The Hat Switch

Sometimes you need to watch something if only to confirm how awful it really is. Yesterday, I stumbled across “Over The Top” on HBO.

In case you were wondering, it’s awful. Here’s the set-up. Sly Truck Driver is tasked to pick up snotty military school kid to take to his mother across country(is Silver Spoons derived from this by flipping the script?). Because Sly Truck Driver is a Truck Driver, they are taking the trip in his big rig. Along the way, Snotty Miltary School Kid grows to accept and dare we say it, even love, previously inaccessible dad. This is done through montages and short learning moments. Among them, early morning calestenics down in front of the cab of said truck. Along with a light hearted tease from Sly Truck Driver to Snotty Son to try driving said truck. This is a result of Snotty Son complaining that anybody can drive a truck.

Needless to say, it is more difficult than we or Snotty Son realize. We all grow to respect Sly Truck Driver more. And I haven’t even mentioned arm wrestling yet! One of Sly Truck Driver’s past times is armwrestling(and he always turns his hat around while armwrestling. Is this important? Oh precocious reader, you just wait!). Apparently, this is what truck drivers do to pass the time in truck stops and bars along your route. We learn there is a big arm wrestling championship in Vegas. Meanwhile, we realize that Sly Truck Driver’s estranged wife and Snotty Son’s mom is dying. That is why they are traveling together. So that they can get to know each other before Mom dies. Son resents Sly Truck Driver now but has lost his Snot. Enter Robert Loggia as Evil Grandfather. Evil Grandfather wants to prevent Sly Truck Driver from bonding with and living with Son(remember, snot is removed at this point)(even though snot is removed does not prevent the Son from traveling everywhere in chinos).

This is when another huge montage takes place—Sly Truck Driver starts working his way up through the tournament and Son works his way across the country to Vegas to see his dad win. And at the end of the this montage is when the best line of the movie is spoken. And this is the reason the whole 2 hours are worth it. In an interview that Sly Truck Driver is doing, he mentions that “when I turn my hat around, it’s like a switch going on. And I love that feeling. I feel like a machine. Kinda like a truck.” Which is you know, pretty profound, because Sly Truck Driver drives a truck.

Did I mention that the winner of the arm wrestling tournament wins a truck? Yes, those are the high stakes that are involved in this ridiculous sports movie. Needless to say, Sly Truck Drive wins, not only the love of his son, but the sweet truck.