namashi_1 Francis Ford Coppola's 'Tucker: The Man and His Dream', based on the life of the Late/Great Preston Tucker and his attempt to produce and market the 1948 Tucker Sedan, is underrated biopic, that hits all the notes. And with Jeff Bridges & The Late/Great Martin Landau in company, its hard not to be mesmerized. 'Tucker: The Man and His Dream' Synopsis: The story of Preston Tucker, the maverick car designer and his ill-fated challenge to the auto industry with his revolutionary car concept.'Tucker: The Man and His Dream' captures Preston Tucker's madness & passion to bring an automobile to the people, that was far beyond people's imagination back then. It also captures his scandal between the "Big Three automobile manufacturers" and accusations of stock fraud from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which whom, he won rightly against in court. And Coppola, the genius, is at the top of his game. 'Tucker: The Man and His Dream' is among the legendary director's most accomplished works, delivering a biopic that's both fascinating & heartfelt. Arnold Schulman & David Seidler's Screenplay is wonderfully gripping. Cinematography & Editing add punch to the narrative. Art & Costume Design are excellent.Performance-Wise: Jeff Bridges as Preston Tucker & The Late/Great Martin Landau as Abe Karatz, the man who helps Tucker achieve his dream, are a Dream-Team. Bridges adds authenticity & charisma to Tucker, portraying a real-life man with full force. And Landau is pure acting gold as Abe, whose performance here, has to be among the strongest supporting turns in the film history. Watching these 2 men unravel here with their gift for acting, left me spell-bound. Of the rest of the cast, Joan Allen as Vera Tucker, Tucker's Wife & Christian Slater as Preston Tucker, Jr, stand out.On the whole, 'Tucker: The Man and His Dream' is a winner!

Solnichka McPherson We need to start with the plot - it's engaging and relatively true. It captures the spirit of American ingenuity with decent acting and nice cinematography. But somehow, this film is laughable and almost a farce. As noted above, Bridges' performance is almost a sketch of a clown, rather than a visionary like Preston Tucker. He's likable and funny, but you never get the sense he takes anything seriously, unless it's his wife's dress color being denied a spot in the auto paint selection. The supporting cast is very solid, with Martin Landau and Lloyd Bridges showing their experience. Dean Stockwell has a cameo as Howard Hughes, the only part of the film which is not based on reality. Elias Koteas is also in the film, showing the promise of his future - he was also in Some Kind of Wonderful at the same time. Try comparing the roles and see his diverse abilities. But again, for some reason, the film just is not good. Perhaps it's the light-hearted way the screenplay touches upon antitrust issues and collusion between automakers and lawmakers. It's a big suggestion to make, and the film does not explore the conspiracy fully enough.

AaronCapenBanner Francis Ford Coppola directed this entertaining biography of Preston Tucker ,(played with enthusiasm by Jeff Bridges), an ambitious inventor who, after WWII ends, devises a new kind of automobile with innovative features like seat belts(!). With help from his family, and his friend Abe(played nicely by Martin Landau) he gets the funding to build 50 cars after he leases a disused government factory. Things go wrong when the "Big 3" automakers get wind of this, and decide that they don't want the competition, get their lobbyists out to destroy him, led by a sinister senator(played by Jeff's father Lloyd Bridges). Tucker is finally brought to trial for fraud, and must plead his case personally, despite the government turning on him...Stylish and entertaining film features fine performances by all, and a poignant yet inspiring story of one determined man's efforts to improve the automobile industry, yet being stymied the whole way. Memorable speech by Tucker at the end will seem quite prescient in later years.

billcr12 Jeff Bridges stars as Preston Tucker, a pioneer of automobile manufacturing in the 1940s. The Tucker Torpedo was well ahead of its time, with disc brakes, seat belts and fuel injection, all new innovations. The big three auto makers plotted against Tucker, not thrilled with the new competition. A real life courtroom drama ensues with a David vs. Goliath like battle with crooked politicians, bad journalism and a man with a big dream. Coppola put his heart and soul into the making of Tucker, much like the subject did into his car. This film is a fine example of bringing to life a man with a dream who never gave up; very inspirational.