Hands on a Hardbody

PG

Released Jun 5, 1997

1h 35m

Documentary

List

80%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

92%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Filmmaker S.R. Bindler profiles Texas contestants trying to win a truck by keeping one hand on it longer than everyone else.

Read More

Read Less

Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

On the one hand, the Hands on a Hard Body contest seems a horrible exploitation of needy people as a publicity stunt to promote a car dealership; on the other, the film reveals an endearing piece of Americana.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 14, 2001

Full Review

Peter Stack

San Francisco Chronicle

It's engaging as a non-drama of people doing nothing, but suffering a lot.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Dennis Lim

Village Voice

Scrappy, likable, and immensely absorbing.

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Jae-Ha Kim

Jae-Ha Kim

There's a certain cruelty to these type of contests that the filmmakers don't address. It's easy to understand why poor people would want to win a car. But why do sponsors feel the need to humiliate and torture them for this opportunity?

Rated: 1.5/4

Jul 27, 2023

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 5/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 11, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

1/6/16 Sundance Doc Club Only in Texas, particularly East Texas would people endure this type of pain to win a truck. However, the film maker does a great job of pulling the viewer in and making you want to stay till the end to see who wins, like the contestants but without the pain. It is a testament to perseverance and achievement, not only a marketing gimmick but a beautiful human interest story. Well done and worth watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Cameron M

Quirky but surprisingly absorbing Hands on a Hard Body relishes in its east-Texas influence and gets a lot of interest in its stationary subject though its conclusion comes off as anticlimactic.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/12/15

Full Review

Audience Member

This doc is actually riveting. It reveals the stories of the contestants in both amusing interesting and disturbing ways. Quite a little study in humanity.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

On of Itunes best selling character movies

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Finally watched this movie after all these years. It's a strange, fascinating, and bizarre movie, with oddly compelling characters.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Must watch documentary about the "Hands On A Hard Body" contest held in LONGVIEW, TX!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

S.R. Bindler

Director

S.R. Bindler

Producer

Chapin Wilson

Producer

Neil Kassanoff

Original Music

S.R. Bindler

Cinematographer

Michael A. Nickles

Cinematographer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

91%

84%

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control

86%

70%

Trekkies

60%

88%

NASCAR

80%

92%

Step Into Liquid

96%

83%

The War Room

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Five Favorite Films with Michelle Monaghan

Altman’s Final Project Most Likely Canceled

The Weekly Ketchup: Robert Downey Jr. As "Iron Man," George Lucas In The News, And More!

View more photos

Synopsis

Filmmaker S.R. Bindler profiles Texas contestants trying to win a truck by keeping one hand on it longer than everyone else.

Director: S.R. Bindler
Distributor: Providence Entertainment
Production Co: J.K. Livin Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 5, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $549.1K
Runtime: 1h 35m

Most Popular at Home Now