Breaking Away (1979)

Wow! Such a good movie.

A Masterpiece!

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Isn't it great when you find a movie that you'll plan to watch for the rest of your life? I knew it a long time ago. Dennis Christopher was strong in his performance, especially the parts where he talks with his father about whether or not he should go to college. When I was a kid and watched this for the first time, I knew it was going to be my favorite. I soon became obsessed with cycling as well, and managed to enter one of those races and win second place! I love the screenplay, which definitely deserved the Oscar it won, and the chemistry between all the characters is undeniable. It really makes you believe that they all are good friends. My favorite part is when Dave says, "Everybody cheats, I just didn't know." and as a 13 year old, believe me, that was really philosophical. If you want to watch a movie that will really blow you away, or help you remember what it was like to be a kid, this is the movie for you. All the actors were amazing, and you find yourself relating to a lot of the problems they face. I even wish I saw it much sooner, because after I saw it, my entire look on life changed. It's a real masterpiece!

Breaking Away is a movie which certainly has its charms. But it's a case where the movie's reputation slightly outstrips reality. It's one of those movies which isn't quite as good as people remember it as being. It won an Oscar for best screenplay but there's really nothing remarkable about the script. In fact the story is actually quite predictable and mundane, with some rather corny dialogue to boot. It's a movie which follows a well-worn formula, the underdogs striving to make good. And you can see the obstacles the main character will face, and the reasons for his eventual disillusionment, coming a mile away. There's never really any great drama, you know where the movie's headed.But just because the movie is predictable doesn't mean it can't be reasonably enjoyable. It's the story of four teens, just graduated high school and trying to find their path in life. But it's the story of one of the four which is at the heart of the film. Dave Stoller is obsessed with bicycle racing. Italian bicycle racing to be specific. He Italianizes his life, much to the consternation of his father. Meanwhile he and his directionless friends have run-ins with the college kids and it all comes to a head in a bicycle race. Well, points for originality there I suppose. Not many movies have a bicycle race as the big, dramatic climax. The movie is hailed as being truly inspiring. That's a stretch. But when the movie ends you'll probably at least find yourself smiling. It's not riveting stuff all the way through, there are plenty of lulls. The movie does do enough to keep you interested though. Dennis Christopher does an excellent job in the role of Dave. Paul Dooley, playing Dave's father, is also memorable. The tug-of-war between these two characters produces many of the movie's highlights. The supporting cast features now familiar faces such as Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern and Jackie Earle Haley. But it's really Christopher who must carry the movie. It's Dave's story. And it's a good story. Just not a great one.

This is definitely one of those films I never would of heard of without being in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and it was also because of some good names in the cast and an award win, from Oscar and Golden Globe nominated director Peter Yates (Summer Holiday, Bullitt, The Deep). Basically best friends Dave Stoller (BAFTA winning, and Golden Globe nominated Dennis Christopher), Mike (The Day After Tomorrow's Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Home Alone's Daniel Stern) and Moocher (A Nightmare on Elm Street's Jackie Earle Haley) have all just graduated from high school in Bloomington, Indiana. They are all deciding what to do next in their lives, but until then they spend a lot of their time swimming in an old abandoned water-filled quarry, and they clash with Indiana University students. Dave, who has a passion for Italian music and the culture, which concerns his father Ray (Paul Dooley), has an obsession with competitive bicycle racing, his mother Evelyn (Oscar nominated Barbara Barrie) is very supportive of these things. Dave has a crush on university student Katherine (Robyn Douglass) and puts on an Italian accent to romance her, but she is does already have boyfriend Rod (Hart Bochner), and he has his gang beat up Cyril after mistaken identity. Soon after this there is the announcement a professional Italian cycling team coming to town for a racing event, and Dave is keen to participate as well, but the team cause to get depressed after a crash. He does come back, and he gets support from his father, and after some incidents in the race Dave has his feet taped to his bicycle pedals, Moocher, Cyril and Mike all watch in hope, and on the last lap he overtakes Rod to win the race, and after the trophy glory he decides he'll enrol at the university. Also starring Amy Wright as Nancy, Peter Maloney as Doctor and Halloween's P.J. Soles as Suzy. Christopher is a talented young leading character, Quaid, Stern and Haley who would all go on to bigger things do really well as they are young as well, and in her scenes I can see why Barrie was nominated an award, the material that would inspire the Brat Pack genre are all amusing, the cycling scenes are good watching, and the dialogue is witty and also sensitive, so all in all it is a likable comedy sports drama. It won the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, and it was nominated for Best Music for Patrick Williams and Best Picture, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy, and it was nominated for Best Screenplay. Good!

One of my favorite genres of movies is sports movies. Usually there is drama, comedy, and often surprising results. For me Breaking Away is certainly one of my top ten favorite sports movies, and quite possibly on my top five list.Breaking Away is a story about a teenage cyclist growing up in Bloomington, Indiana. Somehow he has become obsessed with the Italian cycling team. And whether his motivation is a unique way to meet young coeds at Indiana University or something else, he is an incredible cyclist.The fun part of this movie is his interaction with his mother Evelyn Stoller, who seems very understanding about his Italian cultural ways, and his father Ray Stoller, who doesn't understand why his son thinks he's Italian. Give credit to writer Steve Tesich whose script takes viewers on a humorous and believable adventure in this wonderful small-budget movie.Add in three friends who just graduated from high school, and this story is a fascinating jaunt with coming of age. Dennis Quaid plays a former high school quarterback, Jackie Earle Haley plays the short and defensive Moocher, and Daniel Stern plays Cyril, a student whose father likes to encourage him when he fails. Each of the supporting actors does a great job in helping to convey the story, but you can really see Daniel Stern's strength in comic acting in his first major movie role.The sports rivalry is actually established by the city kids called Cutters, competing for dates against the college male students. Eventually, the two rival groups compete against each other in a bike race called the Little 500. But honestly, the joy in this movie is the journey with all of the characters in the Peter Yates directed movie.As in life, there is humor and sadness, friends and family, rivals and conflict brought out on the big screen. This movie was surprisingly good the first time I saw it, and still enjoyable 30 years after its release. How good is Breaking Away? It won an Oscar in 1980 for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen with Steven Tesich doing a tremendous job in "wordsmithing" the script. The movie also received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Barbara Barrie), and Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score (Patrick Williams).Perhaps my best recommendation for Breaking Away is that I consider it better than that other famous Indiana sports movie about High School basketball. That's probably a minority view, but if you haven't seen Breaking Away, you have missed a jewel of a movie.