The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)
87%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 11 wins & 6 nominations
Overcomes its formulaic storyline thanks to Anthony Hopkins’ warm and endearing portrayal of an age-defying thrill seeker
The World’s Fastest Indian” is a movie that will leave you feeling like you just went on a wild ride with Anthony Hopkins. It’s a heartwarming biopic that showcases Hopkins’ eccentric performance and the story of a Kiwi record breaker. While it may be a little slow for kids, it’s a fun and enjoyable film that will leave you smiling long after you leave the theatre. Plus, the motorbike races really rocket!
Production Company(ies)
Charles K. Feldman Group Warner Bros.,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief language, drug use and a sexual reference
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:2h 7m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States, Japan, New Zealand
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 7, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 13, 2006
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Greenwood, Diane Ladd, Paul Rodriguez, Christopher Lawford, Jessica Cauffiel, directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Roger Donaldson, produced by Roger Donaldson, Gary Hannam, biography, drama, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by Joshua Katzman, Steve Rose, Derek Adams, Paul Byrnes, Miles Fielder, Neil Smith, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, Yasser Medina, Emanuel Levy, Heather Boerner, Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro, motorcycle, land speed record, Utah’s salt flats, true story, Dolby Digital, Magnolia Pictures
Worldwide gross: $18,299,138
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $26,984,953
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,582
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,942,743
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $36,866,427
Production budget ranking: 1,015
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $19,852,571
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$29,734,044
ROI to date (est.): -52%
ROI ranking: 1,704
Bruce Greenwood – Jerry
Diane Ladd – Ada
Paul Rodriguez – Fernando
Christopher Lawford – Jim Moffet
Jessica Cauffiel – Wendy
Self – Roger Donaldson (Director/Producer/Writer)
Self – Gary Hannam (Producer)
Director(s)
Roger Donaldson
Writer(s)
Roger Donaldson
Producer(s)
Roger Donaldson, Gary Hannam
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
11 wins & 6 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (143) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (117) | Rotten (26)
This compelling fact-based story is [Donaldson’s] best effort in years.
August 6, 2008
Joshua Katzman
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It creaks and splutters all the way, but Hopkins’ charm keeps it chugging along steadily.
January 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Steve Rose
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
It takes a while to adjust to this amiable film’s languorous tempo but you might find it’s worth the wait.
June 24, 2006
Derek Adams
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The film is itself an offering to the god of speed, but much more besides.
April 7, 2006
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
A wonderfully uplifting and charming biopic that’s sure to win over all but the most mean-spirited. And the motorbike races really rocket, too.
April 1, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Miles Fielder
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
An affectionate portrait of a real-life Kiwi record breaker that took director Roger Donaldson 30 years to bring to the screen.
February 14, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
Neil Smith
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Fun, straightforward, and enjoyable.
November 21, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
It features the finest, and most unique, performance by Anthony Hopkins in years and will leave you smiling long after you leave the theatre.
September 27, 2020 | Rating: 3.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
I had a time without watching an Anthony Hopkins movie as pleasant as ‘The World’s Fastest Indian ‘, by Australian director Roger Donaldson. His performance is the heart of the film. [Full review in Spanish]
August 4, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
Anthony Hopkins gives an eccentric performance in his second film with Roger Donaldson.
July 31, 2011 | Rating: B-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Hopkins’ joyous romp is a little slow for kids.
December 18, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Heather Boerner
Common Sense Media
Ambushing audiences isn’t easy for an actor like Anthony Hopkins, from whom we’ve come to expect shouting routines. But he propels this biopic past familiar fish-out-of-water beats with a vibrant, wily, unpredictable joie de vivre not seen since “Nixon.”
December 15, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Nick Rogers
The Film Yap…
Plot
For twenty-five years in Invercargill, New Zealand, Burt Munro (1899-1978) has been working on increasing the speed of his motorcycle, a 1920 Indian. He dreams of taking it to the Bonneville Salt Flats to see how fast it will go. By the early 1960s, heart disease threatens his life, so he mortgages his house and takes a boat to Los Angeles, buys an old car, builds a makeshift trailer, gets the Indian through customs, and heads for Utah. Along the way, people he meets are charmed by his open, direct friendliness. If he makes it to Bonneville, will they let an old guy on bthe flats with makeshift tires, no brakes, and no chute? And will the Indian actually respond?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a standout performance by Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro.
Roger-Donaldson.jpg
