Race the Sun

PG

Released Mar 22, 1996

1h 39m

Drama

List

22%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

41%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sandra (Halle Berry), the new science teacher at a poor Hawaiian high school, finds the students surly and unmotivated. So she handpicks eight of them, including artistic Daniel (Casey Affleck) and his hedonistic stepsister, Cindy (Eliza Dushku), and guides them in the design and construction of a solar-powered car. After their unorthodox vehicle wins the Hawaiian championship, they travel to Australia to compete in a dangerous 2000-mile trek across the outback.

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Steve D

You have seen it all before but it is fun.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Race the Sun gives us the expected heaping of inspirational speeches and heartwarming moments. All the problems are resolved, the good guys come out on top, the bad guys are given their comeuppance, and everyone flies home to live happily ever after. It's enough to make anyone sick, but that's Hollywood when it comes to this sort of artificial, unimaginative, feel-good story. Surprisingly, the most flat performances are turned in by leads Berry and Belushi, both of whom are apparently on hand just to pick up checks. Belle's Beecher is disgustingly perky and Belushi's Machi is boring. Skip. (Nothing you won't find at 3 in the afternoon on telly).

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Race the Sun gives us the expected heaping of inspirational speeches and heartwarming moments. All the problems are resolved, the good guys come out on top, the bad guys are given their comeuppance, and everyone flies home to live happily ever after. It's enough to make anyone sick, but that's Hollywood when it comes to this sort of artificial, unimaginative, feel-good story. Surprisingly, the most flat performances are turned in by leads Berry and Belushi, both of whom are apparently on hand just to pick up checks. Belle's Beecher is disgustingly perky and Belushi's Machi is boring. Skip.(Nothing you won't find at 3 in the afternoon on telly).

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I just saw this thing on one of those broadcast channels that specialize in off-brand movies for the oldster/po-folks no money for cable communities. It was like "this looks like they spent about $1.98, what with everything...." We get to see the ugly ass end of Hawaii. Almost interesting. The credits roll... I miss the star. Eliza Dusky (Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is in this! Well, that might change everything. No such luck. The white surfer/slacker who is our focus ends up at his butthole school where the hot new teacher (shit, is that Hallie Berry?) is doing her nest Edward James Olmos simulation... shaping the class up and with the crimedgonly help of, wait for it, Jim Belusci, getting everyone pitching in for the big ... solar car race. It's like one of those after school specials they used to have. Everyone is so earnest. Dead end kids who never had a chance battling against asshole school administrators, sleazy corporate types, each other, and the fat kid saves the day! I was going to wax on about the deep dyed dumbness of the science/technology, but on reconsideration, I'll spare you -- and me. Have you ever seen a movie where they only had enough money for one decent actor? Harry Dean Stanton In Red Dawn comes to mind. He's there for a few seconds and you say "Holy shit, an actor!", and then... back to the kids. This movie is like that except the actor is J9im (that's Jim) Belucci. You see the sort of hell we've stumbled I to here. Everything here is based on a boring true story about a real solar car race. I guess everything turns out wonderful for our Hawaiian heros but by the time it was over I was head-down in my phone playing Clash of Clans. If you play CoC you know long stretches of it are basically time counters counting down " your new units will be up and

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I loved this movie! Story, acting, everything. hat a great bunch of kids and teachers. We need more like this

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It is 80s movie quality made in 96. Terrible. They cheer on a fat kid to get a car up a hill. He's driving a car. There is nothing he can do besides keep his foot on the gas.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

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Charles T. Kanganis

Director

Halle Berry

Miss Sandra Beecher

Jim Belushi

Frank Machi

Casey Affleck

Daniel Webster

Eliza Dushku

Cindy Johnson

Kevin Tighe

Jack Fryman

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Susan Stark

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Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Hollis Chacona

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 2.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Chuck O'Leary

FulvueDrive-in.com

Rated: 2/5

May 7, 2007

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Mike McGranaghan

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Rated: 1/5

Nov 2, 2003

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Caffeinated Clint

Moviehole

Far from groundbreaking, but a bit of fun

Rated: 3/5

Sep 19, 2002

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Sandra (Halle Berry), the new science teacher at a poor Hawaiian high school, finds the students surly and unmotivated. So she handpicks eight of them, including artistic Daniel (Casey Affleck) and his hedonistic stepsister, Cindy (Eliza Dushku), and guides them in the design and construction of a solar-powered car. After their unorthodox vehicle wins the Hawaiian championship, they travel to Australia to compete in a dangerous 2000-mile trek across the outback.

Director: Charles T. Kanganis
Production Co: TriStar Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 22, 1996, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Surround

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