Madison

PG

Released Jan 18, 2001

1 hr. 39 min.

Drama

List

31%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

50%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After an accident ends his career as a hydroplane pilot, Jim McCormick (Jim Caviezel) settles into life as an air-conditioner mechanic, husband and father in a Midwestern town. The population of Madison, Ind., is relatively small, but it has been a fixture of national powerboat racing for years -- although that's in danger of ending. With life in the town being bleak enough as is, Jim, with the blessing of his wife (Mary McCormack) and son (Jake Lloyd), enters the 1971 Gold Cup hydroplane race.

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Critics Consensus

A pedictable and heavy-handed sports drama.

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Audience Member

I caught this movie while stuck in a hotel one night and I really kind of liked it. Not 'The Godfather' or 'Casablanca' by any means but good nonetheless.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Cliched but heartfelt film about a small town coming together to make a champion of the town and it's speedboat. Jim Caviezel gives a heartwarming performance as Jim McCormick the speedboat racer who overcomes his personal fear to lead his team and town to its first and only speedboat racing championship. Cliched at every turn yet Madison has enough heart to overlook all its shortcomings.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A fantastic film and one of the best sports file in years. Caviezel is phenomenal as Jim McCormick, and so is the rest of the cast. This film is severely unappreciated.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Typical sports drama about a hydroplane race team in the 70's While it's not a bad film it is rather uninspired and boring.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Frances H

Madison illustrates a basic difference between men and women. Women can never understand why men need to prove their courage by risking their lives to prove that they can drive a boat or car or fly a plane or hang glide faster than any other man in the county, state, country or world, especially when they have a family for whom they share responsibility. If they have to risk their lives to feed their children or fight for their children's right to exist, that's one thing, but to do so just to prove to other jocks that they can climb or fly higher or drive a car, plane or boat faster is something else. In my opinion, such men shouldn't have families, if that is what they choose to do with their lives, and that includes living fathers and mothers. As for this movie , it just reinforces this idea that sports are worth risking your life for, which in my opinion is just as irresponsible.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/05/13

Full Review

Audience Member

I liked it, not for its story, because I've seen the story a hundred times. No, I like it because of the way the story is told. A movie about hydroplane boat racing is a new one, but every single scene in the movie is one that you have seen in another sports movie. Yes, it's predictable, but the acting and the story-telling is what I like. Oh, and the great boat racing. The story is of the Madison Indiana boat racing team. Their boat, The Miss Madison is the laughing stock of the hydroplane racing world, but the guys who work on it put more effort into their boat than anyone else. Madison is suddenly given the chance to host the prestigious Gold Cup championship. The leader of The Miss Madison team, Jim McCormick, accepts. They must raise 50,000 dollars to host the event. Also, The Miss Madison is without a driver. Jim used to drive hydroplanes, until an accident forced him from the game. Now it is up to him the race for the team, and the town. Jim Caviezel stars as Jim McCormick. The movie was shot before the Passion of the Christ, but released after. It was shelved from 2001 to 2005. It really is a shame that Passion of the Christ kind of torpedoed Caviezel's career for a few years. He is a exceptional actor, and it's good to see him getting more projects lined up lately. Bruce Dern plays Harry Volpi, an old time mechanic who helps Jim and the team. It is a decent performance, nothing really of note. Mary McCormack plays Jim's wife Bonnie. She is actually very good, and she has some chemistry with Caviezel. Jake Lloyd, aka little Anakin Skywalker, plays Jim's son Mike. Wow, is he a bad actor. Maybe if he acted in the silent movie days, when over-the-top expressions where required, he would be good. Overall, it's all in the execution. The actual scenes of racing were well done. The acting was solid. But the story is completely formula. Still enjoyable. "Were in it to win it. Just like everybody else." 7/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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William Bindley

Director

Jim Caviezel

Jim McCormick

Jake Lloyd

Mike McCormick

Mary McCormack

Bonnie McCormick

Bruce Dern

Harry Volpi

Brent Briscoe

Tony Steinhardt

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

There is one major difference between the two, however. Hoosiers is a fantastic movie, maybe the best sports-related motion picture ever made; Madison, quite simply, is not.

Rated: 2/4

Jul 5, 2005

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

You've seen a movie that has the exact same scene after scene and the sport's just been different.

Apr 25, 2005

Full Review

Tom Keogh

Seattle Times

A touching, spirited family movie that, in the Rocky tradition, is about a sports challenge that represents the hopes and aspirations of characters with little reason to expect success.

Apr 22, 2005

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

It's one of those films that makes me realize just how much I love cinema.

Rated: 3.0/4.0

Sep 15, 2020

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...the film's storyline follows an exceedingly familiar trajectory.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 22, 2005

Full Review

Daniel Eagan

Film Journal International

As the clichs mount up, it's easy to see why the film has been waiting for a release since 2001.

Apr 29, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

After an accident ends his career as a hydroplane pilot, Jim McCormick (Jim Caviezel) settles into life as an air-conditioner mechanic, husband and father in a Midwestern town. The population of Madison, Ind., is relatively small, but it has been a fixture of national powerboat racing for years -- although that's in danger of ending. With life in the town being bleak enough as is, Jim, with the blessing of his wife (Mary McCormack) and son (Jake Lloyd), enters the 1971 Gold Cup hydroplane race.

Director: William Bindley
Executive Producer: Carl Amari, Chris Dennis, Roy Millonzi, Steve Salutric
Screenwriter: William Bindley, Scott Bindley
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Addison Street Films, Road Pictures, North Shore Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 18, 2001, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 2005
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $508.9K
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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