|05|21|United States}}
| runtime = 96 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| gross = $65,082
}}
Racing Dreams is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Marshall Curry following two boys and a girl through a season of World Karting Association (WKA) racing as they compete and aspire to become professional NASCAR drivers.
Racing Dreams was produced by Bristol Baughan and Marshall Curry, and executive produced by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Turner, Dany Garcia (White Buffalo Entertainment) and Ben Goldhirsh (Good Inc.).
The film opened in theaters in select cities May 2010, with marketing support by NASCAR Entertainment.
Racing Dreams is also being developed into a feature film by DreamWorks Producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Synopsis
{{More plot|date=November 2015}}
The film centers on racers Annabeth Barnes (11 years old), Josh Hobson (12), and Brandon Warren (13) during a single season of WKA racing, where success can lead to sponsorships and a NASCAR career.Holden, Stephan. [http://racingdreamsfilm.com/reviews/new-york-times “Too Young for Driver’s Licenses, but With Full-Throttle Ambitions.”] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120716031057/http://racingdreamsfilm.com/reviews/new-york-times |date=2012-07-16 }} New York Times. Accessed on August 4, 2010. All three face challenges off the track as well as on as they come of age in the surprisingly high-pressure world of go-kart racing.
Reception
Racing Dreams won Best Documentary at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was also runner up for the Audience Award.{{cite news|last1=O'Neil|first1=Tom|title=Tribeca Film Festival Awards|url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/04/tribeca-film-festival-awards.html|newspaper=LA Times|accessdate=14 May 2015}} The film has a 100% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes based on 26 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.38/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Racing Dreams offers an absorbing peek at the lives of young NASCAR hopefuls that should resonate with racing enthusiasts as well as viewers with no connection to the sport."{{cite web|title=Racing Dreams (2010)|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/racing_dream/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=May 5, 2020}} The film was called "The best film of the year," by the Los Angeles Times ("The Envelope") and "Absorbing… one of the rare documentaries you leave wishing it was a little longer, " by The New York Times.{{cite news|title=Too Young for Driver's Licenses, but With Full-Throttle Ambitions|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/movies/09racing.html|website=The New York Times|date=8 July 2010|accessdate=14 May 2015|last1=Holden|first1=Stephen}} In a 2017 editorial for Rotten Tomatoes, it was named one of the five favorite films of fictional character Lightning McQueen from Disney/Pixar's Cars franchise.{{cite web |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/lightning-mcqueens-five-favorite-films/ |title=Lightning McQueen's Five Favorite Films |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=April 11, 2025}}
Awards
- Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner){{cite news|last1=Itzkoff|first1=Dave|title=Tribeca Film Festival Names Prizewinners|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/movies/01trib.html?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 2009}}
- Nashville Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner){{cite web|last1=Ridley|first1=Jim|title=Hipsters,' 'The Colonel's Bride,' 'Racing Dreams,' Van Peebles Cop Prizes at NaFF|url=http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2010/04/22/hipsters-the-colonels-bride-racing-dreams-van-peebles-cop-prizes-at-naff|website=Nashville Scene|accessdate=14 May 2015}}
- Florida Film Festival, Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature (winner){{cite web|last1=Knegt|first1=Peter|title="Winter's Bone," "Flag" Top Florida Fest Winners|url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/winters_bone_flag_top_florida_fest_winners|website=Indiewire|date=19 April 2010|accessdate=14 May 2015}}
- Indianapolis Film Festival, Audience Award (winner){{cite web|last1=Mandel|first1=Nora Lee|title=Racing Dreams|url=http://film-forward.com/racingdreams.html|website=Film-Forward|accessdate=14 May 2015}}
- Chicago International Film Festival, Silver Hugo Award (winner){{cite web|title=Racing Dreams Awards|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152840/awards?ref_=tt_ql_4|website=IMDB|accessdate=14 May 2015}}
- Jacksonville Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner){{cite web|title=Racing Dreams|url=http://www.icus.us/featured-films-2010/racing-dreams/|website=International Cinema US|accessdate=14 May 2015}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://racingdreamsfilm.com}}
- {{mojo title|racingdreams|Racing Dreams}}
- {{IMDb title}}
- {{Metacritic film}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
{{Kart racing}}
{{Marshall Curry}}
Category:American sports documentary films
Category:American auto racing films
Category:Documentary films about auto racing
Category:2009 documentary films
Category:Films directed by Marshall Curry