[4] The story is a biography, with fictionalized events, of the famed motorcycle daredevil, who grew up in Butte, Montana.

The film depicts Knievel reflecting on major events in his life, particularly his relationship with his girlfriend/wife, Linda.

Knievel is speaking directly to the camera describing his upcoming daredevil motorcycle jump: Ladies and gentlemen, you have no idea how good it makes me feel to be here today.

They tell Evel Knievel to jump a motorcycle across the Grand Canyon is impossible, and they say that every day.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I live by.Following his introduction, the story follows a flashback narrative through Knievel's life.

The film ends with Knievel successfully completing the February 1971 jump at the Ontario Motor Speedway (129 feet) and riding off onto a dirt road which leads to the edge of the Grand Canyon (at the time of production, Evel Knievel was hyping a jump over the Grand Canyon, a jump which never got beyond the early planning stage).

As the movie closes over the Grand Canyon, George Hamilton delivers a voice-over monologue in the Knievel character.

Below is a transcript of the monologue from the movie: Important people in this country, celebrities like myself – Elvis, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne – we have a responsibility.

People come out from their jobs, most of which are meaningless to them, and they watch me jump 20 cars, maybe get splattered.

While preparing to film it, he interviewed various stunt men for the lead role and learned about Knievel.

[5] In February 1970, Hamilton stated that: In America we've long had a theory that all men have an equal right to become everything they want.

Milius says he went to Hamilton's home at Palm Springs to read the script "and it was terrible.

He would have been every kid's hero on one hand, but then he went and took that baseball bat and broke that guy's arm and that finished his career in the toy business.

Additionally, Knievel performed a series of new jumps at the Ontario Motor Speedway for the production, including a spectacular record jump of 129 feet over 19 cars that was included in the film (Knievel held the record for jumping a Harley-Davidson motorcycle over 19 cars for 27 years, until broken by Bubba Blackwell in 1998).

"[10] The music was composed by Patrick Williams with lyrics by Bradford Craig.

The title song "I Do What I Please", sung by Jim Sullivan and released as a single, is played throughout the film, including the opening and closing credits and the montage of the real Evel Knievel's stunt riding.