3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writer (WGA):

Robert Eisele (written by)

Release Date:

11 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

One man, One sport. One nation.

Plot:

Barry Pepper portrays legendary race car drive Dale Earnhardt, who died in 2001 during the last lap of the Daytona 500.

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title | Number In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Barry Pepper	...	Dale Earnhardt
Elizabeth Mitchell	...	Teresa Earnhardt
Ernest Whitted	...	Pit Crowd
Andrea Powell	...	Martha Earnhardt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sean Bridgers	...	Neil Bonnett
Joe Chrest	...	Jake Elder
Russell Cook	...	Press Conference VIP
Teresa Delgado	...	Kelly Earnhardt
Traci Dinwiddie	...	Connie
Lori Beth Edgeman	...	Latane Brown
Corri English	...	Kelly Earnhardt
Michael Flippo	...	Wayne Robertson
Daniel Freeze	...	Dale Pit Crew
Frank Glidden	...	Kerry
Craig S. Harper	...	Kenny Schrader
Andy Hillenburg	...	Deke
Jim Keisler	...	GM Executive
James G. Martin Jr.	...	Dwayne
Chad McCumbee	...	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Marshal McGee	...	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Ron Prather	...	Richard Childress
Tricia Quattlebaum	...	Daisy
Brandi Ryans	...	Brenda Gee
David Sherrill	...	H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler
J.K. Simmons	...	Ralph Earnhardt
Zachary Dylan Smith	...	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Kevin Stillwell	...	Rod Osterland
Greg Thompson	...	Darrell Waltrip
Olivia Weston	...	Dale's Mistress
David Wilson	...	GM Executive

Also Known As:

3 (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

Brazil:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Company:

ESPN

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Harry Gant's 1989 Skoal Oldsmobile appears in the 1986 Richmond race, where Earnhardt wrecks Darrell Waltrip.

Quotes:

Ralph Earnhardt: The winner ain't the one with the fastest car, son. It's just the one who refuses to lose.

Earnhardt Film Flawed, but Well-Made...

"3: The Dale Earnhardt Story" isn't going to win a lot of non-Nascar fans over to the sport, but as a biography, it is well-made, offers some believable insights on what made Earnhardt the often enigmatic person he was, and, in Barry Pepper, provides an eerily close approximation to the 'look' and 'feel' of the racing legend. Pepper will certainly receive an Emmy nomination for the role, and delivers such a powerful portrayal that you nearly forget how good the rest of the cast is.

While Elizabeth Mitchell is more glamorous than the real Teresa Earnhardt, she is quite solid and believable in the role; to truly appreciate how important Teresa's intelligence and business acumen were to Dale, it would have required a much longer movie, and might have seriously tilted the story away from Dale's other relationships, and the balance that Pepper and director Russell Mulcahy achieved.

Dale's early years come off best in the film, with a wonderful performance by J.K. Simmons as the inspirational Ralph Earnhardt. The grittiness and 'backwoods blue-collar' feel of Earnhardt's upbringing is well-conveyed, and reminiscent of "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "The River". The film loses a bit of steam when Dale begins racing, and as he achieves success, a lot of memorable moments had to be edited out, or telescoped down, which has disappointed some Earnhardt fans. Considering the time and budget constraints, however, I found the story to be remarkably accurate.

The young actors who portrayed Dale's children as adults should be singled out for recognition; race car driver/first-time actor Chad Mcumbee, while low-key, is pretty impressive as Dale Jr., conveying both a pride in his father, and frustration in being 'held back' so he could complete his education before being permitted to race; Corri English, while too cute, has an infectious smile and manner, and exhibits the Earnhardt joy of fast cars; best of all is newcomer Frank Glidden as oldest son Kerry, who, in a few brief scenes, offers a balanced, sensitive interpretation of the son Dale abandoned, finally winning his father's attention and respect, even as he sees Dale Jr. outshining him on the track. I look forward to seeing more of Glidden's work in future!

While there will certainly be a more detailed and polished feature film about Earnhardt in the future, this ESPN production is not without it's own merits, and provides an entertaining, dramatic overview of the racing legend's life.