Tucker: The Man and His Dream(1988)

PG
1h 50m

Release Date: Aug 12, 1988 | Moderate

The story of Preston Tucker, the maverick car designer and his ill-fated challenge to the auto industry with his revolutionary car concept.

Releases

Original Release | Aug 12, 1988

2022 Re-release (Rialto Pictures) | Sep 16, 2022

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Box Office Results

All Releases (2)
Total US & Canada:
$19,656,113
Total International
$0
Total Worldwide:
$19,656,113

Total US & Canada:
$19,652,638
Total Worldwide:
$19,652,638

Current Showtimes

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Director & Top Cast

Francis Ford Coppola
Director

Jeff Bridges
Preston Tucker

Joan Allen
Actor

Martin Landau
Abe

Frederic Forrest
Eddie

Mako
Jimmy

Elias Koteas

Alex Tremulis

Christian Slater

Junior

Nina Siemaszko

Actor

Anders Johnson

Johnny

Corin Nemec

Noble

Marshall Bell

Noble

Jay O. Sanders

Kirby

Peter Donat

Kirby

Dean Goodman

Bennington

John X. Heart

Ferguson's Agent

Don Novello

Stan

Patti Austin

Millie

Technical Specifications

Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

This is the story of entrepreneur Preston Tucker and the innovative car he designed in the late 1940s. The car was attractive, economical, and safe, and had many features not found on the cars of that time -- an air-cooled rear engine, disk brakes, independent 4-wheel suspension, an additional center headlight that pivoted left and right for better vision when turning, a padded dash, seatbelts, and a popout safety windshield. Tucker's promotional activities generated widespread public excitement and interest in the car, but the powerful auto industry blocked its production. Only 50 cars were ever made. The plan was to produce the car in the former Dodge B-29 engine plant on the far southwest side of Chicago. Many Chicagoans invested in the Tucker Motor Corporation, and some bought dealerships. Even today, many people believe that then-Senator Homer Ferguson (R-Michigan) is the person most responsible for the loss of their investment in the revolutionary ahead-of-its-time "Tucker Torpedo".

Storyline

Based on a true story. Shortly after World War II, Preston Tucker is a grandiose schemer with a new dream, to produce the best cars ever made. With the assistance of Abe Karatz and some impressive salesmanship on his own part, he obtains funding and begins to build his factory. The whole movie also has many parallels with director Coppola's own efforts to build a new movie studio of his own. — Reid Gagle A semi-fictionalized account of engineer Preston Tucker 's quest to manufacture his revolutionary car of the future is told. The present in this case is WWII, his want being to supply what he will see being the pent up demand of the American consumer in the post-war era. His design takes into account many of the deficiencies he sees in what is being churned out by the Big Three car manufacturers. Beyond his inner circle of ardent supporters including his loving family who assist him in his dream out of his barn in rural Ypsilanti, Michigan, he hires Abe Karatz to help with the financing and administrative plans, Abe who admits that unlike Tucker's inner circle that he is doing this job for the money. While Abe eventually buys into the dream, they discover that much of the public also buys into that dream in Tucker's role of publicity in order to raise money. However, they will also discover that there are others internally who do only see dollar signs in doing things the way they've always been done by the Big Three. But what may be the biggest obstacle for Tucker and his group to succeed is the opposition by the Big Three, who see Tucker as a major threat to their way of life and who have some powerful people in their proverbial back pockets. — Huggo Preston Tucker is a man of vision and innovation. Soon after the end of WW2 and with several innovative but unsuccessful vehicles behind him, he strikes upon the perfect car to challenge the Big Three - Ford, GM and Chrysler. His vision is beset by problems though: finance, material, production space, conservative board members, politics. It turns out that US automotive powerhouses aren't too keen on competition and have powerful connections. — grantss