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Hands on a Hardbody

Play trailer Poster for Hands on a Hardbody PG 1997 1h 35m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 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.

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Hands on a Hardbody

Critics Reviews

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Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times 02/14/2001
3/5
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. Go to Full Review
Anita Gates New York Times 01/01/2000
4/5
These may not be people whom moviegoers think they want to spend time with, but this is accomplished documentary making, finding universal lessons in determination, struggle, planning, persistence and the relationship of mind and body. Go to Full Review
Peter Stack San Francisco Chronicle 01/01/2000
2/4
It's engaging as a non-drama of people doing nothing, but suffering a lot. Go to Full Review
Jae-Ha Kim Jae-Ha Kim 07/27/2023
1.5/4
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? Go to Full Review
Film Threat 12/06/2005
5/5
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/11/2005
2/5
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Audience Reviews

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01/06/2016 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. See more Cameron M 11/12/2015 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. See more 05/29/2015 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. See more 10/27/2013 On of Itunes best selling character movies See more 07/07/2013 Finally watched this movie after all these years. It's a strange, fascinating, and bizarre movie, with oddly compelling characters. See more 04/25/2013 Must watch documentary about the "Hands On A Hard Body" contest held in LONGVIEW, TX! See more Read all reviews
Hands on a Hardbody

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Movie Info

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
Producer
S.R. Bindler, Chapin Wilson, Kevin Morris
Distributor
Providence Entertainment
Production Co
J.K. Livin Productions, Idea Entertainment, Wessex Entertainment Group
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
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