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Saturday, 04/23/05
Madison
By Dana Kopp Franklin
All The Rage
This 'sports miracle' film is charming, if not life-changing ''Sports miracle'' movies are not about suspense. The audience never doubts that the plucky contenders will triumph. What distinguishes a good example of the genre is everything but the plot: the acting, the richness of the characters, the capturing of a place and time. Madison, the first hometown high-speed boating version of the sports miracle flick I've ever seen, has enough good craftsmanship to make it enjoyable. And in an era where decent PG-rated entertainment is in short supply, it may find an appreciative audience.
Fans of The Passion of the Christ may buy tickets just to see Jim Caviezel (see interview). He brings his usual earnest intensity to the role of Jim McCormick, the solid family man whose can-do attitude powers the film. Madison is loosely based on real events that took place in Madison, Ind., in 1971. The Ohio River town, population 13,000, had a long tradition of boat racing. The municipality even possessed its own (somewhat obsolete) hydroplane racing boat. As the town struggled to stay alive due to the demise of water freight, McCormick became Madison's hero, taking that boat to glory, as captured on ABC's Wide World of Sports. An image from that TV segment closes the film, with the real-life McCormick accepting his trophy and his young son looking on with an expression of sweet adoration. Director William Bindley, who wrote the script with his brother, Scott, is a Hoosier whose love for the region is evident. And this movie about underdogs is a bit of an underdog itself. An independent production filmed five years ago, it's finally getting a theatrical release. Caviezel says he had to give up his salary to keep the movie afloat. Madison doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, but it's satisfying, thanks to the players and the setting. The fact that the town was practically dying due to layoffs adds a tart note that tempers the sweetness. Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace) is effective as the boy who worships his dad. Also good are Mary McCormick (K Street) and seasoned character actors Paul Dooley and Bruce Dern.
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