June 11, 2024
'Breaking Away'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey qualify for the Little 500 race in Bloomington, Indiana, after rewatching the 1979 coming-of-age comedy-drama 'Breaking Away,' starring Dennis Quaid, Dennis Christopher, and Daniel Stern and directed by Peter Yates.
Cast
Dennis Christopher as Dave Stoller
Dennis Quaid as Mike
Daniel Stern as Cyril
Jackie Earle Haley as Moocher
Robyn Douglass as Katherine
Hart Bochner as Rod
Paul Dooley as Dave's Father
Barbara Barrie as Dave's Mother
John Ashton as Mike's Brother
Amy Wright as Nancy
Directed by: Peter Yates
Written by: Steve Tesich
Notes
- Made for $2.3 million, grossed $20 million. Nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture; won Best Original Screenplay (Steve Tesich).
- Bill's opening bell take: this is one of the great 'foursome movies' – four characters is better than three because you get the wild card. Same structure as 'Stand By Me', 'Boyz n the Hood', 'The Hangover', 'Mean Girls'.
- Dennis Christopher was 28 playing a 19-year-old – he lied about his birth year (claimed 1955, actually born 1950). Was nominated for Best Juvenile Actor at the Young Artist Awards.
- Steve Tesich was an alternate rider in 1962 for the Phi Kappa Psi team in the real Little 500 race at Indiana University. A teammate rode 139 of 200 laps and crossed the finish line, inspiring the main character.
- Bill's 70s Sports Movie Pyramid: Top – 'Rocky'. Level 2 – Longest Yard, 'Breaking Away'. Level 3 – 'Slap Shot', Bad News Bears, 'Rollerball'.
- Bill's hottest take: Dennis Quaid and Kevin Costner – if you flip their careers, Quaid takes off. They're separated by 9 months in age but Costner got a much later start. Quaid is 'Costner five years too early.'
- P.J. Soles (married to Dennis Quaid at the time) had an incredible six-year run: Carrie, 'Halloween', Rock'n'Roll High School, 'Breaking Away', Private Benjamin, Stripes.
- The real local term for townies was 'Stonies/Stoners' – the production changed it to 'Cutters' so audiences wouldn't think they were druggies.
- The TV series version aired 1980-81, starred Shaun Cassidy. Barbara Barrie and Jackie Earle Haley returned – the only time an Oscar-nominated performer immediately did the TV version.
- 1979 was Apex Mountain for Indiana: Bobby Knight coaching, Larry Bird at Indiana State going undefeated, Wayne Gretzky on the WHA Indianapolis team, Michael Jackson releasing Off the Wall, Don Mattingly drafted by the Yankees.
- NBC paid $5 million to screen the film on television May 5, 1980 – just 5 months after theatrical release, outbidding HBO.
- The Twilight Time Blu-ray release is $300-400 on eBay. The film is a 20th Century Fox property now owned by Disney.
- Sean: Peter Yates understands America better than most American directors. Eddie Coyle is amazing New England, this is amazing Indiana.
- CR's emotional take: 'This is actually a movie about parents getting to know their child before he leaves.'
- Bob Fosse was interested in directing one of Tesich's scripts ('Eagle of Nap Town') around the time of All That Jazz and Lenny.
Categories
Roger Ebert's review
Quote from Rog's review:
“Breaking Away is a wonderfully sunny, funny, goofy, intelligent movie that makes you feel about as good as any movie in a long time. It is, in fact, a treasure.”
Ebert gave it 4 stars. Also said: 'Movies like this are hardly ever made at all. When they're made this well, they're precious cinematic miracles.'
Most re-watchable scene
- The Little 500 race – the final 15 minutes, especially the wide shot for the last two laps that never cuts away. Dave gets hurt, Moocher gets on the bike, Mike rides, Dave gets taped back on for the incredible finish.
- The celebration afterward where Daniel Stern has nobody to hug.
- Other contenders: opening credits/quarry introduction (nails all four guys in 2.5 minutes), Dave chasing the Cinzano truck, Mike's 'cutters' monologue, Dave hugging his dad with the crying mom.
What aged the best?
- Hart Bochner's villain Rod – the pink polo, blue Mercedes 450SL convertible guy who later becomes Ellis in 'Die Hard'.
- The 'foursome movie' structure – one of the best examples of the four-character friend group dynamic.
- Cycling movies working better than running movies (crash potential, more visual drama).
- Barbara Barrie as one of the all-time great screen moms – a sexual being, the passport scene.
- Amy Wright's run of four consecutive great roles: The Deer Hunter, Amityville Horror, 'Breaking Away', Inside Moves.
- John Ashton (later Taggart in 'Beverly Hills Cop') as Mike's cop brother.
What aged the worst?
- Swimming with jeans on – Mike keeps jumping in wearing jeans. 'Reprehensible behavior.'
- Serenading someone outside their college dorm would now get you arrested.
- Dennis Christopher lying about his age (claimed born 1955, actually born 1950 – was 28 playing 19).
- Lance Armstrong killing cycling culture.
- The TV series version (1980-81, starred Shaun Cassidy).
- Dave's Italian act in 2024 would be an Apple News essay: 'I was deceived by an Italian cyclist.'
Apex Mountain
- Dennis Christopher – unquestionably. His career didn't take off despite starring in an Oscar-nominated movie. Next film Fade to Black disappointed.
- Also Apex Mountain for cycling movies, pissy Italians, and the 1978 Masi Grand Criterium bicycle.
- Dennis Quaid: No, but discussed his incredible sports movie resume ('Breaking Away', Everybody's All American, 'Any Given Sunday', The Rookie – 'first ballot' sports movie actor).
- Peter Yates: No, it's Bullitt. But Bill says Yates 'won the movie' – he needed this for his filmography.
Cruise or Hanks?
Hanks wins
Bosom Buddies-era Hanks could have played the lead and done the Italian act. Hanks today could play the dad. Cruise would be Moocher (short, fiery) or the Dennis Quaid part, but couldn't do the dad. Big win for Hanks.
Casting what-ifs
No casting what-ifs, but a director what-if: Bob Fosse was interested in directing one of Steve Tesich's scripts ('Eagle of Nap Town') around the time of All That Jazz.
The hottest take award
Bill: Dennis Quaid and Kevin Costner – if you flip their careers, Quaid takes off. Quaid is 'Costner five years too early.' They're separated by 9 months in age. They finally meet in Wyatt Earp where Quaid lost dangerous weight playing Doc Holliday, effectively diagnosed with anorexia.
Over-acting award
Paul Dooley hamming it up with deadpan spit takes and 'Refund!' moments. Also the Cinzano truck driver.
Weak link of the movie
- CR: Moocher's relationship subplot with Nancy (lifting weights in front of her, secret marriage).
- Bill: Hart Bochner choking during the bike race – leaves the inside open on the last lap.
- Sean: Paul Dooley's used car business model of selling lemons repeatedly in the same small town.
Picking nits
- Katherine not figuring out Dave isn't Italian despite his poor accent.
- Rod clapping for the Cutters at the end – 'no fucking way' (compared to Billy Zabka handing Daniel LaRusso the All Valley trophy).
- The quick jump from bowling alley brawl to the university president organizing the bike race.
- Why would the Italian cycling team come to Indianapolis for a 100-mile race?
Half-assed (internet) research
- The Little 500 bicycle race is still held annually at Indiana University.
- The used car lot from the film is gone; Paglia's Pizza is now Opie Taylor's.
- They wanted 20,000 extras for the final race but only 3,000 showed up, so they had to get creative.
- The quarry has been made nearly impossible to visit now (dangerous).
Who won the movie?
- Sean: Steve Tesich (Academy Award winner) and the state of Indiana ('incredible portrait of the state').
- Bill: Peter Yates – needed this for his filmography, was one level below the great directors he was competing against.
- CR: Barbara Barrie.
Best (or worst!) life lessons from the movie
Everybody cheats. I just didn't know.
Best double feature for this movie
- CR: American Flyers (another cycling movie with Dennis Quaid/Kevin Costner).
- Sean: Fade to Black (for 'the Christopher heads').