Racing with the Moon (1984)

It was 1943. And young men were counting the days before they went off to war…

Artfully directed by Richard Benjamin (My Favorite Year), Racing with the Moon is a film so tender, so insightful, so full of heart that you'll never quite forget it. This is the story of Henry "Hopper" Nash (Sean Penn, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and his buddy Nicky (Nicolas Cage, Valley Girl) enjoying their last boyish exploits before they enter the Marines. Elizabeth McGovern (Ordinary People) portrays Penn's mysterious girlfriend. What ensues is a sensitive, bittersweet tale of lost innocence and the trauma of growing up too fast. The result is a magic moment, brilliantly captured within the emotional crosscurrent of America's most dramatic time.

Critically-acclaimed upon its 1984 release and starring three of the brightest acting talents to emerge in that decade, Racing with the Moon, in spite of this, remains a hidden gem. Director Benjamin and his esteemed collaborators—cinematographer John Bailey (American Gigolo), ​costume designer Patricia Norris (Days of Heaven), production designer David L. Snyder (Blade Runner), set decorators Jerry Wunderlich (The Exorcist) and Jeannine Oppewall (L.A. Confidential), editor Jacqueline Cambas (Personal Best) and composer Dave Grusin (My Bodyguard)—pooled their considerable skills to convincingly turn back the clock to the early 1940s in order to bring Steve Kloves's (The Fabulous Baker Boys) debut script to life. Set in gorgeous Northern California coastal environs, Racing with the Moon has been restored in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative for this worldwide Blu-ray debut.

Directed by: Richard Benjamin
Starring: Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, Nicolas Cage
1984 / 108 min / 1.85 / English Mono