Film

Evel Knievel

Name: Evel Knievel
Genre: Action, Drama
Released: 1971
Cast: George Hamilton, Sue Lyon, Bert Freed, Rod Cameron, Dub Taylor

George Hamilton is Evel Knievel in this 1971 biographical drama about the legendary motorcycle stuntman. It's a straightforward, affectionate portrait of a man driven by spectacle and danger, filmed partly in his Butte, Montana hometown. Ideal for anyone fascinated by the American obsession with pushing limits—or just George Hamilton's perfect tan and eyeliner.

TMDb rating

2.5

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang1968

A visually extravagant musical about mechanical ingenuity and adventure, with the same era's earnest enthusiasm for spectacle and impossible stunts. Richard Attenborough directs with genuine warmth.

But It's a family musical that occasionally lurches into creepy territory. The pacing is uneven and some production numbers feel endless.

Le Mans1971

Steve Reeves in a racing drama obsessed with the ritual and danger of performance driving. Minimal plot; maximum meditative footage of machines and ambition. Released the same year as Knievel.

But There's almost no conventional narrative. Long sequences of racing footage will bore anyone not entranced by mechanical precision and speed.

Vanishing Point1971

A getaway film about a man and his Dodge Challenger, driven by the same counterculture fascination with speed, freedom, and self-destruction. Visually hypnotic and morally complex.

But The story is deliberately thin and the ending is bleak. Some will find the indie-music soundtrack dated rather than groovy.

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The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond1960

Both are films about American men who turned their lives into marketable spectacle and mythology—one on a motorcycle, one on the streets. Same obsession, different costume.

Ray Danton as a gangster constructing his own legend in 1920s America. Like Knievel, it's a biography of a man who understood that spectacle and myth matter more than truth. Mordant, stylish, and genuinely fun.

But It's a B-movie with acting that veers toward camp. The plot is episodic and the moral perspective is cynical in ways that might feel dated or shallow.

The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond poster

The Great Escape1963

Steve Reeves leads a ensemble of men planning and executing an impossible feat of physical courage. Focuses on the ingenuity, teamwork, and individual daring behind a legendary stunt.

But It's a heist film in disguise, more interested in planning than action. The pacing is leisurely by modern standards.

Sometimes a Great Notion1971

Paul Bunyan-sized Americana about stubborn men defying circumstance. Captures the same blue-collar American ethos and family mythology that defines Knievel's story.

But It's a logging drama that takes itself seriously. The emotional registers are heavy, and some subplots outstay their welcome.

The Gypsy Moths1969

Burt Lancaster and others as skydivers performing for small-town crowds. Explores the psychology of men addicted to dangerous performance and the women caught in their orbits.

But It's a character study that moves slowly. The aerial sequences, while real, are not as thrilling as you might hope.

Slap Shot1977

Paul Newman as a hockey player in decline, refusing to accept it. Captures the same blend of Americana, masculine bravado, and the comedy lurking inside obsession.

But It's a sports comedy that relies heavily on profanity and locker-room humor. Some jokes have aged poorly.

The Ballad of Little Jo1993

Suzy Amis as a woman reinventing herself on the American frontier. Shares Knievel's theme of self-mythology and the cost of living as a spectacle.

But It's a revisionist Western that moves at its own pace. The tone is deliberately unglamorous, which some find tedious.

Grease1978

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in a film that captures the same 1950s-adjacent Americana and the mythology of dangerous youth that haunts Knievel's story.

But It's a musical. The plot is thin, the tone is campy, and if you don't like the songs, there's very little else here.

The Straight Story1999

Both are about men whose lives become performances, but where Knievel sought danger, this man seeks only to complete a journey. Same structure, opposite poles.

David Lynch directs Richard Farnsworth as an elderly man riding a lawnmower across Iowa. It sounds absurd until you realize it's about the same thing as Evel Knievel: an aging man performing himself for the world, compelled by something he can't quite name. Achingly beautiful.

But It's slow, quiet, and refuses spectacle. If you came for thrills, you'll find only the thrill of watching someone try to live with dignity.