Year Released: 2006
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Diane Ladd , Aaron Murphy
(PG-13, 126 min.)
Genre: Drama Based on a True Story

“If you don’t follow through on your dreams, you might as well be a vegetable.” – Burt Munro

No, Anthony Hopkins is not masquerading as a Native American, or running a footrace in India. The Indian is not the man, but a 1920 American motorcycle he spent decades refurbishing to go almost 4 times is original top speed of 55 MPH.

An ambitious New Zealander in his 60s strives to break speed records on his classic Indian motorcycle – no matter what it takes. Based on a true story, the record Munro set more than three decades ago still has not been broken to this day. Burt Munro spent years rebuilding his 1920 Indian motorcycle that helped him set the land speed world record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.

In the nine times he raced at Bonneville, Burt set three world records – 1962, 1966 and 1967.

A quirky and marvelous man, but what sets this film apart is the gifted acting by Hopkins. Someone said of equally gifted Morgan Freeman that he could read the telephone book and make it sound profound, and the same can be said of Hopkins, but here Hopkins has some good material, and he throws his lines away so they resonate without any stunning music or fanfare.

We see so much of his charm in his playful chats with Tom (Aaron Murphy), the young boy who is his New Zealand neighbor. He enhances the humor with an understated delivery.

Burt Munro: If you don't follow through on your dreams, you might as well be a vegetable.
Tom: [nods earnestly] What type of vegetable?
Burt Munro: Hah, I don't know... a cabbage. Yeah, a cabbage.

Or the disarming way he describes being nervous before a race: “If the butterflies in my stomach were cows, I'd be able to start a dairy farm.”

Maybe his sparring with the official committee in Utah who try to reject his entry for safety violations:

Warren: Jeez, last leaf springs on a motorcycle had to be in the 1920s.
Brut Munro: Well, she's 42 years old.
Warren: These brakes, they're completely inadequate.
Burt Munro: I'm planning on going, not stopping.

***

Of course, besides the masterful Anthony Hopkins, our film has something else going for it. A real story about a truly phenomenal guy, the real Burt Munro pictured below. Notice the twinkle in his eye and the weird posture he has to assume to get the speed he needs.

Obstacles make everything for Burt just that more savory. So what if he cannot afford real parts? He builds them out of what is around. And when the neighbors complain about his out-of-control lawn, he has an easy solution: Burn it down.

Money for the trip? His property, Burt’s sole possession except for the venerable motorcycle, is his shed and property. He puts them up for collateral with the same ease he’s burned out his “lawn.”

Burt’s stubbornness is his iron fist in a velvet glove, or perhaps a sweaty leather one. Rejected multiple times by the Bonneville racing committee for failure to register, he starts to soften a few hearts with his steady resolve, and they begin to root for this underdog. He won’t let a hot tailpipe barbecuing his leg stop him either.

Burt Munro: [struggling out of Indian Scout motorbike's streamliner shell] I can't get my leg in because of the asbestos cloth on it. Let me take it off.
Rolly: What about your leg in the heat?
Burt Munro: Screw it. I've got a spare one.

Neither does let a little heart condition get to him. He just pops his angina pill before a race and even puts one in the gas tank to pep it up, too. They are made of nitroglycerine, after all.

Maybe Different Drummer identifies with this dreamer, too. After all, I too rode a motorcycle, albeit in my youth, and it was just a Yamaha 80. Despite the picture below, my now husband was actually in charge. I was just a passenger, but the thrill was the same, especially when he mistakenly entered the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago, and we both thought it was literally the end of the road for us since we could only hit 30 miles with both of us on board.

So soar with the fearless Burt Munro. Hunker your head down, close your eyes when your goggles fly off, and don’t dare open your mouth or you’ll “blow the backside out of your pants, I reckon.”

Not to miss

–Kathy Borich
🥁 🥁 🥁 🥁 1/2

Trailer

Film–Loving Foodie

Burt works such long hours on his custom motorcycle, that he doesn’t have much time for cooking. Nor even to go use the facilities, although we are not really certain that the shed he calls home in Ivercargill, New Zealand, even has a real bathroom.

So he does the best he can and waters his lemon tree with his own fluids, telling his young and admiring neighbor Tom that Confucius used to say, “It was the best natural fertilizer in the world.” Of course, that is undercut with the rest of the dialogue:

Burt: Oh yes, ah, you can pee on my lemon tree for me if you like, while I'm away. And ah...

[looks at Tom who is shaking his head vigorously] Well, there's nothing wrong with peeing on your lemon tree. As Confucius used to say, it's the best natural fertilizer in the world.

Tom: Who's Confucius?

Burt: Oh, he's some bloke who lives up in Dunedin.

Well, let’s take those naturally fertilized lemons and use some chickens – Burt has a yardful, but he seems to only use them for eggs, soft hearted as he is. Our dish is a New Zealand recipe that is slow cooked in a crock pot.

Just the thing for Burt who would be working on slicing the tread off his tires with a borrowed kitchen knife for greater speed or puttering around in his shop making parts out of anything at hand, such as an old underground gas pipe he used to make cylinders.

Good on ya, mate.

Lemon Chicken (Slow cooked in a Crock Pot)

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, skin-on and trimmed of excess fat, about 2 pounds

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or whole-grain mustard

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice from 1 large lemon

1 ¼ cups (295ml) chicken stock

2 tablespoons all-purpose flou

Directions·

Cook the Chicken

1In a small bowl, combine mustard, 2 teaspoons olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons of the lemon zest.

2Rub the mustard mixture evenly over both sides of your chicken thighs using your fingers or a brush.

3Whisk together the remaining lemon zest (1 ½ teaspoons), lemon juice, and chicken stock in a separate bowl or measuring jug. Set aside.

4Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.

5Transfer the chicken to a slow cooker, skin-side up. Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until tender.

6Remove excess fat from the skillet (leave about 2 tablespoons). If needed, add butter to reach 2 tablespoons total. Whisk in the flour over medium heat until smooth and golden (about 1 minute). Gradually whisk in the reserved lemon-stock mixture until smooth and thickened. Transfer to a jar or measuring jug and refrigerate until the chicken is ready.

· To Finish

1Once the chicken finishes cooking and is super tender, transfer it to a plate.

2Skim as much fat from the slow cooker as possible, but leave the rest of the liquid (there will be about 2 cups left).

3Warm the reserved sauce from earlier, pour it into the cooking liquid in the slow cooker, and stir to combine. Add the chicken to the slow cooker to keep warm, or serve with some lemony sauce.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

· Chicken breasts: Feel free to use chicken breasts. If you can find them, use skin-on chicken breasts since the skin keeps the chicken more tender and adds flavor while it cooks.

· Skip the lemon gravy: If you are short on time, skip the lemon sauce. The cooking liquid left in the slow cooker after cooking the chicken over 5 hours is delicious and works very nicely spooned over the chicken or any sides you plan to serve it with.

· Storing: Place the chicken and gravy in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.