This spunky, affecting and well-crafted movie is about the first woman to succeed in the male-dominated sport of big-time drag racing. Shirley Muldowney (Bonnie Bedelia), the daughter of a honky-tonk singer (Hoyt Axton), gets hooked on the thrill of fast cars at an early age. Husband Jack's (Leo Rossi) hopes for a traditional family life are dashed when she is licensed by the National Hot Rod Association and goes on to win many local races.

When Jack forces her to choose between a full-time sports career and their family life, Shirley leaves him and their teenage son to find fulfillment on her own. Connie "The Bounty Hunter" Kalitta (Beau Bridges), a well-known racer who is disqualified from the sport after a brawl, becomes her mechanic and lover. Although she is slowed down by a crash in which she is badly burned, feisty Shirley switches gears and enters top-fuel dragster competitions. She dumps Connie when she can no longer handle his womanizing.

Kaplan directs Heart Like a Wheel with great poise, carefully balancing Shirley's personal development with a behind-the-scenes look at the sport of drag racing. Ken Friedman's screenplay moves full-speed ahead in its thematic consideration of love and work. This uptempo biopicture deserves a wide audience given its subject matter and striking character profiles.