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BREAKING AWAY (1979)


For those of you who love a good underdog sports story, this is a movie you may have missed. It follows a group of friends, recently graduated from high school and floundering for direction in the real world. The group consists of Moocher (Jackie Earl Hayley), a shorty with plans to marry his platonic gal-pal, Mike (Dennis Quaid), a former high school quarterback with a chip on his shoulder and a beef with the world, Cyril (Daniel Stern), the laid back dork who prefers to wax poetic about life's bumps and bruises rather than fight them, and Dave (Dennis Christopher), the optimist of the band, who loves his bicycle and has recently developed a fixation on the Italian racing team, leading him to adopt all things Italian from opera to the language to the food.

They live in a very small town whose only attraction is a prestigious college, which populates the town, seemingly endlessly, with rich frat boys who look down on the townies they call "Cutters." The boys' main refuge is a large rock quarry where they swim and escape and feel like kings of the hill. But as their turf is continuously infiltrated by the smug collegiates, the Cutters start acting out, challenging them to fights, going after their girls, and ultimately entering a local bike race. There is also a lot of plot dedicated to Dave, his quest to find love (while posing as an Italian), and his baffled father who doesn't get his newfound obsession or cheerfulness.

Bike racing isn't my favorite sport, but the kid playing Dave is just so darn happy riding his bike! (It makes me think of the Queen song "Bicycle Race" - does that have some hilarious lyrics! You must listen to it! Here's a link to a video - this song is insane! Queen is so awesome!) Anyway, back to the movie.....so Dave and his friends try to deal with their individual issues, and it ends with a bike race that I find as suspenseful and satisfying as any traditional sports movie. The problem with being townies and life after high school (especially not attending college) are relatable and the cast is a great group of actors. My favorite is Daniel Stern as Cyril. We all know him as the pathetic husband in City Slickers or Marv the thief in Home Alone, but in this movie he displays a real passive vulnerability and I could almost see myself falling for the gawky, awkward guy - I'm telling you, he's got something.

The movie is a true original, and has a pace and mood that isn't found as often in the slick world of cinema today. There is a rawness to the performances and a lack of cynicism in general. These kids may be lost, but they're kind of endearing (my word of the month) and that rock quarry is a really interesting shooting locale. Give it a chance.