The Stunt Driver

by Mike McGranaghan

The Stunt Driver is based on one of those weird true stories that make you say, Really?! Titles at the beginning give notice that the movie fictionalizes a few things for dramatic purposes. Even so, the core truths are more than sufficient to leave viewers with their jaws agape. Footage of the real guy in action is incorporated into the narrative, adding immeasurably to the experience.

Ken Carter (Jay Baruchel) is a Canadian daredevil known for car jumps. He has a one-sided rivalry with Evel Knievel (Ben Foster). When Knievel attempts his infamous jump over the Snake River Canyon while strapped to a rocket, Ken decides he needs to go one better. His big idea is to launch a rocket car over the St. Lawrence River – a 280 MPH mile-long jump that would take him from Canada into the United States. Nobody really thinks such a feat is possible, although Ken does convince expert engineer Dick Keller (Ed Helms) to design his vehicle.

Part of what’s funny about The Stunt Driver is the immense pressure that surrounds Ken. He’s got a moneyman pushing him to make the jump so they can reap TV profits, a wife encouraging him to pursue his dream, and two different camera crews following him around, documenting his every move. Network executives insist that Knievel oversee the stunt, which is an insult to Ken. The film, directed by Michael Dowse, humorously shows how the project snowballs uncontrollably once started. Despite the perpetual awareness that this jump will probably lead to Ken’s death, the “machine” takes over to a point where nobody can stop it.

Jay Baruchel gives the performance of his career as Ken. The actor disappears into character, playing the daredevil as a yammering showman, determined to make people like him and constantly worried that they don’t. There’s a key note to Ken that Baruchel hits perfectly: the guy is absolutely terrified about making the jump, but he can’t talk himself out of it. Laughs emerge from the various ways Ken stalls, as well as from the unexpected complications that only increase his nerves multiple times over. This is the craziest part of the movie because it’s a meditation on death wherein the central figure knows he’s basically committing suicide yet can’t resist the lure of creating an unforgettable legacy. Unless you already know the true story, you won’t be able to guess how the situation goes down.

Helms does terrific supporting work as Dick, suggesting that the engineer is enticed by the challenge even though he knows his friend is foolish to try. Foster is good too. His Evel Knievel has an inflated ego, walking around as though jumping cars on a motorcycle somehow renders him a god. It’s a sly performance that once again shows Foster’s incredible range.

The Stunt Driver’s technique of switching aspect ratios to reflect what we’re seeing and what the camera crew is capturing becomes distracting after a while. Dowse flips back and forth between them too frequently. Otherwise, the film is a mind-blowing, often hilarious account of a man so driven to be amazing that he’s literally willing to kill himself to achieve the goal.