There are many movies each year deserving of winning an award or two during awards season, from an Oscar to a Golden Globe. Of course, not every film can win, and only nine movies are nominated this year.

Being nominated is an honor in itself, and for Ford v Ferrari, the nomination doesn’t go unnoticed. That’s right; Ford v Ferrari snags a Best Picture nomination this year. It’s no surprise, though, as movies based on true stories typically do well.

The movie: Ford V Ferrari

The film itself was a long time coming, and while it’s based on a true story, it wasn’t made on the heels of a book, and not much has been done to bring the story to the forefront since the actual event took place in the ’60s. Movies based on true stories often take some liberties, but for Ford v Ferrari, the movie stuck pretty true to the original story.

The main stars of the film are Christian Bale, who stars as Ken Miles, race car driver, and Matt Damon, who stars as Carroll Shelby, car maker. Actors also portrayed Lee Iacocca, Henry Ford II, and other notable people from this true saga.  

Historical roots

The story goes a little like this: A deal falls through for Ford to buy out Ferrari because Enzo Ferrari isn’t happy to give up his company completely. Henry Ford II gets a thorn in his side about it all and decides he wants to hit Ferrari where it hurts the most – on the racetrack. Yes, that’s the premise of the movie.

It’s not about the businesses or the families or the history behind each. It’s about a time in the ’60s when the racing scene was hot but where foreign automakers dominated the tracks. So when Ferrari backed out of the deal, Ford set on a mission to create a sports car that would become the fastest in the world. Spoiler alert: he did it.

While history gives us the ending of the movie already, it still makes for a great story. Greed, revenge, ego – it’s all there. It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t come without struggles, but in the end, Ford made history with the Ford GT40. He beat out Ferrari (actually, Fords took all top 3 spots in the winner’s circle) at Le Mans. So as not to spoil the story entirely for those that haven’t seen the movie yet, the rest can be seen on the big screen.

The cars today

While Ford still mostly makes reliable, neutral cars as they did in the old days, they do have the sportier Mustang. And now, they’ve even released the 2020 Shelby GT500 Mustang, which is said to be their most powerful production car to date. It’s obvious they still want a piece of the action and want to keep their streak of beating Ferrari going. Ferrari has the 8I2 GTS, which is said to be the world’s most powerful convertible.

And, they’re even joining the SUV ranks in 2021 with their all-new Purosangue. Only time will tell if they’re feud will continue. But Ford isn’t the only car to beat the Ferrari. Recently, Tesla did, too. In a test conducted recently, they outshined the Ferrari 731-hp. That’s not to say that Ferrari isn’t still at the top of their game, but they definitely have some stiff competition. 

Ready yourself for the Oscars

If you’re itching to see who wins Best Picture and whether Ford v Ferrari will be the one taking home the trophy, be sure to tune in on Sunday, February 9th, when the Academy Awards air on ABC at 7 pm. In the meantime, here’s a review from The Washington Post.