Customer Reviews

Breaking Away (Widescreen/Full Screen)

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have a particular affinity for this film, as it is set in the town where lived for many years, Bloomington, Indiana. Most people in Bloomington are basketball crazy; apart from this, perhaps the second most popular sport is bicycling, culminating at the end of the school year with the Little 500 bicycle race on campus (a bicycle version of the internationally-known Indianapolis 500 motor race, just 50 miles north). This is primary a campus event, with fraternities and a few other organisations fielding teams; there are also community teams, and always at least one team with the name 'cutter'.

The film is a piece of fiction not just in its plot but also in the details, but it is a good story. The primary character is Dave Stoller (played by Dennis Christoper), a recent high school graduate who isn't sure what to do with the rest of his life. He and his three friends Mike (a very young Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Daniel Stern) and Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) had made a high school pact to 'waste their lives together' hanging out in the comfortable, small-town atmosphere of Bloomington. However, half the town is university, with all the ambitious, young people that such institutions bring. Dave is son of Raymond (Paul Dooley) and Evelyn (Barbara Barrie), a typical middle class working couple. Raymond makes his living as a used-car salesman, largely taking advantage of the supposedly-smarter college kids. Barbara is trying to put some romance back into their lives.

In his boredom, Dave becomes obsessed with two things - Italian culture and bicycle racing. He calls his father and mother 'papa' and 'mama', plays Italian opera (Caruso, etc.) endlessly, persuades his mother to add Italian cuisine to the home cooking; Dave's friends put up with him, as they have their own small struggles to deal with - Mike, in entering a stage in life where he's no longer the star quarterback of the school; Cyril, who can only think of the next way to disappoint his father (who delights in being understanding); and Moocher, unemployed and unambitious, but falling in love and planning to get married. The spend their time in a sort of dazed and confused state, without too much confusion due to lack of stimulation.

Dave realises there is more to life than hanging out on the downtown square in Bloomington. He begins impersonating an Italian exchange student, falls for a co-ed named Katherine (played by Robyn Douglass), and the juxtaposition of town and gown is set - Katherine is the girlfriend of a swim-team member, and Dave with his three friends have a confrontation with them on campus that leads the president of the university to step in, marking as the field of combat the hallowed bicycle race, the Little 500.

Dave, in his drive to be the Italian exchange student, has taken to idolising the soon-to-be-visiting Italian bicycle team of Cinzano, and become a great cyclist himself. Disappointed by the poor sportsmanship of that race, Dave is ready to give up racing, until his father Raymond, who had always been against his son's starry-eyed ambitions, sees the spark go out of Dave's life, and encourages him to join his friends in the newly-formed Cutter team, and run the race at the college.

The word 'cutter' is a derogatory term the college kids used to describe the townsfolk. Bloomington is situated in the midst of a huge natural deposit of limestone, some of which has been used in construction of buildings all over the world, including bridges in London, the Empire State Building, and massive public works projects in Asia. The college kids (the 'gown') look down on the cutters (the 'town'), and are intent on not letting them steal the victory in the race. The epic battle is set.

There were cameos in the film, including the then -actual president of the university, John Ryan. Extras for town and college scenes were hired from Bloomington, a few of whom I know and enjoy seeing again in their 25-year-old glory (one such person, Jennifer Mikel, sang at the wedding of a friend not too long ago). Those of us who know the geography of Bloomington watch the film and delight in editing that causes geographic problems - turning the corner on a bicycle and going down a street that is not connected to the one before; riding or driving down streets the wrong way on one-way streets. Most especially, we delight in seeing the town and university as it was. Much has changed in the 25 years since this film was made, and yet, much is the same.

The term 'cutter' didn't really come into use until this film - it was more or less invented for the story in this film. As Dave's father Raymond tells Dave at one point, Dave is not a cutter. Raymond was a cutter - he cut limetone in the quarries, but those days are gone. The campus is built of limestone, and it is time now for Dave take advantage of those buildings.

In the end, the hero does not get the girl, but does get a life, in a victory that goes beyond what any race could bring. (Dave wins one bicycle race in the film, and loses another; you'll have to see it for yourself to find out how this plays out).

The film stands the test of time fairly well - the comedy and the drama still rings true.

I have a particular affinity for this film, as it is set in the town where lived for many years, Bloomington, Indiana. Most people in Bloomington are basketball crazy; apart from this, perhaps the second most popular sport is bicycling, culminating at the end of the school year with the Little 500 bicycle race on campus (a bicycle version of the internationally-known Indianapolis 500 motor race, just 50 miles north). This is primary a campus event, with fraternities and a few other organisations fielding teams; there are also community teams, and always at least one team with the name 'cutter'.

The film is a piece of fiction not just in its plot but also in the details, but it is a good story. The primary character is Dave Stoller (played by Dennis Christoper), a recent high school graduate who isn't sure what to do with the rest of his life. He and his three friends Mike (a very young Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Daniel Stern) and Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) had made a high school pact to 'waste their lives together' hanging out in the comfortable, small-town atmosphere of Bloomington. However, half the town is university, with all the ambitious, young people that such institutions bring. Dave is son of Raymond (Paul Dooley) and Evelyn (Barbara Barrie), a typical middle class working couple. Raymond makes his living as a used-car salesman, largely taking advantage of the supposedly-smarter college kids. Barbara is trying to put some romance back into their lives.

In his boredom, Dave becomes obsessed with two things - Italian culture and bicycle racing. He calls his father and mother 'papa' and 'mama', plays Italian opera (Caruso, etc.) endlessly, persuades his mother to add Italian cuisine to the home cooking; Dave's friends put up with him, as they have their own small struggles to deal with - Mike, in entering a stage in life where he's no longer the star quarterback of the school; Cyril, who can only think of the next way to disappoint his father (who delights in being understanding); and Moocher, unemployed and unambitious, but falling in love and planning to get married. The spend their time in a sort of dazed and confused state, without too much confusion due to lack of stimulation.

Dave realises there is more to life than hanging out on the downtown square in Bloomington. He begins impersonating an Italian exchange student, falls for a co-ed named Katherine (played by Robyn Douglass), and the juxtaposition of town and gown is set - Katherine is the girlfriend of a swim-team member, and Dave with his three friends have a confrontation with them on campus that leads the president of the university to step in, marking as the field of combat the hallowed bicycle race, the Little 500.

Dave, in his drive to be the Italian exchange student, has taken to idolising the soon-to-be-visiting Italian bicycle team of Cinzano, and become a great cyclist himself. Disappointed by the poor sportsmanship of that race, Dave is ready to give up racing, until his father Raymond, who had always been against his son's starry-eyed ambitions, sees the spark go out of Dave's life, and encourages him to join his friends in the newly-formed Cutter team, and run the race at the college.

The word 'cutter' is a derogatory term the college kids used to describe the townsfolk. Bloomington is situated in the midst of a huge natural deposit of limestone, some of which has been used in construction of buildings all over the world, including bridges in London, the Empire State Building, and massive public works projects in Asia. The college kids (the 'gown') look down on the cutters (the 'town'), and are intent on not letting them steal the victory in the race. The epic battle is set.

There were cameos in the film, including the then -actual president of the university, John Ryan. Extras for town and college scenes were hired from Bloomington, a few of whom I know and enjoy seeing again in their 25-year-old glory (one such person, Jennifer Mikel, sang at the wedding of a friend not too long ago). Those of us who know the geography of Bloomington watch the film and delight in editing that causes geographic problems - turning the corner on a bicycle and going down a street that is not connected to the one before; riding or driving down streets the wrong way on one-way streets. Most especially, we delight in seeing the town and university as it was. Much has changed in the 25 years since this film was made, and yet, much is the same.

The term 'cutter' didn't really come into use until this film - it was more or less invented for the story in this film. As Dave's father Raymond tells Dave at one point, Dave is not a cutter. Raymond was a cutter - he cut limetone in the quarries, but those days are gone. The campus is built of limestone, and it is time now for Dave take advantage of those buildings.

In the end, the hero does not get the girl, but does get a life, in a victory that goes beyond what any race could bring. (Dave wins one bicycle race in the film, and loses another; you'll have to see it for yourself to find out how this plays out).

The film stands the test of time fairly well - the comedy and the drama still rings true.

Watching "Breaking Away" is like visiting an old buddy in a familiar town. The film is about four friends who have graduated high school and aren't quite sure whether to embrace adulthood and the future or to shun it and cling instead to their childhood identities and each other. There is a great deal of warmth and gentle humor throughout the film, and the performances are winning.

Mike (Dennis Quaid), the leader of the group, clings to his friends as reminders of his days as high school quarterback and fears they will prove to be his best. Moocher is eager for adulthood and is planning to marry his girlfriend. The only problem is he cannot keep a job! Cyril (Daniel Stern) is resigned to the fact he may never leave Bloomington, but remains buoyant regardless. Dave Stohler is the main character, he knows exactly what he wants to be, an Italian Cyclist. There is only one problem- he isn't Italian! Dave learns through a young woman he meets and eventually through his father that simply being Dave is more than good enough, and that he must embrace his natural talents and the future. There have been countless "coming of age" pictures, but this one is the most enjoyable!

DVD: The production values of the DVD leave something to be desired and therefore I only give the product 4 stars. The lack of 5.1 surround is a disappointment, as well as the quality of the video. A commentary track featuring the four leads would have been an interesting addition. The only extras are a couple of trailers.

This film has wide appeal. At the outset it really seems to be one of those movies that were made specifically to cater to rising trends of the times -- in this case, the bike boom of the early 70's. And yet, even though our protagonist rides a Masi, this film has few things in common with other flicks like Torque, The Fast and the Furious, Top Gun, Wildstyle, Quicksilver and others that feebly attempt to elevate their respective scenes to almost mythical underground status by building stories and jargon completely around the sport or subject itself. Initially I watched Breaking Away because I was into bicycles. But bicycles in this movie surprisingly take somewhat of a backseat in relation to its main thrust; this film could be said to be not just about coming of age in small town America but more about taking pride in your own cultural identity while finding the courage to pursue your own dreams. And however cliche it might sound, the struggle is a real one, especially concerning the 'vicious cycle' that exists in our supposedly classless American society. And this I think, has a far more timeless appeal than a kid going around thinking he's a professional italian cyclist, however charming it may seem.

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.

A sleeper that made the grade and graduated into the realms of Classic Flicks, Breaking Away is one of those wonderfully uplifting and subtly patriotic movies that champions small-town America. Steve Tesich won the screenplay Oscar for this semi-biographical story about four 19yo kids who can't quite decide what to do with themselves after high school. They live in Bloomington, Indiana, where the guys from the university look down on the townies and make derogatory comments about their rock quarrying forebears. One of them drifts, then runs, into the world of Italian bicycling, much to his used-car-salesman father's dismay and embarrassment.
You'll feel yourself pulled into rising excitement as the marvelous finale hoves into view, and, though sorry to see the film end, you'll hit the rewind button with a big smile on your face.

There are very few movies that I can watch multiple times, but this is one of them. It is not a cycling movie, although the cycling scenes are cool. Rather, it is a movie about friends and family -- a story about growing up in a blue coller environment, told with warmth and humour.

This one is well worth owning -- the cycling is absorbing, and while not always realistic, it comes closer than films like American Flyer. I'm a grad student at IU Bloomington, and before I came here this movie was my intro to Bloomington. The Little 500 still is a great spectacle, and this movie captures it well, along with the town-gown tension.

Despite the "shown-on-TBS-in-the-afternoon" feeling to this movie I actually love it, and like it more every time I watch it. First of all I love bikes, and I love Europe, so I immediately had something in common with the protagonist. But really all the characters are identifiable in some way. Now it seems that even college kids are finding that their lives seem aimless, and the movie seems to speak to that theme that is daunting for almost all of us. You'd think it would be cheesy, and in some respects it is, but nonetheless it's hard not to cheer for them to win the bicycle race. I do even though I know the outcome.
The boy's father is perhaps the most interesting character. His transformation from gruff to understanding is totally believable, and what you want to happen. The movie doesn't make it look like everything is going to be alright, in fact one character is still noticably directionless at the end, but things do end on happy, though not too sappy note. My two favorite scenes are when Dennis saronades "Carolina" with the Italian aria, and the very last scene (you'll see).

Simply the best cycling movie of all time (so far...). Enjoyable by anyone and everyone with a special warm place for all cyclists. Any rider/racer who's seen this will always recall the Semi-drafting scene, the riding with the Italian team - a little too competetive! And the quotes... "Mama! The Italians are coming!" "That boy was as right as rain 'til he started riding that bicycle".
It's a heart-warming coming of age story underneath that everyone seems to relate to, giving it the wide appeal of a true classic.
Paul Dooley and Barbara Barrie are perfect as the long suffering Dad and Mom and Dennis Christopher puts in just the right performance as the bicycle-obsessed teen.