Review of Breaking Away (1979) by Michael H — 17 Feb 2010

I recently watched the movie Pandorum and seeing Dennis Quaid always makes me think about the Academy Award winning film Breaking Away. Having attended Indiana University and a Hoosier myself, born and bred, this film holds a special spot for me personally.

Set in Bloomington, Indiana, this triumphant coming of age tale unfolds around a group of friends who are trying to figure out what they are going to do after graduating high school. With a proud heritage and no plans for college they try to ditch their townie background and battle a bunch of college snobs in an elite Bicycle Racing Competition known as the "The Little 500".

Some very fresh faced actors give very memorable performances as they continued on to launch very notable careers. Actors such as Daniel Stern, Jackie Earl Haley, and of course Dennis Quaid to name a few.

Directed by Peter Yates,(The Deep & Mother, Jugs and Speed), Breaking Away is a warm, lighthearted, feelgood romantic comedy with all the grit of The Warriors and all the heart of Chariots of Fire.