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Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Play trailer 1:55 Poster for Tucker: The Man and His Dream PG Released Aug 12, 1988 1h 51m Biography History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Obsessed with cars since childhood, inventor Preston Tucker (Jeff Bridges) has his first successful auto design partnership in the 1930s and designs a successful gun turret for World War II use. With those achievements under his belt, Tucker is determined to create a futuristic car for the masses: the Tucker Torpedo. However, his dreams are challenged by Detroit's auto manufacturers, production problems and accusations of stock fraud, and he is forced to defend his dream and honesty in court.
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Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Tucker: The Man and His Dream

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Critics Consensus

Though it may not be as comprehensive as some would like, Francis Ford Coppola's cheerful biopic of the failed automotive designer features sparkling direction and a strong central performance from Jeff Bridges.

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Critics Reviews

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James Jackson Times (UK) [Bridges'] handsome, effortless charisma is on full beam as Preston Tucker, an American car entrepreneur during the 1940s. Sep 27, 2023 Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian Tucker works well enough on a purely emotional level to become a resonant film. And its naivety is in certain ways its strength. Aug 16, 2021 Full Review Alexander Walker London Evening Standard Tucker's style, like the film commemorating him, is that of a story-board artist turning life into instant wish-fulfilment. All posture, no depth: all good looks nothing behind them. Aug 16, 2021 Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) If Tucker is the work of a director who is lavishly in command of his medium, it's also a shallow piece of moviemaking, whose message is spelled out in oversized block letters for everyone to read in all their pastel, Capraesque banality. May 8, 2023 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) The automobile as the grand American illusion… perfect production design from the first car down to the last little hat. [Full review in Spanish] Jun 15, 2022 Full Review Lisa Laman The Spool Coppola adds in a fair number of unique beats to ensure that TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM isn't just a hollow echo of filmmaking of the past. Apr 26, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (214) audience reviews
S R Saw this before and its an inspiring true story about the American Dream, but how Tucker's was squashed by the big 3 car makers. Good acting and compelling story. I own it digitally. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/17/24 Full Review Alec B Its a workable biopic because it isn't just about Tucker Preston nor is it just a thinly veiled metaphor for filmmaking. This is about Francis Ford Coppola and/or George Lucas trying desperately to make art in a system made up of people who only want to make money. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/24 Full Review Larry K The plot is all over the place but its a good movie. Jeff Bridges kills it Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/24 Full Review Joel H Much like many of the characters in this movie, I never really caught the vision of Tucker: The Man and His Dream. I know Francis Ford Coppola is a big fan of Preston Tucker and his car, which is why he made this passion project, but this film didn't really make me care about his story. I just felt apathetic while watching it, despite all the wide-eyed enthusiasm Jeff Bridges brings to the table. And the rest of the cast just seemed to be along for the ride as the plot zoomed from scene to scene. I wonder if the reason this film got such critical acclaim is primarily because Coppola was involved. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/03/23 Full Review R B A must watch, fact-based film about the little guy vs. the big guy. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/11/23 Full Review John K Saw it recently after seeing it 30 years ago. I was entertained initially seeing it but thought it was wildly uneven and wasted a lot of interesting secondary characters like Mako. Still, it was great to see the cars and always a sucker for a post wwii period piece. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Tucker: The Man and His Dream

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Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - The Idea and the Dream Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - The Idea and the Dream 2:13 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Tucker's Defense Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Tucker's Defense 2:12 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Police Chase Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Police Chase 2:02 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Factory Accident Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Factory Accident 1:43 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Christening the Tucker Sedan Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Christening the Tucker Sedan 2:13 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - The Car of Tomorrow Today Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - The Car of Tomorrow Today 2:08 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - The Design Department Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - The Design Department 1:32 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Tucker's Presentation Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Tucker's Presentation 2:15 Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Catching Dreams Tucker: The Man and His Dream: Official Clip - Catching Dreams 2:13 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Obsessed with cars since childhood, inventor Preston Tucker (Jeff Bridges) has his first successful auto design partnership in the 1930s and designs a successful gun turret for World War II use. With those achievements under his belt, Tucker is determined to create a futuristic car for the masses: the Tucker Torpedo. However, his dreams are challenged by Detroit's auto manufacturers, production problems and accusations of stock fraud, and he is forced to defend his dream and honesty in court.
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Producer
Fred Roos, Fred Fuchs
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Rating
PG
Genre
Biography, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 12, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 31, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$19.2M
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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