Race the Sun (1996)

Sandra Beecher, a hopeful dreamer and new science teacher at Kona-Pali High School in Hawaii, finds herself far from her English teaching roots and a failed marriage on the mainland. She steps into a world where her students are unambitious, a consequence of the low societal expectations surrounding them. In an attempt to foster their potential, Sandra urges a select group of students, the most disinterested of the lot, to create their own science fair presentations, despite the lack of Kona-Pali displays at the regional event. Among the uninspired teens, Daniel Webster, a self-declared mediocre student with a knack for design, is inspired by an incident at the fair. With a sudden burst of ambition and the backing of his peers, he declares his intention to design a solar-powered car to compete in the imminent Inter-island Race. The prize? A sponsorship from American corporate titan, CelTech, to participate in the gruelling six-day, 2,800km long Trans-Australian World Solar Challenge, a prestigious event that draws the brightest minds from the realms of academia and industry. The students' main competition? CelTech's own financially-backed team, expected to clinch the Hawaiian race. Despite the daunting odds, Sandra embraces their audacious plan and, after some persuasion, ropes in the school's reluctant shop teacher, Frank Machi, to lend his expertise to the project. Together, they navigate a sea of self-doubt, internal discord, and external skepticism, with the most formidable opposition coming from their rivals, including the reigning world champion, Hans Kooiman of the Euro Team, and CelTech, both of whom harbor an elitist view of the competition. In this sun-soaked journey of discovery, this band of Hawaiian misfits, guided by their determined teacher, dare to dream beyond the confines of their small island, to race the sun and redefine their destinies. In their quest to build their solar car and earn a place in the World Solar Challenge, they find themselves not just competing against the world's best but racing against the societal expectations that have bound them for so long.

Race the Sun is an adventure movie featuring Halle Berry and directed by Charles T. Kanganis.

Race the Sun is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Tubi TV and it's also available on fuboTV.

It is also possible to buy Race the Sun on Amazon Video, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store, Vudu and YouTube.