And the Oscar Goes to…

The Oscar Award

 

Car movies. They are some of the most exciting films ever made. Who can forget the chase scene where Steve McQueen catches some air on the streets of San Francisco in “Bullitt”? Or what about the chase scenes in “Gone in Sixty Seconds”? Remember some of the great vehicles in “The Fast and the Furious”? What about the great Ford convertible used in the movie “Grease” that they named the Greased Lightning?

Some of my favorite movies have featured chase scenes that get the heart racing. Since the Oscars are awarded on Sunday, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some great movies that have featured some fabulous cars.

First off is “Bullitt”. It won an Oscar in 1969 for Best Film Editing. If I had to film that ’68 Mustang GT fastback careening off those streets, you’d better believe it would deserve some type of award.

Then we have “Grease”. It was nominated for and Oscar for Best Music, Original Song. OK, forget the smarmy music, the ’48 Ford was awesome.

“Gone in Sixty Seconds” did not win an Oscar, but it did win an MTV Movie award for Best Action Sequence. Admit it, the ’67 Mustang GT500, aka, Eleanor, was a hot-looking car.

You might have thought that “The Fast and The Furious” was nothing but a movie about import cars. It may have shown those predominantly, but did you notice that fabulous ’99 Ford Lightning? By the way, it also won an MTV Movie award. This one was for Best On Screen Team.

There are so many more movies that I could spend several more columns discussing my favorites. Ever gone Ford spotting with these movies? Try getting through any movies filmed in the ’60s and ’70s without seeing any, especially if you are a James Bond fan or Dirty Harry fan. My husband says it is a hazard of our jobs. He’s getting so good at it, that he when sees parked ones in quick scenes, he can give me a year and model.

So grab some popcorn, settle back into your favorite couch or chair and watch some great car movies this weekend. And while you’re at it, see how many Fords you can spot. (Even if your spouse insists on a Doris Day movie, you can still play spot the Fords. It will actually make you look like you are really interested in the movie.)