RACING WITH THE MOON. Directed by Richard Benjamin; written by Steven Kloves; produced by Alain Bernheim and John Kohn for Paramount. Starring Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern and Nicolas Cage. Rated PG (some nudity and adult situations).
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Time travel need not be risky or expensive while Racing is in town. Its portrayal of home-front America during World War II is flawless, down to the smallest details. And happily, it's not just a production designer's tour de force. The story is touching and interesting. And the performances are outstanding.
The story concerns Henry (Penn) and Nicky (Cage), high school seniors in a small California coastal town. They've been friends since childhood, and are now waiting to ship out together with the Marines. Nicky has a girlfriend who complicates their last days at home by getting pregnant. And Henry's life is complicated as well when he falls in love with Caddie (McGovern).
The boys' relationship is interesting because in spite of so much shared experience, they're very different. Henry, who is the movie's main focus, is inwardly sensitive and caring, his rough appearance notwithstanding. Penn handles the conflicting demands of the role with ease. He justifies all the hype about his being one of the best young actors around. He's also appealing and even sexy without being particularly good looking—a cute trick.
Nicky, on the other hand, is as coarse and self-centered as he appears, although he makes some steps toward maturity and responsibility. Cage, while not as charismatic as Penn, gives a good performance as well.
The characters are always interesting to watch, but I have a few minor problems with the plot. For one thing, Henry and Caddie's first love scene comes a little suddenly. Just moments before they had seemed so chaste.
The story takes a little while to get moving as well. But overall, Racing is easy to watch and enjoy. Visually charming, it also has an emotional and artistic depth missing from most movies about adolescence. The story isn't elaborate. But it is universal (made more poignant here by historical circumstances). And because it is told with such care and style, it makes a memorable movie experience.
April 4, 1984