Racing With The Moon

Sean Penn has always kind of been known for being a bit intense and a Hollywood bad boy. But he got to display a softer side in 1984's Racing With The Moon.

It's 1942, and Hopper Nash, Penn, is about to be shipped out to war with his best buddy Nicky, Nicolas Cage. They are two, working class teens who spend their days pulling pranks, hustling pool games, and working at the local bowling ally. When he see's Caddie Winger, Elizabeth McGovern, working at the movie theater, he's instantly smitten. He follows her home, which happens to be a very wealthy home. He assumes that she is rich, but that doesn't stop him from asking her out. The two begin a very sweet courtship, that is until Nicky throws a monkey wrench into it. He has got himself into a situation that requires a lot of money and asks Hopper to borrow it from Caddie. But she isn't who Hopper has assumed she is.

This is a very sweet movie with terrific performances from all three of the leads.Penn and McGovern even dated in real life, which is probably why their romance on screen felt real. There's also some great supporting work from Crispin Glover, Michael Madsen, and Carol Kane. It was directed by Richard Benjamin, who has a nice feel for nostalgia. Most of his work has been preiod pieces. The script from Steven Kloves gives everyone great material to work with. This was his first script. He would go on to write The Fabulous Baker Boys and Wonder Boys. A very talented scribe.

This is a forgotten gem that you should seek out.

It's available on dvd.