Gran Turismo®, a racing simulator known for its graphics, its large number of licensed vehicles, its scrupulous attention to vehicle detail, its accurate driving physics imitation, and its ability to hone performance has gained popularity in the gaming world since the 1990s. 

The movie Gran Turismo follows the story of Jann Mardenborough, a British teenager who has big dreams in becoming a car racer. We see him climbing from being one of the top best Gran Turismo players around the world; to being trained by Gran Turismo® and Nissan™ in real race cars with nine other players, and winning first place; to getting his license for racing; and finally achieving third place in the Le Mans 24 hours race.

Mardenborough had academic challenges and ultimately decided to drop out of university. He spent a majority of his time playing Gran Turismo®, dreaming to become a professional racer which his father did not approve of. Many parents might disapprove of their children’s careers whether it be for the dangers that come with the job, or simply its salary and job opportunities.

“My parents would be supportive with basically whatever I chose. […] My mum supports me to go to college pretty much no matter what, my dad says I should really only go if it’s something like engineering,” senior Logan Pritchard said.

On the other hand, some parents might consider a more pragmatic approach when choosing a career for their children.

“[My parents] are more supportive of the coding [career] than the music even though I don’t really want to make that into a career,” freshman Levi Ressa said.

Mardenborough believed that Gran Turismo® could help him envision what it really feels like to drive a race car. Similarly, Pritchard has always had an interest in history and he chiefly plays video games related to history. 

“It helps expand my thinking, and also they are history-based so it could also help cement facts into my head,” Pritchard said.

Freshman Thanh Ngo is envisaging a career in character design, and she believes that video games could help her in her career. 

“I could get inspiration from video games. There are designs of games I really like that I could include in my own art,” Ngo said.

Sophomore Ashton Zarate is planning to become a reconstructive plastic surgeon, and like Pritchard and Ngo, he believes video games are helpful. 

“Especially with those accurate surgical simulations, I would say yes, it would help further my knowledge about that specific career,” Zarate said.

Some students might argue that video games are a refuge from their daily life, whilst others simply see it as a way to interact with friends online and have fun. 

“I’m a fan of gaming because it can be used as a stress relief sometimes, but even when it’s not, it’s still good fun,” Ressa said.

“We play video games for the same reason that girls wear makeup: to escape from reality,” sophomore Atticus Brimmer said.

There are always obstacles that impede one’s choice of a career. Mardenborough questioned whether he should continue racing when he got into a freak accident—an accident involving the death of a spectator. Although the gaming world does not possess such dangers, it is especially challenging to earn money out of it.

“Keeping up an internet persona is difficult in today’s society whereas a flaw in one’s online appearance could lead to cancel culture—where a mass of people attempt to dethrone someone’s position in the media by lowering their popularity,” a junior said.

Amongst the many students at Seven Lakes, only a handful of students seem to know about Gran Turismo®, even less so the racing world. Senior Sergio Galicia is quite the knowledgeable expert in the racing world as he himself is a semi-experienced racer.

“I race with my dad on a circuit with an Aston Martin™ and a BMW™, so we go racing quite a lot,” Galicia said. “I’ve done Formula 1 before, I’ve done a lot of stuff.”

Mardenborough has had a vivid passion for cars ever since his father took him to a car exhibition, and Galicia shares that same fervour. 

“I only got into racing in 2019 when I started watching Formula 1 with my family, and from there I’ve just gotten really into it, all the way now to racing myself,” Galicia said.

With racing comes the adrenaline; the excitement of reaching the finish line and the nagging fear of a potential accident—or even death. 

“It’s exciting being able to go [at] really high velocities and fast speeds, and being able to just experience going fast—like the feeling of getting pushed into the seat from how fast you’re going, or the wind pushing on your face,” Galicia said.

The Gran Turismo film not only covers the vast racing world, but also revolves around the themes of family, hardships, self-determination, and the powerful will to keep moving forwards.

“There’s a saying I hear a lot of people say; “If you’re doing something you like, you will never really work a day in your life,” Pritchard said.