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Gold Medal Software 3
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Gold Medal Software - Volume 3 (Gold Medal) (1994).iso
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1994-02-27
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4KB
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67 lines
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 8 SECONDS: John G. Avildsen, director. Monte Merrick, │
│ screenplay. Starring Luke Perry, Stephen Baldwin, Cyn- │
│ thia Geary, James Rebhorn, Carrie Snodgress, Red Mitch- │
│ ell, Ronnie Claire Edwards, and Linden Ashby. New Line │
│ Cinema. Rated PG-13. │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Luke Perry (Fox-TV's BEVERLY HILLS 90210) rides small in the
saddle in ROCKY and KARATE KID director John G. Avildsen's tri-
bute to world champion bull rider Lane Frost: 8 SECONDS. Frost
rode to glory in 1987, when he won the world championship in Las
Vegas, one of the youngest men ever to do so. Perry plays Frost
with quiet power and a stoic veneer that's rarely broken. What
brings a smile to his face are bullriding, talking to rodeo kids,
and his love for barrel-riding champion, Kellie Kyle, caringly
played by Cynthia Geary (CBS-TV's NORTHERN EXPOSURE). Both
actors give strong performances, but, alas, the film story isn't
up to their talents.
Biopics generally tackle epic subjects, or epic events in
the subject's life. 8 SECONDS is different, a simply-told story
about an earnest young couple, with no flash or sizzle. It has a
country simplicity to it, which doesn't imply that country people
are simple. They're direct and straightforward, and don't
complicate their lives with the mess that city folk sometimes
have to put up with. (At least, that's the message here.) All
Lane wants to do are ride bulls and love Kellie. As he puts it,
"I ain't got nothing against the bulls. They just want to buck
you off and get on about their business. People hurt you a lot
sooner." All Kellie wants to do is love Lane and keep their life
together as happy and stress-free as possible.
When trouble does enter the Frost's lives (yes, they do
marry), it seems too removed from their on screen lives to become
so important. Lane has trouble coping with his fame, and with
his father's lack of support. ("You're just lucky the other boys
rode so poor," his father tells him after one win.) He shows
it by riding Kellie about her casual friendship with a calf-
roper. The situation, which I can only assume really happened,
sounds contrived; there's no supporting motivation for Lane's
sudden fury. Or for the infidelity that occurs on both sides of
the marriage. A tighter screenplay would have melded these
events more effortlessly; as it stands now, 8 SECONDS is a
confused muddle when it depicts the relationship.
More sharply-defined are Lane's friendships with Tuff Hede-
man (Stephen Baldwin) and Cody Lambert (Red Mitchell), fellow
bullriders on the circuit. Tuff constantly carps at Lane, hiding
his own envy at the better rider's talent. He's constantly
getting in scrapes on the road, living up to the good ole boy
image he thinks rodeo cowboys should show. Cody's a good-natured
fellow, the poet of the circuit, always there to help pull Lane
or Tuff out of trouble. Baldwin and Mitchell give good, if
uninspiring, performances in their roles.
Ultimately, love wins out, as cornball as that sounds, as
Lane realizes Kellie needs more than his dirty laundry to feel a
part of him. 8 SECONDS is definitely a rodeo fan movie, though,
despite some strong scenes between Perry and Geary. The
screening I went to was filled with a sea of cowboy hats and
boots, so the filmmakers know who their audience is. The movie's
a near miss in quality, with a final reel conclusion that feels
unfulfilled.
RATING: $$