Customer Reviews

Without Limits (Widescreen/Full Screen)

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read a great deal about Pre's life and own both Without Limits and Prefontaine. I watch Prefontaine religiously but have only put in Without Limits a few times. The way the story of Pre's life is portrayed gives the viewer a false sense of who Pre really was. Sexual overtones are used way too much and it takes away from the film; they make Bowerman out to be some kind of perv and Pre a kid that had sex with every girl in town when in reality he had the same girlfriend from his early years at Oregon up until his death. This one is worth the rent but don't take it for true fact...for that buy Prefontaine because it sticks much closer to the facts. Without Limits does have better acting but I think that is because Prefontiane formats the movie like it was a documentary with soliloquies of Pre's closest friends and coaches, it gives it almost an independant film feel which I think is the reason why a lot of people down it. Go for Prefontaine instead.

"Without Limits" does indeed go beyond a typical sports movie by being both an inspirational story and a character study. All of the acting is superb, especially Crudup and Sutherland. The scene in which Pre blatantly ignores Bowerman's mandate to sit back during most of the race and let the front runner wear himself out is especially good. It's funny, revealing of both characters, and just has that right level of inspiration (you can ignore the rules and win out of sheer guts) without being sappy.

I've seen "Prefontaine," the other movie about Pre's life, and I can't say that I was impressed. Some reviewers claim that it is more factual. Perhaps that is the case, but "Prefontaine" is not a well made movie. It also takes on extra baggage that distracts from the story. For example, in one scene they show Pre making snide comments about anti-war protesters. Was Pre a hawk? Did he ever express an opinion about war? I have no idea. But as a college athlete it would have been exceptionally hypocritical to have such an opinion when his status as an athlete allowed him to stay out of the military.

"Without LImits" doesn't get bogged down in these unimportant side issues. Instead, it focuses on Pre's fight against the AAU, the governing track and field organization which was so obviously taking advantage of athletes at the time.

Prefontaine once said, "Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." That about sums up the spirit of this movie.

While the movie is great, the DVD is nothing special. I can't figure out why movie studios make great movies like this and then slap them on a DVD with "extras" that include sub-titles at that's it. If there was ever a DVD that should have had extras this one was it - short documentaries on the real Prefontaine, how the movie was filmed, interviews with people who knew Pre, those who were fans at the time, archival footage. This could have been a stupendous DVD with lots of entertaining, educational and inspirational extras. Maybe they'll release an updated version - because this movie deserves it.

This is a must-have movie for all middle and long-distance runners. It's history of a legend that every runner should know about. Absolutely and sublimely awe-inspiring.
After the ordinary person has seen this film it WILL make then want to go out and and start running!
And after a runner has seen this movie they will want to be like 'Pre' and win the Olympics!!!
It also shows us the origins of the sports brand Nike and the superb knowledge and class of a legendary coach in Bill Bowerman.

BUY IT!

I really enjoy this film and, admittedly, probably for a lot of reasons external to the film itself. I am a distance runner from Oregon. Thus, the legend of Pre is alive and kicking from where I am from. I read his biography as a high school runner and admired his dedication and commitment to a sport I was only just being introduced. Moreover, I have been to Eugene many times, run on "the track," and seen the spot of his untimely death. This film is an inspiring film; if you are a runner, you must see it. It will make you want to get up off the couch and go for an easy ten.

The acting in this film is better than in "Prefontaine," the other film documenting Pre's life produced a year before this film came out. Donald Sutherland's performance as Bill Bowerman is extremely moving and endearing. His connection with Pre is that of a father to a son. As far as historical accuracy, many will quibble about the details of Pre's life and relationships, but I am not overly concerned by this fact. As in literature, it is not the job of an author to necessarily render everything according to historical accuracy. Rather, he or she must create memorable characters that move and affect us. This film achieves just that.

While its interest will definitely appeal to those of the athletic (and, in particular, running) community, I believe that its message has a more universal appeal as well. Pre set out to conquer the world and ended up finally conquering himself and coming to peace with that fact. If you're looking for an uplifting, heartwarming story-you've come to the right place.

It's been a few years since I first saw 'Prefontaine'. I'd seen it several times and I finally saw 'Without Limits' tonight.

Prefontaine:

Acting
I thought the acting in this movie could have been much better. The principle actors were decent, but it was a long drop off to the secondaries as far as acting talent. I felt Leto was more brash, cocky and arrogant. In comparison to Crudup, it made me feel Pre was this way on many occasions more out of fear or a need to be arrogant, as opposed to true belief in himself. More like a prima donna.

Facts
Given that these are movies and not documentaries, I really don't care about the small ones such as how close a race was, etc. But would like to get the truth on the the bigger issues such as personal relationships, how he hurt his foot (there either were witnesses, or there were not), and how directly he was involved in the fight against the AAU. I liked the added details in Munich and his life after Munich, showing his continued successes. These details were great from an informational perspective, but it certainly made the direction seem choppy. Without input from Pre himself, so many aspects of his friendship and love life are skewed by the perspective of the person that is recounting it, and can be questioned in both movies. To observe it is to change it, as they say. I would certainly say if you asked for the story of my uneventful life from 2 different ex-girlfriends, you would probably get 2 completely different stories.

Racing
This movie seemed a little shallow in this area. It seemed like all it did to teach the audience about strategy and Pre's abilities was to say, "You are too slow to sprint, so you have to push the pace faster to make the kickers tired". Maybe that is as much detail as the common viewer wants, but I would have liked to have seen more. I thought the race sequences in both films were good.

The interviews mixed with tradional story telling might have worked better if the casting had been better. Production quality was not as good as WL.

Without Limits -

Acting
By FAR the superior movie. Crudup and Sutherland's relationship just felt so much more real. And a million times more mature. You have to question authenticity of course, but their philosophical conflicts truly drive this movie and make the overall product much more mature.

Facts
This is not meant to be a documentary, and I can understand having to summarize 3-4 events into 1 event to make an accurate point - whether you are talking about Pre's love life or his races - for the sake of drama or time. I still would have liked to seen at least a few minutes talking about Pre's races after Munich instead of leaving the new viewer to thinking that he only ran 1 meet after Munich, and he died later that night. To me this was a weakness in the film. It left a lot of places where you have to fill in the blanks - such as Bowerman's appointment as Olympic coach, the Pre graduated and was no longer a student, etc. Now that I've seen both films and have a stronger grip on the true facts, skipping these details aren't as big of a deal as they are merely background to what is happening to Pre - as long as you are already aware of them.

Racing
In addition to focusing on Pre's relationships, it spent more time on race strategy, introducing other athletes than just Viren, and seemed to engage the sport at a deeper level. As a former competitor, this interested me quite a bit. Prefontaince had more race sequences, but I thought the sound effects in WL were great to create the feel of the race. The tension felt of running in the pack was expertly done, and the acting of Crudup in these sequences was good. I would have liked to see a little more pain on their faces and a little less closed-mouth running. WL did a better job at showing exactly how fast a 63 second quarter is.

This movie went out of its way to focus on Pre, Mary, and Bowerman's relationships. This just felt more authentic and mature. I think it is a shame they had to sum up so many of Pre's races - before and after the Olympics - but this was a conscious decision made to embrace Pre's story by showing fewer of his races - which can be felt as redundant in this medium, and humanizing him more. Prefontaine did a great job showing Pre's drive and heart, but I thought WL was more rewarding by showing his struggles with himself and those close to him - which surely must have existed.

While both movies showed some sides of Pre that aren't always listed as 'good' characteristics, only in WL did it truly feel like reality. The dialogue in Prefontaine certainly felt more like a Disney movie and combined with delivery, it was all a little contrived.

Once again, I felt that Without Limits was more the thinking-man's version of the movie, while Prefontaine did an excellent job with the facts of Pre's racing career and had an emotionally high value throughout the movie. Both raw emotion and embracing a new philosophy can inspire someone, and they both succeed at this. I would probably choose Prefontaine to show to people that do not know Pre's story, but for my own viewing, I would probably watch Without Limits repeatedly to get to the heart of the human story and struggles with philosophy, passion, and desire.

This movie has its ups and downs, and has alot of unneccesary sex scenes. Draggy in places and is sometimes boring. Buy Prefontaine, it has cooler racing segments and is just and overall better portrayal of Steve Prefontaine. It is very clean besides the language and is a great buy. I reccomend Prefontaine over this.

I really started getting into the whole "PREFONTAINE" hype about 3 years ago. My cousin bought this movie for me for my first high school cross country season. I watched it, and then gave it to everyone on my team watch it. They all loved it. If your a runner like I am, watch this movie, and I guarentee that it'll go out and make you want to do a couple of miles. I saw this movie, before i saw PREFONTAINE, so naturally I think it is better. And Billy Crudup looks all most identical to the real Steve Prefontaine. I recomend this movie to anyone who is felling down about running.

It's really a shame that director Robert Towne's 1999 film "Without Limits" was not seen by a larger audience. This is an inspirational tribute to the all-too-short life of long distance runner Steve Prefontaine. It is also an admirable film detailing the sport of track and field and the unique athletes who participate in it. There are moments when "Without Limits" is far too conventional, especially when dealing with Prefontaine's depression after the 1972 Munich Olympics. But this is a difficult story to tell, and Towne has done an expert job in weaving Prefontaine's life around the ultimate, bittersweet highlight of his career - his heroic and memorable race at the Olympics.

Having seen both films about this subject released in the same year ("Prefontaine" starring Jared Leto was released before "Without Limits"), I can comfortably say Towne's version is a better realized, more innovative work. The editing and direction during the Olympic race is terrifically exciting, and properly captures the warrior-like nature Prefontaine displayed in that symbolic moment. The scene, which arrives about three-quarters of the way in, will raise goosebumps on your flesh. The filmmaking innovations involved, in which the race becomes as exciting a battle as anything seen in "Rocky," is a tribute to the talents of Towne. He knew what parts of that race needed to be emphasized, just as he knew why it was such a spectacular effort by Prefontaine. Towne's gone on record, of course, as being a huge track and field fan, and his overrated 1982 film "Personal Best" was another fine salute to the sport.

One cannot give enough praise to the performances of Billy Crudup as Prefontaine and Donald Sutherland as his mentor/coach Bill Bowerman (who would go on the create Nike shoes). They bond, forming a father-son relationship that is equally touching and gentle. Their repartee, when Prefontaine first arrives on the University of Oregon campus during the 1960s as a cocky and brash track athlete, is an additional highlight.

In many ways, Prefontaine's interesting life has been simplified by Towne and co-screenwriter Kenny Moore, if only because so much of the man's life was unrealized. Prefontaine's tragic death is haunting because unlimited promise was yet on the horizon for this uniquely American athlete. But Prefontaine's spirit, which inspires people to this very day, and perhaps will forever, has been properly captured in "Without Limits." And that is why this film is an unqualified success.

But it is still pretty good. I just prefer "Prefontaine" a lot more. In "Prefontaine," you get to know the characters a lot better and they are much more likeable, plus the running scenes are more exciting. I also prefer Jared Leto over Billy Crudup as Pre. Though I do like Billy Crudup (see "Almost Famous"). If you are a diehard Pre fan, then get this (though view it first on tv or rental); otherwise, get "Prefontaine."

This movie does have its limits. Although it may be more appealing to the masses, I think the movie "Prefontaine" does a better job of getting us inside the mind of the runner Pre.

This movie does have some realistic running settings early on. I was disappointed when they did not continue. For example, many cross-country runners, like myself, who have charged down the first quarter mile of a grassy slope with 200+ others (like the opening of this movie) can often tell you how it is like a horse stampede (not a cow stampede, they are too slow). In real life the volume level can be staggering (much louder than the soundtrack), but the movie does a good job of trying to present that realistically. There are other similar cases of realism, but they really get spread thin after the opening.

The movie jumps around quite a bit, not really developing any part of it very well. In some ways, this may be like life, but few of us want to see it that way -- a two hour movie should be more enveloping. I did not feel like I got to know any of the people very well. Donald Sutherland does a very good job as coach and the coach may be the only one who's character gets developed more than in "Prefontaine".

The closing scene of "Prefontaine" was much more moving than "Without Limits". The former is more like "Beaches" while the latter is more like a TV drama (excluding "Touched by an Angel", which can be tear-jerking).

Watch both "Without Limits" and "Prefontaine" and let us know what YOU think!