Rating: 
Summary: I love this movie
Review: I have watched Breaking Away more times than I can count. I first saw it when it was on TV, and at the age of 7 or 8, I watched it with my dad. It has only gotten better over time. At first glance, it may seem like one of those cliche, underclass overcoming the odds and beating the priviliged movies, but it is so much more.This movie has so many levels to it, I don't know where to begin. I tend to focus on the cycling aspect, because it gives me hope that one day I will be able to do something cycling related. Whenever I lose my motivation to go out for a ride, I just have to think of Dave and his love of cycling and I'm ready to go again. It's not just a sports movie at all, though. The interaction between characters. Kids and parents not understanding eachother, but still caring, relationships between friends, and not wanting to fulfill certain expectations: they all have a place in this movie. I can honestly say that this movie gets to me like no other movie can. Anyone who doesn't feel anything during the race at the end must have a cold, cold heart. The story is great. Four town kids, who feel like they are living in the shadows of the jocks attending the University in their town, who call them cutters because their parents worked for the quary, cutting stone, get by and eventually win their dignity. One's a dreamer, searching for love and riding his bike. The other is the brother of a cop, who can't stand living in that shadow. Of course there's the joker. And the little guy, who gets in over his head, but will never give up. This may sound like a trite description, but each character has something that everyone will relate to, and that makes each character so alive. I cannot recommend this movie enough. If you liked Chariots of Fire, Stand by Me, or any other movies like that, I feel confident that you will like this. And don't worry, it's so much better than American Flyers.
Rating:
Summary: Life is cruel...
Review: This film is perhaps one of my favorite of all time. It is a travesty that it has not yet been released on DVD. I see films like Leonard Part VI and Showgirls arrive on the DVD shelf faster than this one. Breaking Away was a masterpiece full of beautiful moving character portrayals. How can it not be in print on DVD! I cared for each and every character in this film, which tips you off to the fact that the development of each of these was enough to win Best Original Screenplay. Come on folks if you've seen this film, and want it in your DVD library, E-mail the distributor. This cinematic triumph deserves it.
Rating:
Summary: Still great
Review: There is a lot to like in this movie - the setting, the male leads, the supporting characters, & the offbeat engaging plot. The movie is superficially mainly about a bicyle race, but not really - it is really about what it is like to be 19 & unsure of the future. The best scene is between Dennis Christopher & Robyn Douglass who meet on the street after a crisis in their realtionship. Very well done. Highly recommended
Rating: 
Summary: Inspirational movie about the dedication of a young heart
Review: Story of an aspiring young cyclist that yearns for the respect of a world class cycling team, later to find out it is not the image that these cyclists project that makes them successful, rather that heart and dedication to press on for a goal dispite what other try to tell you. Constantly mirroring these cyclists and imitatinng their antics he also fights for the heart of a young lady that he wants to call his own.
Rating:
Summary: The best sleeper of all time
Review: What a marvelous movie, one of the best scripts in the past 30 years and featuring a once-in-a-lifetime performance by Paul Dooley as Dave's father. This film perfectly captures the pathos, fears and wonder of being 19 years old and not knowing what to do with your future. It portrays those feelings to a "T" and centers around four likable, charasmatic, interesting characters. These are characters you like and care about, you feel as if you know them all intimately by the end of the film. The script never flags, there are no filler scenes, gratuitous dialogue or wasted characters. The soundtrack supports the movie beautifully and the cinematography makes you want to move to Indiana (now that's effective photography!) The closing scene with Paul Dooley is one of the most hilarious endings in motion picture history. This is simply an outstanding movie, it's impossible not to fall in love with the characters, their personalities and their lives. A must see.
Rating:
Summary: One of the great, classic sleeper films of all time.
Review: This movie came out of nowhere in 1979 to win a Best Original Screenplay Oscar and four other nominations. It had no big names in the cast (though two of the actors, Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern, went on to great success), no fanfare, nothing but its own buoyant, joyous spirit to recommend it to viewers. It is a beautiful, funny film, and one with a wholesome moral about the need to persevere in life and to hold fast to your dreams. The language might be a little gamy for the Christian Coalition, but the moral of the film is entirely in line with Middle America. Paul Dooley gives a perfect performance in this film; why he didn't get an Oscar nomination is utterly beyond me, and I wish both he and Dennis Christopher would have had better careers than they did. But they'll always have "Breaking Away," and that in itself is glorious.
Rating:
Summary: makes you smile
Review: Like most of the other reviewers, I loved this movie since I first saw it. It was recommended by a friend years ago when first came out in the theaters--a "little" picture that touches your heart and reminds you of all the dreams you had before you grew up, became cynical and world wise. What happened to all that? At the end of the movie, you hope Dave is able to keep at least a bit of that feeling of optimism, triumph and invincibility in the future. This is what more movies should do--celebrate the human spirit in both large and small ways.
Rating:
Summary: A True Gem
Review: This is one of my favorite all time movies! I will never tire of it. It never fails to impress or entertain. While it is modest in scope, it is written, acted and filmed in such an unpretentious and genuine manner that it becomes poetic. We are given insight into each character in a way that is humorous and yet poignent. There is one shot towards to end of the film where the winners are being congratulated and we catch a glimpse of Cyril looking at Dave and his folks. We realize that there is no one there to congratulate Cyril, and there is a moment of sadness in the midst of a glorious victory.Everyone in this film is priceless! It is one of my personal top tens!
Rating:
Summary: A movie with real, raw human characters.
Review: Breaking Away breaks from standard American films. The movie is well-written and the plot moves forward at a comfortable pace. All of the charcters struggle to live normal American (even Midwestern) lives, and they find out that normal is of their own conception. Dave, a young man, is intelligent and resillient, yet, he struggles to know himself. The theme of bicycling works well as a vehicle (a horrific pun) to carry Dave out of the stereotype of just another "cutter" or "townie." This movie is well-acted and moves from scene to scene flawlessly. A great American movie! Timeless!
Rating:
Summary: I was there for the filming
Review: I was a student at I.U. in the Fall of 1978 and actually saw the movie makers filming this movie. I've owned this movie for several years and enjoy it each time I watch it. It's very nostalgic for me to see the landmarks on the campus and Bloomington, Indiana. After the movie was released, all of my friends and family that were from Bloomington had never heard of the term "cutters." It was a mystery to the locals. Also, after the movie was released the limestone quarries in the area were inhabited by college students, something the locals despised. A great movie, very wholesome.
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