Tucker: The Man and His Dream

  • Review Date: August 28, 2007
  • PG
  • Genre: Drama
  • 1988
Review

Common Sense Media says

Smoke-filled, rousing dramedy about corruption.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while this movie is set in the 1940s and 1950s, there's considerable drinking, smoking, and swearing. There's also some kissing. Expect discrimination typical of the era: Abe calls Preston's partner a "Jap," and Preston says Jimmy's family is all in a relocation camp. Characters also use the phrase "New Yorker" to mean "Jewish" when speaking of Abe. And Bennington calls Vera "the little woman" in a belittling way. Also, some images of people killed in car accidents and bloodied may be too much for younger or more sensitive viewers.

  • Positive messages0
    Someone calls a Japanese man a "Jap" and the way characters use the phrase "New Yorker," it's clear it's a stand-in for "Jew." Characters demean women, calling Vera "the little woman." Reference to Abe having served a prison sentence.
  • Violence3
    A car rolls with someone in it (no injuries). Preston shows photos of people killed in car accidents. A woman faints. A fire starts under a car.
  • Sex0
    Preston and Vera kiss and later make out on a bed (clothes on).
  • Language3
    Some swearing, most notably several uses of the words "damn" and "hell." Also used: "goddammit," "bastards," "son of a bitch," "prick," and "ass."
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Most characters smoke constantly, including Tucker and Vera. Men smoke cigars. Characters drink martinis and champagne. Tucker and other men drink liquor from a bottle.
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What's the story?

TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM chronicles the struggles of ahead-of-his-time inventor Preston Tucker (Jeff Bridges), who finds inspiration from a poll stating that 87 percent of people coming back from World War II want a new car. Behold the Tucker: A car with all kinds of bells and whistles that didn't exist at that time, including fuel injection, seatbelts, disc brakes, and roll bars. And he'll even make it look like a jet and put the engine in the rear. He could make a bundle! Tucker's dream has a chance to become a reality when he gets a friend to write an article extolling the virtues of a car he's not yet manufactured and gains the business sense of Abe Karatz (Martin Landau). But when faced with the corruption of elected officials and a board of directors bent on tabling all his innovative ideas, what will happen to his invention? The answer may surprise you.

Is it any good?

 

This film could have been one long, self-righteous screed against corporations, a la An Unreasonable Man. But it's directed by legendary Francis Ford Coppola, who makes his characters loveable, charming, even impish, and makes the telling of the story as important as the point it has to make.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the kind of work it takes to pursue a dream. Was Tucker a dreamer, a businessman, or an inventor? He did research, he worked with engineers, and he was a great salesman. Do you have to be all those things to start a new company? Do you have to lie?

This review was written by Heather Boerner

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This review was written by Heather Boerner
Topics:cars and trucks, history
Studio:Paramount Pictures
Director:Francis Ford Coppola
Cast:Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen, Martin Landau
Genre:Drama
Run time:110 minutes
Theatrical release date:August 12, 1988
DVD release date:October 24, 2000
MPAA rating:PG
This review was written by Heather Boerner
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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