Breaking Away (Widescreen Edition)
This charming, Academy Award winner (1979, Screenplay) cycles high on comedy as four friends come to terms with life after high school. When top-notch cyclist Dave (Dennis Christopher) learns that the world’s bicycling champions are always Italian, he attempts to turn himself into an Italian, driving his parents (Barbara Barrie, Paul Dooley) crazy. But everything changes after he meets the Italian racing team-an encounter that ultimately leads him and his friends (Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley) to challenge the local college boys in the town’s annual bike race.Peter Yates’s flag-waving film stands with To Kill a Mockingbird and American Graffiti as one of the best films about small-town Americana. Steve Tesich won an Oscar for his semi-biographical screenplay about four 19-year-olds who don’t know what to do after high school. Dave Stohler (Dennis Christopher) and his three friends–ex-football star Mike (Dennis Quaid), wily comedian Cyril (Daniel Stern), and tough kid Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley)–are doomed to live in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana, where the local kids (nicknamed “Cutters”–a derogatory reference to quarry workers and their blue-collar families) are looked down on by the uppity students of nearby Indiana University. Stohler escapes into a world of Italian bicycling, picking up the lingo, the accent, and a good share of the talent of his heroes. He is also the scourge of his father’s life. The used-car salesman (Paul Dooley) doesn’t understand his son’s affection for bicycling or, for that matter, his pride in being a “Cutter.” Breaking Away rehabilitates the word heartwarming as Tesich’s uncommonly intelligent script gives us well-rounded characters and a potent sense of place. The grandstanding finale–the real life “Little 500″ bike race–gives the film a perfect, crowd-pleasing end. However, the film never sacrifices the development of characters for the action. Dooley is especially effective in one of those once-in-a-lifetime roles. The lifelong character actor’s place in film history is established with this indispensable performance. –Doug Thomas
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(out of 136 reviews)
Review by Eric J. Lyman for Breaking Away (Widescreen Edition)
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I don’t want to make a bigger deal out of this movie than it deserves. It’s not a world-changer and the ending is a bit predictable, but it is a wonderful and charming coming of age story and an honest look at small-town America. And cycling and Italians play central roles — a plus for an American cyclist living in Italy, like me.But having an affinity for things Italian or for bike racing is not necessary in order to enjoy this 25-year-old classic. What is necessary is an appreciation for small things and memories about the mysterious period between adolescence and adulthood. If that describes you, then chances are you’ll enjoy this touching film.Amid the praise I should say that the DVD package is only average: the original trailer and teaser are there, but it would have been nice to have some commentary from director Peter Yates, some of the actors, or from critics who were fans of the film. A “Making of Breaking Away” mini feature would have also been a welcome addition. One note: Breaking Away is a very American film, and so I’m not so sure how much of it will hit home with foreign viewers.
Review by Unlucky Frank for Breaking Away (Widescreen Edition)
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It’s about time they released this Masterpiece on DVD. In 1979, I was a 19 year old boy. My MAMA had just come home crying from the movie theatre, having seen this FILM. She said to me, “I just saw a movie you have to see. It made me weep because it reminded me of you.” Then she hugged me and I thought, God, I gotta see this movie! Then I did, and it had the exact same effect on me, and still does to this day.
This is not just a “feel-good-coming-of-age” story. This FILM is a profound and intelligent comedy of an inner search for an identity. What self-aware human being hasn’t confronted the blinding journey of the Self? Should I go to college and major in Business? Or should I become an Italian and race bicycles? Heck, I’m in my forties and sometimes I still don’t know who I am.PAPA (WORRYING ABOUT DAVE)-played hilariously by Paul Dooley.
“He’s gonna be a bum, Evelyn… An Italian bum.” Everyone in this FILM is searching. Except for maybe Moocher. Socrates would have loved this movie.
MAMA (WAXING PHILOSOPHICAL)-played brilliantly by Barbara Barrie.
“I think you should come home singing… with a trophy. Do all those things while you can.” Everytime I see this FILM, the tears well because I knew every single one of these guys growing up and I always fell in love with the girl I couldn’t have.
DAVE (IN THE PANGS OF AMORE)-impeccably played by Dennis Christopher.
“I have such a pain in my heart, mama. I’m in love.” THE WHOLE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM ARE AMAZING. AND I HOPE THEY ALL READ THIS. DENNIS CHRISTOPHER!! BELLISSIMA!! BELLISSIMA!!
I have a great sentiment for this FILM and as soon as I get my copy I’m heading straight to MAMA’s house to watch it with her. This FILM is to AMERICAN CINEMA, as THE BEACHBOYS are to AMERICAN ROCK AND ROLL. Good vibrations, bambina!! CIAO PAPA!!
Review by Roger J. Buffington for Breaking Away (Widescreen Edition)
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This is a truly touching story about a young man from a working-class background growing up in a college town. Most of the townspeople (called “cutters” by the college students who look down upon them) work or worked in the nearby rock quarry, managing at most a modest middle-class status. This story is primarily about this friction between social classes, and one young man’s successful ascent out of his own social class and into college. And it is about more than that. The method by which he succeeds inspires the whole town to be proud of their solid, working class roots, and affirms the fact that in America we need not be bound by our social class, and indeed with brains, ability, talent, and yes, guts, a person can achieve anything.
The protagonist is an amateur bicyclist, and the struggle is initially about his attempt to break into the ranks of amateur bicycling. This theme is woven into the social class divisions of the town, which are an obstacle to his dreams. In the end, (no spoiler here) he succeeds in a dramatic way. This film succeeds in being both significant and very funny.
A fine film that the whole family can enjoy together.
Review by B. Hendry for Breaking Away (Widescreen Edition)
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This is an excellent movie with several themes woven together. The main theme is a how a clique of four boys, principally Dave, feel like outsiders in their hometown of Bloomington Indiana as they search for an identity after high school. They are starting to realize that their search will inexorably pull them apart. None of the four are in college, and Bloomington’s local economy, especially the fading quarries, seems to hold little promise aside from serving the Indiana University (IU) college students. The IU students derisively call local kids “cutters” in reference to the quarries their fathers worked in. The four in fact have a favorite closed quarry as their hangout and swimming pool, and they resent it when the IU kids want them to stay off campus but feel free to invade this quarry.
Two of the four had ideas for college athletics, but are aimless now that their high school careers are over and do not provide structure. There are several excellent scenes depicting their confusion and disappointment over what to do next. My favorite is when the four are watching Indiana football practice. Dennis Quaid still keeps in shape, and he says that he can’t bring himself to light the cigarettes he keeps in his mouth because he can’t get give up his opinion that he was a pretty good high school quarterback and should be on the college gridiron. Now he’s just “20-yr old Mike”. Eventually he will be just “30-yr old Mike” and then just “40-yr old Mike”. Every year there will be new contenders for starting quarterback, and “every year it’s not gonna be me.” Daniel Stern, as Cyril, has to overcome his dad’s low expectations and too-willing acceptance of failure even though Cyril is a talented person.
Meanwhile, Dave, like many adolescents, has a silly, romantic ideas of what he will become. He decides to transform into an Italian because his passion is cycling, and because he believes Italians are the best cyclists then he should become Italian too. Dave is played by Dennis Christopher, who was raised Catholic in Philadelphia and has a real last name of Carelli. So Dave adopts an accent, listens to Italian opera and language records, calls the family cat “Fellini”, and teachse his parents about supposed Italian family values from what seem to be the 1920s. His dad is adamant as he addresses the cat: “Your name is Jake, dammit!” Dave’s struggle with and eventual reconciliation with his dad provides about half of the movie and comedy. His dad, who is no great role model himself, has conflicting ideas of what Dave should become, The dad does not realize that he is silly himself with what he does and should expect more from Dave. The actors, Paul Dooley as the father and Dennis Christopher as Dave, are so convincing that according to IMDB they have played father and son on three occasions! The father is the funniest person in the movie; so funny that you forget the poignancy of what is happening. Several scenes are so unforgettable that I still think of them, for example when I hear the word “refund!”. After you see the movie you might do the same.
Another theme, already alluded to, is that of the townies vs college kids. A colleague of mine used to live in Bloomington, and she says this rivalry is profound. The four are able to fight back against the college kids by representing the townies in the the “little 500″, a bike race which is a huge event on IU’s campus. Apparently IU has built a new stadium for this race because it is so popular.
Oh yes, this is also an underdog movie about athletics, in this case cycling. We see Dave’s cycling career cycle up and down throughout the movie, culminating in The Big Race.
Two of the actors, Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern, were up and coming, while one, Jackie Earle Hailey, had seen better days as Kelly Leak in “Bad News Bears” but still gets roles. According to IMDB, Dennis Christopher has had a productive career mainly on television.
This movie has a very wide appeal and is suitable for high schoolers and adults alike. I think it would be especially good for adolecents as they struggle with their identity. There is profanity and a few things about about girls that adolescent boys would say, but I recommend it wholeheartedly. It is one of those fine movies that gets overlooked but is a wonderful discovery.
Review by George for Breaking Away (Widescreen Edition)
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This is a fabulous film, one of my all-time favorites: a funny, bittersweet, character-driven masterpiece of small-budget filmmaking, shot in a town I lived in for five years. Obviously, this was a cheaply done DVD release by Fox of a film that deserves a deluxe special edition. Besides the lack of extras, interviews, and audio commentary, I could not believe the poor sound quality of the DVD digital transfer: street scenes, crowd scenes, etc. sounded like they were recorded in a digital bucket! We had to turn down the sound during the pivotal Little 500 scene, because the digital garbage was so annoying. Having seen this many times on tape, I know that the sound of this low-budget film was not always good, but it was never horrible until this cheap digital mastering. Fortunately it does not completely ruin the experience of this wonderful film, but I wouldn’t be in any hurry to replace a VHS tape with this DVD! Fox, fix your mistake and treat this film properly!