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Racing With the Moon

Play trailer Poster for Racing With the Moon PG 1984 1h 48m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
In their last weeks before deployment to World War II as Marines, teenage friends Henry Nash (Sean Penn) and Nicky (Nicolas Cage) try to make the best of the time they have left in their small California town. When Nash spots Caddie Winger (Elizabeth McGovern), a new girl in town he mistakenly believes to be wealthy, he sets about winning her over. But the good times are ruined when Nicky finds himself trying to solve a serious predicament, and implicating Nash and Caddie in the process.
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Racing With the Moon

Critics Reviews

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Time Out 06/24/2006
Very little seems to happen in this social vacuum, and none of it is memorable. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 10/23/2004
3.5/4
It's easy to end a movie with 'I love you,' but it's hard to get there honestly. Go to Full Review Vincent Canby New York Times 05/20/2003
4/5
An exceptionally appealing movie about subjects you may think you've already had enough of -- growing up, first love and the shouldering of arms and other responsibilities. Go to Full Review Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com 03/09/2025
B-
"Racing with the Moon" commences with interesting scenes of friendship and courtship, as Benjamin really captures the wartime mood, also doing well setting up relationships. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 03/02/2025
3/4
Racing With the Moon is yet another coming-of-age drama filtered through the past, but what’s notable about it is how it frequently focuses on the idyllic aspects of small-town life, thus making WWII seem even further away. Go to Full Review TV Guide 09/16/2008
2.5/4
Everyone tries hard, but the movie is essentially superficial and has difficulty sustaining audience interest. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s @Thiagostone 07/06/2025 Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é bacana, e alguns ajudam a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, e o drama do filme deu uma salvada. See more CodyZamboni Z @CodyZamboni 11/11/2024 Solid character drama as 2 friends, soon to be drafted during WW2, spend their last weeks partying, dodging trains, and being carefree, But the good times are tempered by their real fears of of getting killed or losing a limb, ideas about being rich and poor, falling in love, and dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, All this tests their friendship, and forces them to grow up a bit faster. Spot on performances by Sean Penn and Nick Cage, Nice period detail, and location cinematography of a small California coastal town. See more Steve D @RT35616104 08/24/2023 Breaks no new ground but does its job. See more 12/17/2020 Simple character study of 2 young men waiting to go to war and the troubles they get into before being called up. Penn gives a mature yet subtle performanace as Hopper Nash as a yound man who falls in love for the first time and always needing to bail out his screwball friend (Cage). See more 07/12/2019 Charmingly undervalued and underrated coming of age film. Sensitively acted and directed film which packs an emotional punch at its climax. Beautiful film score by Dave Grusin. Still stirs deep emotions 35 years after I first saw it. Production Values and massive budgets are not always key to making meaningful and poignant cinematic statements. This is proof that a good story with good actors and a sensitive ensemble can deliver a classic even if its under the radar. Kudos to director Richard Benjamin who I first remember as an actor in the Sunshine Boys with George Burns and Walter Matthau. I never knew how MUCH I liked this film until I saw it again after so much time. See more Thomas M @TMProofreader 02/02/2019 The best romance movie ever made! See more Read all reviews
Racing With the Moon

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Cast & Crew

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Richard Benjamin

Director

Sean Penn

Henry 'Hopper' Nash

Elizabeth McGovern

Caddie Winger

Nicolas Cage

Nicky

John Karlen

Mr. Nash

Rutanya Alda

Mrs. Nash

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Racing With the Moon

Racing With the Moon (1984) Racing With the Moon (1984) Racing With the Moon (1984) Racing With the Moon (1984) Racing With the Moon (1984) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In their last weeks before deployment to World War II as Marines, teenage friends Henry Nash (Sean Penn) and Nicky (Nicolas Cage) try to make the best of the time they have left in their small California town. When Nash spots Caddie Winger (Elizabeth McGovern), a new girl in town he mistakenly believes to be wealthy, he sets about winning her over. But the good times are ruined when Nicky finds himself trying to solve a serious predicament, and implicating Nash and Caddie in the process.
Director
Richard Benjamin
Producer
Alain Bernheim, John Kohn
Screenwriter
Steve Kloves
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 23, 1984, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2011
Runtime
1h 48m
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