FANGING FLICK
STORY SIMON MAJOR COOL FLICK FACT:^
Burt Reynolds turned
down the lead part as
Brewster Baker, but
appears in a
cameo roleA
FEEL-good vibe and some funny moments
make Six Pack the perfect all-rounder for the
whole family. Country singer Kenny Rogers –
when he still looked like Kenny Rogers – plays
Brewster Baker, a kind-hearted race car driver looking to
navigate his way back to the professional circuit following
a serious crash.
Living out of a motorhome with his race car in tow,
Brewster makes a short stop at a small-town servo only
to return and find that his Camaro stock car has been
quickly stripped. Out of luck and low on cash, he spots
the thieves and chases them down to discover he’s been
ripped off by a bunch of kids: five brothers and one sister.
Orphaned after both parents were killed in a car crash, this
light-fingered sibling six-pack have been blackmailed by
the local crooked sheriff (Corbin), who has them stripping
cars in exchange for keeping Child Services away.
This motley bunch are headed by the eldest, Breezy
(Lane), a 17-year-old girl thrust into the role of parent
while trying to chart her own course into adulthood. Of
her brothers, Doc (Hall) has a genius streak and solid
mechanical know-how, while Swifty (Still) is the smart-
mouthed, streetwise punk able to get them into and out
of trouble in equal measure. The remaining three, Louis
(Abernathy), Steven (Wilhoite) and Little Harry (Fleming)
are kept on their toes taking direction to make this six-
pack a formidable team.
Tired of the pressure applied by the sheriff and all
yearning for a ‘normal’ life, the six youngsters see
Brewster as their means to a fresh start and tag along
with him on the racing circuit. However Brewster isn’t
keen; his loner, swinging single ways aren’t cut out for any
distractions, and even a push from his part-time squeeze,Lilah (played by my boyhood 80s TV crush, Erin Gray
of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Silver Spoons)
can’t change his mind.
But these six are nothing if not persistent, and their
skills as his race mechanics and crew become invaluable,
sending Brewster on a winning path and ultimately
selection for the NASCAR circuit.
Brewster, Lilah and the kids form a strong bond, with
lessons in life found to cut both ways. But their happiness
is marred by the return of Brewster’s ex-mechanic and
arch-enemy, Terk (Kiser) – himself now a successful driver
but also responsible for Brewster’s career-stalling crash- and the meddling sheriff, who is still butt-hurt over losing
his stolen parts racket.
Terk and the sheriff are independently hellbent on
destroying Brewster and the kids’ newfound fame and
success, leaving Brewster to choose between short-term
first-place glory or long-term ‘family’ happiness.
VERDICT: 4/5
EVEN 35 years on from its release, Six Pack is still a
fresh and fun watch, with a great storyline and a well-
chosen, ultimately familiar cast; child actors Anthony
Michael Hall and Diane Lane went on to forge healthy
careers with the likes of The Breakfast Club and The
Perfect Storm respectively. Swifty’s language gets a
little fruity at times for young ears, but it’s handled as
part of the storyline and is one of the growing pains
tackled, without the cheesiness of a 7th Heaven-esque
life lesson. The racing action is cool and features
plenty of legitimate now-historic NASCAR scenes, and
thankfully the mechanical lingo is spot-on, which is a
nice change. sSIX PACK 1982
HIS CAREER WAS IN REVERSE UNTIL SIX CAR-CRAZY KIDS GOT HIM BACK ON TRACK
(^) BREAKDOWN
VEHICLES: 1979 Ford
Econoline, 1970 Dodge P-Series,
1970 Chevrolet Camaro, 1981
Buick Regal NASCARs galore,
1981 Dodge Mirada, 1981 Ford
Thunderbird, 1972 Volkswagen
Convertible, 1955 Chevrolet 150,
1974 Chevrolet Corvette C3
STARS: Kenny Rogers, Diane
Lane, Erin Gray, Anthony
Michael Hall, Barry Corbin,
Terry Kiser, Robby Still, Tom
Abernathy, Robbie Fleming,
Benji Wilhoite
DIRECTOR: Daniel Petrie
ACTION: There’s a trailer-
hauling, power-sliding camper
van car chase, as well as high-
revving backwater stock-car
racing, which graduates to
full-on NASCAR as Brewster’s
career hits its stride
PLOT: A former champion
driver becomes the accidental
caretaker of six orphaned kids
as he attempts to return to the
professional circuit
AVAILABLE: YouTube,
internet download
2828 STREET MACHINE STREET MACHINE