Prefontaine: Amazon.ca: DVD: DVD

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Inspirational and entertaining, PREFONTAINE is another acclaimed success from the makers of HOOP DREAMS. It's the true-life story of legendary track star Steve Prefontaine, the exciting and sometimes controversial "James Dean of Track," whose spirit captured the heart of the nation! Cocky, charismatic, and tough, "Pre" was a running rebel who defied rules, pushed limits ... and smashed records ... in an incredible against-all-odds quest for Olympic gold! Now a major motion picture, the triumphs and heartbreaks of this unforgettable champion will have you riveted from beginning to end!

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Customer Reviews

58 Reviews

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (58 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Overfocus on Pre, Dec 9 2003

By

Alex Lukic "cool_book_man" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Prefontaine (DVD)

I liked the movie. It carries the plot loyally and consistently. It shows the athletic talent, as well as the human side of a young man obsessed with competing to the limit, playing fast, and winning gold in Munich.

However, I was not particularly fond of the overfocus on Pre as if he was the greatest of his time - a far cry from the truth. I did not care for the image defamation of Lasse Viren, who is depicted like the bad boy of Munich only because he is an introverted and quiet Finn and - let's face it - a better athlete than Prefontaine.

I guess the storyline tries to hypnotize the audience with Pre's feats in the US (that frankly were more of a show than an international athletic milestone), and in so doing, fails to remind it that there were legendary long-distance runners at that time from Tunisia to Finland. After all, Prefontaine never ranked in the top 10 list of 5000 or 10000 meter runners between 1970 and 1974! As digressing a question as this may sound for a film review, how come he did not compete in Munich's 10000 meter race (like Puttemans, Bedford, Gammoudi and Viren did)? His times were great... in the USA, but with the exception of Frank Shorter, American long distance runners have not made much of a name for themselves since 1970.

You want to make a long-distance runner movie? Make one about Lasse Viren winning the gold medal in the 10000 meters at Munich in world record time after falling down in the middle of the race!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars if you dont have it, get it, May 2 2004

By

Laura (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prefontaine (DVD)

This movie is amazing, I have to watch it before all of my big track and cross country meets. It is very inprational and one of the best movies I have ever seen. If you are a runner this movie inspires you to be even better that you could possibly imagine. If you don't have it, get it. It is worth it.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than "Without Limits"-A Must See for Runners, Dec 26 2003

By

Daniel R. Sanderman (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Prefontaine (DVD)

Another movie that is a must see for runners of all ability. I would definitely say that I rate "Prefontaine" above "Without Limits." From the makers of "Hoop Dreams," Prefontaine follows in the same footsteps and creates a docudrama that is unforgettable and very watchable-even to those not interested in the sport. The main cast, Jared Leto and R. Lee Ermey as the unforgettable Bill Bowerman, are really quite good for a film of this budget. "Prefontaine" follows Pre's story more closely than "Without Limits" and definitely offers more for runners to sink their teeth into.

Admittedly, the film's appeal is probably limited to those who are truly interested or inspired by the sport of running (or know someone who is). But athletes of all sports will enjoy Pre's story of defiance and heart. If you watch one of the two films, I'd see this one.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Beautiful
I may be only 18 years old, but I am fully aware of how spectuacular and god-like Steve Pre Fontaine was. I only heard of him before I saw this movie. Read more

Published on Oct 20 2003 by Cally

1.0 out of 5 stars Good premise but poor execution...
I recently caught this on HBO and was dissapointed by what could of been. The story of distance runner Steve seems like it could of been interesting since a character study based... Read more

Published on Sep 27 2003 by Surface to Air Missle