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Director: William Bindley
Cast: Jim Caviezel, Jake Lloyd, Mary McCormack, Bruce
Dern
Country: U.S.
Year: 2001
Running Time: 94 min
Format: 35mm
 Hydroplane
boat racing may not be the national pastime, but in Madison,
Indiana it was the only game in town. The town flocks to the
river on opening day as the community-owned boat, the Miss
Madison, takes her first practice run of the season, but in
1971, things are not looking so great for the town of Madison
or its namesake. The small river town is struggling to stay
alive as water transportation, which drives its economy has
disappeared, and the boat, several years old and in disrepair,
is the laughingstock of the hydroplane racing circuit that
is dominated by boats funded by rich corporate sponsors.
Madison chronicles the true story of the 1971 hydroplane
boat-racing season of the Miss Madison, and the dying town
it represents. When Madison, on a fluke, is offered the chance
to host the prestigious Gold Cup championship, Jim McCormack
(Jim Caviezel), who had left the dangers of hydroplane racing
behind for a wife and family, rallies the town though no one
thinks they can even host the race, much less be competitive
in it.
Jim calls in a reluctant favor from retired boat mechanic
Harry Volpi (Bruce Dern) to help get the boat ready, and along
the way he must deal with a skeptical town, a demoralized
crew, a wife, Bonnie (Mary McCormack), eager to move the family
to a big city economy, and a disillusioned son Mike, (Jake
Lloyd), tired of always being the underdog and watching big
money win every race.
Told through the eyes of Mike, Madison is a story of learning
to be proud of who you are and where you come from as it celebrates
the American virtues of grit, guts, ingenuity, and perseverance.
Combined with the exciting
--Dan Krovich
Presented By: William Bindley
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William Bindley has written several screenplays for
various studios and production companies, but has recently
begun focusing on directing. His previous directing credits
include the independent films Judicial Consent (which he also
wrote), starring Bonnie Bedelia and Will Patton and The Eighteenth
Angel, a supernatural thriller with Rachael Leigh Cook and
Stanley Tucci. He is currently developing several upcoming
projects. Among these are a true story of two anarchist Italian
immigrants who were executed in 1927 with John Turturro set
to star; a drama about Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox,
with Phoenix Pictures producing, and a youth prison drama
for 20th Century Fox.
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