''McLaren'' is a 2017 New Zealand

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

based on the life of

Bruce McLaren Bruce Leslie McLaren (30 August 1937 – 2 June 1970) was a New Zealand racing driver, automotive designer, engineer and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . McLaren was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Champ ...

, founder of the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing team. The film stars

Dwayne Cameron Dwayne Cameron (born 28 October 1981) is a New Zealand actor, writer, director and producer. Cameron played the lead role of Bray on the teen drama series '' The Tribe'' and Tyzonn in ''Power Rangers Operation Overdrive''. Biography Cameron wa ...

as Bruce McLaren and was directed by

Roger Donaldson Roger Lindsey Donaldson (born 15 November 1945) is an Australian and New Zealand film director, screenwriter, and producer. His 1977 debut film, ''Sleeping Dogs (1977 film), Sleeping Dogs'', is considered landmark work of Cinema of New Zealand ...

Synopsis

The film recounts the life of New Zealand motor car racer Bruce McLaren through interviews, archival footage, and recreations.

Cast

* Matt Coldrick as English Doctor *

Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...

as himself *

Alastair Caldwell Alastair Caldwell (born 1943) is a British-New Zealand motorsports manager. He was the McLaren Formula One motor-racing team manager from 1974 to 1978. Early life Caldwell's father was an army officer and he was born in Sheffield, West Riding of ...

as himself *

Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi (; born 12 December 1946) is a Brazilian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Fittipaldi won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with Team ...

as himself

Production

Scenes were shot at 590 Remuera Rd, Remuera, Auckland 1050, New Zealand, where Bruce McLaren grew up.

Release

The film premiered in the UK on 25 May 2017, followed by its release in New Zealand on 1 June 2017. The film screened at the 2017

Sydney Film Festival The Sydney Film Festival is an annual competitive film festival held in Sydney, Australia, usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize. , the festival's director is Nashen Moodley. Histo ...

before being released in Australia on 21 June 2017.

Reception

Ellie Walker-Arnott of '' Time Out'' gave it 4 out of 5 starts, writing, "A handful of dramatisations – intended to flesh out gaps in the narrative – jar while at times the film digs deep into detail in a way that threatens to alienate all but the most dedicated racing fans. But ultimately the human story of this scrappy and magnetic man keeps the doc on track." Zara Horn gave it 5 stars for telling the story of a motorsports legend who overcame his childhood physical challenges to pursue his passion and establish an enduring legacy. Steve Newall of the ''

New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand ...

'' gave it 3 out of 5 stars, writing that the film "should hold differing types of appeal to various generations. For older viewers it'll be the retelling of a familiar story of one of their fallen heroes, whereas others may gravitate to the mid-20th-century motorsport environment". Peter Bradshaw of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' gave it 2 out of 5 stars, calling it a "motor-racing film only for petrolheads" that "does not tell us why we should be interested in its subject" because it "makes no serious attempt at reaching out beyond its fanbase, connecting with non-petrolheads, or gaining any perspective on the sometimes scary and dysfunctional world of motor racing". John Nugent of ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' gave it 2 stars, writing that the film is "assembled in such a way that can only appeal to the target ''Top Gear'' demographic. Non-petrolheads need not apply."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McLaren 2017 films Documentary films about auto racing Universal Pictures films 2017 documentary films Films directed by Roger Donaldson Films set in New Zealand Films shot in New Zealand Films scored by J. Peter Robinson New Zealand auto racing films New Zealand documentary films 2010s English-language films English-language documentary films