Movie Reviews
“Madison”, in the way of the great sports films of the last generation, has the ability to create true suspense even though we may know the final outcome. I’ve always said that it’s not in the finale, it’s in how we get there, and although that does not always apply, it most certainly does here.
Scott Bindley began writing the screenplay for this when he was in college many years ago. He and his brother Bill started delving into the history of it all. He had heard about the famed Regatta boat races that are held in the town of Madison, Indiana (my hometown, born and raised). He heard the story of the 1971 Gold Cup race and how the hometown’s Miss Madison boat came back against near-insurmountable odds to win the final, gaining the town both funds to hold more races and a thriving tourist industry. That race shot Madison’s reputation up, and now her historical beauty is sought after.
It took an unusually long period of time for the Bindleys to get the script where they wanted it. They came marching into town in 1999 with the works – cameras, microphones, actors, and extras...lots of extras. It’s a funny thing to see so many movies about little old towns that require many extras and not realize that most of them are probably from the town. In seeing the finished film, nearly six years after its filming, I am now understanding where all my friends and church members where all summer long. What’s strange is seeing them as they were six years ago, and seeing the town as it was six years ago. Some of both is quite eye-opening to me who, consequently, becomes acclimated to downtown changes rather easily.
For those of you in the dark, who are not familiar with the story of the 1971 boat race, “Madison” is about Jim McCormick (Jim Caviezel) a local mechanic who races for leisure rather than sport. An accident that injured him and killed a friend some time ago made it that way. Now he’s part of the Miss Madison team – working with the likes of Tony Steinhardt (Brent Briscoe). They aren’t really mechanics, but they do their best, which isn’t always good. A couple of engine blowouts later, their driver quits and any chance they have of qualifying for the finals is now up to McCormick.
His son is Mike (Jake Lloyd), a somewhat feisty ten-year-old who enjoys watching the men work on and race the boat. He gets involved in the national competitions that are held for qualifying. They travel to Seattle, Miami, and back, but not with high spirits. The boat is in shambles because of a failed spur-of-the-moment experiment, and the team is falling apart. At a dinner meeting, Madison is drawn to host the Gold Cup under the conditions that they raise $50,000 for the prize money. McCormick agrees forcefully, vowing to raise the money is the time allotted. He understands that hosting the race could bring a lot of travelers to Madison. And if they win, they’ll be refunded anyway.
“Madison” stars Caviezel, who proves here (as he has done recently) that he is not a “lucky” wonder. His acting is true form. Lloyd is also quite good. I must admit that I loathed him in “Episode I”, but here, he fits well. Bruce Dern, playing a close friend of McCormick, is the wise character. His performance is where it should be; Dern is a smart enough actor to position it there. Mary McCormack, as Bonnie McCormick, displays a quality that makes her real. And Paul Dooley is just plain fun to watch, as usual.
As a pure creative piece, “Madison” is superb. The cinematography is beautiful, taking full advantage of Madison’s scenery, but ready to rely on characters and not visuals. As a sports film, “Madison” is well-shot. The way the races are filmed requires no explanation of the sport itself. Instead, we figure out how it is played, all the while being pulled in by the suspense. As a drama, “Madison” shines with great performances. It’s structured well, not rushing the story or the races. While a few melo-dramatic flaws enter seldom here and there, director Bill Bindley achieves three or four masterful moments. ***