PP Movie Review: Born 2 Race

So I watched Born to Race (2011) this week and this is one racing film that I really enjoyed. Again this is another first time watch since I never heard of it until I found it on Tubi. When it was first released, it went straight to DVD and never went to theaters. One of the actors on the cover whom I was somewhat familiar with was Brando Eaton (Jake), so that gave me more reason to want to check it out. In the beginning where the street race had already started, it reminded me of the beginning of The Fast and The Furious (2001) where they showcase all the cars and spectators cheering on the racers. But unlike The Fast and The Furious, the protagonist Danny was not able to escape the cops after the race. Once it’s his turn to race, he crashes into a cop’s car only a few seconds after he started driving. Afterwards he ends up getting arrested for the illegal street racing, loses his drag racing sponsorship, and is later sent to live with his estranged father who was a former racer himself. The rest of the movie focuses on Danny adjusting to life in a new town and rebuilding his relationship with his father through their common passion for racing. The heartfelt storyline, great action and lovely ending is what caused me to rate this movie as an 8/10.

Before I get into my overall opinions on the film, let's discuss my favorite cars in this film. The first was Jessica’s dark blue 2000 Porsche Boxster. I’m not big on two-seater sportscars, but this model looked very comfortable. The perfect car for two people. Jessica made a smart decision to use this car to impress Danny on  their first date. Similar to how in The Fast and Furious, Mia used her 1994 Acura Integra GS-R to impress Brian after their first date. The other car I liked was the 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T that was featured in the NHRA High School Drags competition towards the end of the movie. This particular model had a stunning black and hot pink finish that matches well with our Pink Sinnamon air fresheners. I don’t think this model was used just so it could be driven by a girl, but more so because it’s another vehicle that catches the viewers’attention.

Next, I want to discuss the character growth of Danny and Frank. I don’t believe that Danny was a bad kid but he was troubled. He continued to do illegal street racing even though that’s what caused him to get sent to live with Frank in the first place. He was so obsessed with proving that he was a better racer than his bully Jake that he blew off his second date with Jessica. He was similar to his dad in the way that he prioritized his reputation over the people he loved. When Jessica tried to explain to Danny how she didn’t like him putting her in second place, he said she was giving him a “hard time”. You could tell that was icing on the cake when Jessica asked him to leave after that. This showed that Danny didn’t understand how his actions affected the girl he cared about, similarly to how he felt that Frank didn’t understand how his leaving affected Danny and his mom. Eventually, Danny apologized and made up with Jessica.  I love the part where Danny reminisces on the first time that Frank took Danny out for a ride in Frank’s 1987 Buick Grand National. He explains that even though the speeding made him nervous and scared, he knew he was safe once he remembered that his dad was there to protect him. That scene brought me to the realization that Danny doesn’t just race because it’s his passion. He races because that is what helped him to feel close to his dad when he wasn’t around. Frank noticing the similarities between him and Danny helped him to understand his son better and rebuild their bond. At the end of the movie when Jake’s car flips over, Danny did not hesitate to retrieve his rival from the burning vehicle. It didn’t matter that the guy disrespected Danny throughout the film. Danny still knew to do what was right and ended up winning the race anyway. So both Danny and Frank learned that even though you can’t erase your mistakes, you can still work on becoming a better person moving forward.  

The writers did a great job of building a drag racing storyline around a high school setting. It’s not too much of a car action movie and not too much of a teenage drama. There’s a good balance between both. I’ve seen several teen movies where the plot follows the new kid in town dealing with family issues who falls for the popular girl and gets targeted by the bully. But this would be my first time seeing motorsports being incorporated into that storyline. It would’ve looked like a more believable high school movie if they used more actors who were actually teenagers, but it’s not an uncommon practice to use older actors in teen movies. I guess the older you get, the more strange it looks to see people who were around your current age playing teens. But overall, Born to Race is the type of film where you don’t have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy it. If you’re just in the mood for something sentimental and exciting, this would be a good choice. I already see it as a comfort movie that I’ll be watching again soon.