8 Seconds

Luke Perry 8 Seconds Vhs

Director John G. Avildsen's 8 SECONDS is the true story of the meteoric rise and all-too-brief career of Lane Frost, the youngest national champion bull rider in history. Luke Perry stars as Lane, a shy but popular young bareback rodeo rider whose gutsy determination catapults him to stardom. As Lane gains a winning reputation, he meets and falls in love with Kellie (Cynthia Geary), a spirited, beautiful young horsewoman. After a passionate courtship, the two young rodeo riders get married. Kellie looks after Lane and sacrifices her own freedom to be his devoted wife, but the pressures of Lane's career soon take their toll. Kellie is often left alone while Lane continues to ride the circuit with his longtime friends and competitors, including three-time rodeo champion Tuff Hedeman (Stephen Baldwin). Lane faces his ultimate challenge attempting to ride Red Rock, a dangerous bull known for fatally injuring his riders. Perry gives a fine performance in this gutsy and inspirational tale of a real-life rodeo hero,

8 Seconds [VHS]

The title refers to the time required by all rodeo cowboys to stay on a bull if they want a judge's score. For them, such a short time can seem like an eternity. The same is true of the beginning of this true story, a country tale of Lane Frost, a real-life, crowd-pleasing bullrider who rose to rodeo fame in the late '80s. The characters seem so irrepressibly good, so unreal, that the film comes out of the chute without a buck or much of a purpose. But Frost's story, and that of his relationship with his wife, Kellie (Cynthia Geary), eventually gains momentum. Luke Perry is an underrated actor, and he balances an "aw-shucks-ness" with an internal spark that makes that salt-of-the-earth stuff not so salty. When the film is finally over and the end credits show home movies and stills of the real-life Frost, you'll wish the ride was just a little longer. --Keith Simanton