"The World's Fastest Indian" is the sort of story that induces goose bumps and tears; think "Chariots of Fire" or the recent Jim Braddock biopic "Cinderella Man". As Burt hurtles down the white sands of Bonneville at speeds exceeding 200mph, you are guaranteed to feel like you're riding shotgun." Mark Beirne OURBRISBANE MOVIE REVIEWS "A film for anyone who likes to walk away from the theater inspired." Forrest Hartman RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL "Here's a film about geezer power that will make you cheer." Jean Lowerison SAN DIEGO METROPOLITAN "Hopkins delivers his best performance in some time as the dishevelled enthusiast who refuses to give up on his boyhood dream, or to give in to the ageing process. Some heroes wear capes and are capable of superhuman feats. This one's on the wrong side of 60 and suffers from a dodgy heart and prostate trouble, but that only makes him more endearingly human. 4 STARS." Vicky Roach DAILY TELEGRAPH "Hopkins is up to the task, and it's his most fully rounded performance in years." Jeffrey M Anderson COMBUSTIBLE CELLULOID

"You might find yourself bursting into unexpected laughter at both the humorous collisions of expectations based in different cultures and the inspirational way Burt affects everyone in his life with his enthusiasm and his love of life." Avril Carruthers INFILM "Donaldson crafts his little-movie-that-could with an eye towards maximum inspiration." Jeanne Aufmuth PALO ALTO WEEKLY "A wonderful true-life story brought to life by an indefatigable Anthony Hopkins." Angela Baldassarre SYMPATICO.CA "It was very amiable for me because I loved meeting this character. I thought he was a great character. 4 stars." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "He obviously put his heart and soul into the real-life character of Burt Munro. Burt could easily have been a bit of a bore, but in Hopkins’ capable hands he emerges as an unforgettable character." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES

The Inside Story

"Hopkins portrays ... a grizzled sunbeam sent to remind us all to follow the road to happiness, wherever it leads." Carol Cling LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

"The World's Fastest Indian finally roars into local theaters this week, and I hope everyone will hop on for a ride," says Light Views film critic John Larsen. It's a sentiment shared by most critics, particularly those in the Southern Hemisphere. There's no doubt many will have been confused by the title. The World's Fastest Indian"? Is that about a red Indian or you know, an Indian, Indian. Is he a runner? Is this about an Olympian or a marathon runner. What records did he hold. Well it is about records but certainly not about red Indians although there is a native American Indian featured in the film. No this Indian happens to be a 1920 motorcycle, engine number 5OR627 [37cu.in. (60Occ) 42 degree 'V' twin with side valves] owned by Ivercargill resident Herbert J 'Burt' Munro who modified the machine, took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats and set a number of land speed records in its class. The motorcycle would become known as the Munro Special. Burt's attempts were not without incident as cinemagoers will discover from the film. Burt once recalled that trip in 1967 when he had to 'drop' the bike on to the salt surface at Bonneville while doing 206 mph. "At the Salt in 1967 we were going like a bomb. Then she got the wobbles just over half way through the run. To slow her down I sat up. The wind tore my goggles off and the blast forced my eyeballs back into my head - couldn't see a thing. We were so far off the black line that we missed a steel marker stake by inches. I put her down - a few scratches all round but nothing much else". But Bonneville wasn't the only place Burt Munro set records. In February 1957 he set a NZ Open Beach record of 131.38 mph. Eighteen years later in 1975 at Oreti Beach he raised the bar to 136 mph. In April 1957 he set a 75Occ Road Record at Christchurch at 143.59 mph. In March 1962 in his hometown of Invercargill he set another record when he covered the standing 1/4 mile in 12.31 seconds. Not many of us had even heard of Munro prior to the release of the film but its is a joy to discover just who this wonderful 'old geezer' [as he has lovingly been refered to as] was. Burt Munro was the quintessential New Zealander. Born and raised in Invercargill, New Zealand, he dreamed of making his 1920 Indian Twin Scout the fastest bike on earth. Roger Donaldson is a local boy made good in the world of Hollywood. Anthony Hopkins is one of the world’s great actors. Hopkins and Donaldson first worked together twenty two years years ago when Hopkins starred as Lieutenant William Bligh [Lieutenant and not captain as some would incorrectly insinuate] in the 1984 film, "The Bounty". Hopkins is the first to admit that he is a different man today than he was twenty years ago. He and Donaldson clashed on a number of occassions. Why? "I was younger and arrogant and all the rest of it. I was very impatient with people and especially directors, and if they wanted too many takes I would question," he says adding, "and he used to do a lot of takes, he’s a perfectionist." And his thoughts on Burt Munro and Donaldson's script? "It is a unique script, I don’t know what it is about it," he said. "It is just well written, very very well written, beautifully written, and so refreshing. "It’s not the bang bang, of big Hollywood movies. It’s got much more variety and for me it’s a big change because it’s a real winner of a guy. I’ve had a good career playing psychopaths or uptight people, and I’m fed up with those, I don’t want to play any more of them. This is my life now, I’m a very happy guy and Burt Munro’s philosophy and character suits my temperament." "The one thing about Anthony is that he puts so much effort into the characters he plays, that he starts to become the character. We had a tough time making "The Bounty", it was hard going, and we were ready to kill each other," he says. "In retrospect, it’s a film we’re both proud of and we’ve both mellowed somewhat." For all that Donaldson still wanted to make another film with Hopkins! For Donaldson, making this film was to be the culmination of a dream he has held for more than 30 years. As a young filmmaker working on a documentary, he met a local Invercargill man with a remarkable story. That man was Herbert J 'Burt' Munro. The name of Donaldson's documentary was "Offerings to the God of Speed". The World’s Fastest Indian is a script based on Burt Munro’s journeys to Bonneville during the 1960’s. It follows the road to fulfilling a dream; and the magic in the true story of a man who believed, "If it’s hard, work harder; if it’s impossible, work harder still. Give it whatever it takes, but do it." Donaldson describes Burt Munro as "a most extraordinary New Zealander: a 'one-off' original." He should know. Donaldson remembers when he first met the man late one winter’s night in Invercargill in 1971. "Burt was excited that some young filmmakers had come all the way down from Auckland to meet this old man and discuss the possibility of a documentary about his exploits," Donaldson says. "In his enthusiasm he wheeled an old 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle out of the cinder-block shed where he lived and jumped on the kick-starter. The engine roared to life; a sound to split your eardrums. Lights started coming on in the neighbours’ houses. When Burt finally stopped revving the engine and you could once again hear, the night was filled with the yells of his disapproving neighbours suggesting that eleven p.m. was an inappropriate time to start 'demonstrating' his un-muffled motorcycle." Donaldson was hooked, "and so I set about with my hand-wind Bolex making my shortfilm about Burt Munro’s life; shooting him in the South Island and accompanying him to the Bonneville Salt Flats as he attempted to set a land speed record on his ancient bike." His documentary received a "favourable reception" in Burt's home-land. But Donaldson realizes within himself that his documentary didn't do justice to this remarkable man. Donaldson remembers, "after Burt died in 1978, I decided to try and make a feature film based on his exploits. I had a particular vision for this project: the story of a man of extraordinary belief in himself and his dream. Several times over the past two decades I had offers to fund this film if I re- wrote the script to tell what others considered to be a more 'marketable' story. I was determined not to compromise my vision of the story in this way and was prepared to wait until I could make this film as I intended." That determination to honour Munro never left him. After filming of "The Recruit" finished Donaldson decided it was time to write his story. "I decided that rather than sign up for another Hollywood movie I would return to Burt’s story," he said. "It was now or never. I believed this could be an uplifting and inspirational story in the spirit of such films as "Rocky", "Billy Elliot" and "Chariots of Fire". I re-wrote the script until I felt I had finally cracked it." The result? "I had what I believed to be the basis for an entertaining film without any compromises; a story that really captured the spirit of Burt Munro." Every word in that last statement is true. This is an incredibly remarkable film that instantly bonds with audiences. And here's some trivia about the script. In 1981, Producer Gary Hannam and his Smash Palace investors paid Donaldson to write "The Worlds Fastest Indian." Hannam revealed "Roger reminded me that he offered to buy back the scripts several times. I refused him saying, it’s too valuable to sell." But back to the man at the centre of "The World's Fastest Indian". It makes you really wish you'd met Munro in person. It is also a tribute to the dogged spirit Donaldson showed in fulfilling his ambition. Donaldson, whose credits include "The Recruit", "Thirteen Days", "Dante’s Peak", "Species", "The Getaway", "White Sands", "Cadillac Man", "Cocktail", "No Way Out", "The Bounty" and "Smash Palace" has worked with some of the biggest names in the film industry, names such as Mel Gibson, Alec Bauldwin, Kevin Costner, Kim Basinger, Al Pacino, Tom Cruise, Pierce Brosnan, Willem Dafoe and Samuel L Jackson . When it came to casting an actor for the role of Burt Munro, Donaldson turned to Hopkins. In a recent interview he was asked if it was hard to imagine anyone else in the role. "It is," he replied. "It was just a joy watching Tony reading out these words that I had written down; it was very satisfying." When asked about returning to the Bonneville Salt Flats, 'Speed Week' and filming in Utah he says, "The Salt Lakes, where the land speed races take place, are really quite impressive. You’ve got to go and see speed week, it’s a spectacle. If you’ve got any interest in machinery, you’ve got to front up to see it. When you see cars doing over 400 mp/h, it really is incredible." What makes "The World's Fastest Indian" even more appealing is its wonderful support cast which includes his late friend Peter Lawford's son Christopher who was cast as the liekable Jim Moffat. Donaldson is quick to point out something that followers of his film have already discovered; all his film pack a solid supporting cast. "I make a big effort in casting those parts,"he notes. "I’ll see a hundred actors for one small part, even if he only has five lines in the picture, because I want to have the right guy." Time will show that Donaldson was the right guy with the right stuff when it came to telling the story of Herbert J 'Burt' Munro. As the poster says, it's "based on one hell of a true story." What a story it is! One that is destined to capture the hearts and soul of cinemagoers who I'm sure will soak up every moment as Burt's story unfolds on the big screen. Burt is back, as big and bold as he was in real life and just as inspirational as he ever was. Cast & Crew Bytes "THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN" stars .......
Academy Award and two time EMMY Award winner Anthony Hopkins ["The Mask Of Zorro", "Meet Joe Black", "Hannibal" and "Hearts in Atlantis"]; Chris Williams ["Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story", "Anchorman", "Friday After Next" and "Spider-Man 2"]; Annie Whittle ["Trial Run" and "Makutu on Mrs Jones"]; Aaron Murphy ["Rain", "Boogeyman" and "Perfect Creature"]; Saginaw Grant ["Grey Owl", "Dreamer", "Black Cloud", "It Waits" and "War Party"]; Diane Ladd ["Ghosts of Mississippi", "Primary Colors", "More Than Puppy Love" and "Rain"]; Walton Goggins ["Switchback", "Shanghai Noon", "House Of 1000 Corpses" and "The Architect"] and Christopher Lawford ["The Russia House", "The Sixth Day", "Terminator 3" and "Thirteen Days"] as Jim Moffat.
"THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN" was .......
directed by Roger Donaldson ["Sleeping Dogs", "No Way Out", "Dante's Peak" and "The Recruit"]; screenplay by Roger Donaldson ["Smash Palace"]; costume design by Nancy Cavallaro ["Water with Food Coloring"] and Jane Holland ["Soft Fruit", "The Legend of Johnny Lingo" and "Boogeyman"]; production design NZ by Roger Gillies ["Ruby and Rata "]; production design USA by J Dennis Washington ["Prizzi’s Honor", "The General's Daughter", "Dante's Peak" and "and Thirteen Days"]; edited by John Gilbert ["Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring", "Punitive Damages", "Crush" and "Perfect Strangers"]; cinematography by David Gribble ["Cadillac Man", "The 13th Warrior", "Chill Factor" and "The Quest"]; original music by J Peter Robinson ["The Believers", "Blind Fury", "Cocktail" and "Fifteen Minutes"] produced by Gary Hannam ["Smash Palace" "Vigil" and "Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey"]. What It's All About

"The World's Fastest Indian is a movie about an old coot and his motorcycle, yes, but it is also about a kind of heroism that has gone out of style." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Burt Munro has a dream. He wants to take his 1920 Indian motorcycle from the bottom of the world to the Bonneville Salt Flats and set a new land speed record in his category. Now in his sixties, he's never lost sight of his goal. With help from his local bank manager, members of a motorcycle club and a bunch of hell raising soft hearted bikies he is on his way. Burt doesn't have a big budget and so is given passage on a cargo ship in return for taking the cooks job. Arriving in the USA Burt sets about buying a cheap car, building a trailer and getting his beloved motorcyle out of customs. With the help of a transexual receptionist at the motel he is staying in Burt is soon on the road to Bonneville. Arriving at the hallowed salt flats Burt is given a rude awakening. He has travelled halfway around the world from Invercargill without registering for Speed Week. Just when all looks lost, well known American speed identity Jim Moffat steps in to help Burt achieve his dream. The Verdict "If it's thrills, spills, fun, romance and laughter you want, then look no farther than this exceptional tribute to one mans dream to break the world speed record on his 1920 Indian Motorcycle. Sir Anthony Hopkins is sensational as Herbert J 'Burt' Munro the man who put Invercargill, New Zealand on the map. Faithful reproduction of the sixties adds to the attraction of this beautifully shot film. Donaldson brings Burt Munro back to life. His best work to date. Most Highly Recommended. 4 STARS." Who's Who?

Anthony Hopkins Chris Williams Annie Whittle Aaron Murphy Saginaw Grant Diane Ladd Walton Goggins Christopher Lawford William Lucking Patrick Flueger Laurel Moglen Paul Rodriguez Bill Richardson Jessica Cauffiel Eric Pierpoint Alison Bruce Phoebe Falconer Charles Pierard Chris Bruno Carlos Lacamara Bruce Greenwood

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Burt Munro Tina Washington Fran Tom Jake Ada Marty Dickerson Jim Moffat Rolly Free Rusty Ali Fernando Burt's Neighbour Wendy Earl Doctor Janice Bank Manager Bob Higby Cabbie Jerry

The Crew Directed by Roger Donaldson Screenplay by Roger Donaldson Produced by Roger Donaldson & Gary Hannam Original Music by J Peter Robinson Cinematography by David Gribble Film Editing by John Gilbert Casting by Dianne Crittenden/Jeff Johnson/Diana Rowan Production Design by Robert Gillies & J Dennis Washington Art Direction by Roger Guise & Mark Hofeling Set Decoration by Jackie Gilmore & Ken Kirchner Costume Design by Nancy Cavallaro & Jane Holland Run Time 121 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - Becker Entertainment - All Rights Reserved Enduring Copyright Protected - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved