The Last American Hero (1973)

Jeff Bridges plays NASCAR driver Junior Johnson in The Last American Hero (1973), a film based on the true life story of the famous stock car racer (who was also known as “Hard Driver”) and writer Tom Wolfe’s articles about him.

Wolfe dubbed Johnson “The Last American Hero” in one of his articles, and the details of his rise to NASCAR fame warrant the accolade. The movie covers the first year of his career, from his learning to drive fast while running moonshine whiskey for his father, to his first big win. The movie also uncovers a lot of young Jeff Bridges -- there is no shortage of shirtless scenes, and you’ll be racing to your remote’s pause button when Bridges drops his britches post-shower. Everyone’s a winner!