Corvette's Starring Role in Movies

1. Corvette Summer

In retrospect, Corvette Summer is remembered as the first movie Mark Hamill did after becoming an overnight star as Luke Skywalker in 1977's Star Wars. Hamill plays a high school senior who has a big love for his Corvette, a modded C3 which he finds, loses, and ultimately finds again. Obviously judging from the title, Corvette Summer captured just how cool the Corvette really was. It's all to the film's credit that it virtually treats the car like a real character.

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2. Animal House

Animal House still stands as National Lampoon's strongest achievement to date. It's a sleazy comedy classic bar none, with a legion of devotees who can bark quotes from dusk 'til dawn. One of the movie's most enduring images is the vintage '59 Corvette, which is featured predominantly. It's an authentic model that was almost two decades old by the point of filming. However, the Corvette still looks mighty fine by any standard; it's either the result of a proper restoration or some very keen maintenance.

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3. Death Race 2000

For Corvette fans, Roger Corman's Death Race 2000 is the sort of experience you would get if you had a favorite actor ham it up with the most ridiculously absurd performance of the year. Not unlike something you could have also seen out of one of the Mad Max movies, this custom Corvette is actually a composite of several different cars. Of course, people will remember the monster decorations most of all; many might not even recognize it as a Corvette. Either way, it's a ton of fun to see one of America's classic muscle cars hyped up to 11 here.

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4. Star Trek (2009)

A C2 Stingray from 1965 was the centrepiece for the scene that introduced the reimagined James T. Kirk to the world. Nevermind the suspension of disbelief of someone joyriding a now-vintage classic two hundred years in the future-- the use of a classic muscle car instantly brings to mind the image of a cinematic James Dean-type rebel. With that kind of instant association in moviegoers' heads, the car could say a ton about Kirk's character without a word of dialogue. 

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5. Kiss Me Deadly

Film noir is a genre with as much nostalgic capital as the Corvette itself. Aside from being a very memorable Cold War-era film in its own right, the C1 Corvette is delivered here with a ton of weight. Director Robert Aldritch's moody lighting gives the Corvette the kind of presence that would be impossible for any vehicle to have in real life. It's not a happy movie by any means, but the images stick in your head.

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6. Terms of Endearment

Here's a movie from the 80s that is remembered very fondly. Unlike a lot of films with memorable depictions of cars, Terms of Endearment doesn't have tightly directed action scenes or even a lot of "coolness" factor. Rather, it's a film that reflects life as it actually is, without all of the operatic highs and lows you find in most dramas. Here, the Corvette is seen as a powerful part of regular lives. The beach scene with the Silver '78 from the C3 generation is especially memorable. In a sense, seeing the Corvette portrayed in a heartfelt, real-life situation is as much a positive endorsement as any high-flying action sequence. 

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7. Mr. Deeds

While certainly not the greatest film in or of itself, the Chevrolet Corvette -- specifically the contemporary C5 2002 mode l-- was the cornerstone of what is arguably the best shot of the movie. Adam Sandler plays a man who becomes extremely wealthy virtually overnight. Out of a kind spirit towards others, he buys everyone a flashy sports car. The funny part, of course, is that everyone in town owns the exact same model. It's a pretty incredible sight seeing so many 'Vettes in a single shot.

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