Parents' Guide to

Trading Paint

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Action, drinking, language in dirt track racing movie.

Movie R 2019 87 minutes
Trading Paint movie poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In TRADING PAINT, Sam "The Man" Munroe (John Travolta) is a track manager for his son Cam, who races on the dirt track stock car circuit in Talladega. On the verge of winning a race, Cam's car stalls before the finish line, giving the victory to Sam's arch-rival Bob Linsky (Michael Madsen). Frustrated with losing because of the quality of the car he drives, Cam accepts an offer from Linsky to drive for him. Livid that his own son would betray him this way, Sam decides to return to racing for the first time since his wife died in a fatal car accident. As Sam begins to win races and points, Linsky decides that it's time to take Sam out on the track, and when Cam refuses, another of Linsky's drivers takes on the task of starting an accident. Learning the hard way about Linsky's unethical lack of sportsmanship, Cam must make amends with Sam, and together, the two must find a way to buy and fix a new vehicle that Cam can drive to victory.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is an okay, if mostly flat, sports action movie centered on dirt track stock car racing. Trading Paint has its moments, but there are also scenes where not much seems to happen. On the conflict that emerges between legendary veteran Sam (played by John Travolta, whose Southern accent isn't as awful as cynics might think) and his son, the up-and-coming star Cam, the track announcers say things like "you can't write this any better" and "it's like a true Southern soap opera." Unfortunately, the first quote isn't true, and the second quote isn't really accurate.

At the same time, despite the story's shortcomings, there's a clear love of the people and culture of stock car racing at this minor league level. There's a love of the sport and the work it takes to succeed that comes through in many of these scenes. That's fine and even admirable, but there still needs to be a story with action and tension and drama taken to its full potential and possibility, and in that sense, the movie falls short.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sports action movies like Trading Paint. How is this similar to and different from other sports action movies you've seen?

  • What are some of the ways in which the movie communicates positive messages like loyalty, friendship, and family?

  • What would be the challenges in trying to realistically convey the culture and people who take part in dirt track stock car racing?

Movie Details

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