Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Leftbanker A coming-of-age story full of humor, warm characters, and bikes. What more could anyone ask for? I call this movie my autobiography as I was actually attending Indiana University when this was filmed. I watched and participated in the filming (I was at the stadium for the final race). I was also a fanatic cyclist and I, too, had delusions of being from somewhere, anywhere else. Instead of Italian I wanted to be French but it's the same psychosis. This is one of the few movies of this genre in which the kids don't get drunk, smoke dope, or get laid...not that I have anything against any of that but in movies they always turn those events into terrible clichés.Peter Yates has made a few great films and this and The Friends of Eddie Coyle are among them.

MovieGuy109 Peter Yates's film Breaking Away is a movie made for the average human, not for art houses or award shows. Just for the audience. Normally when a filmmaker sets out to make a film like this, the results are lacking. Breaking Away is an exception to that however. This film works as a commercially oriented story without misusing a bit of talent on display here. It is a relatable story for not only cyclists but also just people that have had problems in their life. A real gem of a film with great performances from Dennis Christopher and Dennis Quaid. No one says it is a masterpiece, but most everybody that sees this will take something worthwhile from it.

Terrell Howell (KnightsofNi11) I'm not much of a biker, and by that I mean I haven't ridden a bike since I was probably ten, but there's something inspiring about Peter Yates' Breaking Away that almost makes me wish I had kept it up. Breaking Away is about teenager Dave Stoller and his buddies in the small town of Bloomington, Indiana. Dave is obsessed with the Italian cycling team and longs to be Italian, speaking the language and listening to the music. He also vies for the affection of a college girl in an almost Romeo and Juliet fashion. Dave and his friends are what are known as cutters and they are despised by the college students of the town. But this doesn't stop Dave from serenading the beautiful Catherine under his sentimental Italian guise. Breaking Away is a charming film that is plenty of fun to watch.There isn't a whole lot to this film and it doesn't' intend to be much. It isn't hard hitting or dark in any way. It is a very innocent film that isn't much more than a delightful use of an hour and forty minutes of your time. This is a lighthearted film that doesn't demand any sort of harsh criticism or intense focus. Take this film as it is and just enjoy it. It is plenty worth it to just sit through the film, which is fairly short anyways, and enjoy it not as something grand and life changing, just a pleasant little film that has fun with what it's doing and will bring about warm and happy feelings in you if you just take it for what it is.Breaking Away succeeds greatly from a character standpoint as all four of the main characters are plenty likable. They are portrayed excellently by the actors in this film and we really get the sense that these four really are lifetime buds. There really isn't anything to criticize about them as characters. They have their flaws but it makes them human. And thats what this film is more than anything. Human. It is a nice story that doesn't make us think and it doesn't hit hard emotionally, but it can be easily enjoyed as a pleasant story that is believable enough for your typical underdog story.You wont find anything revolutionary or groundbreaking here but you will find a simple and heartfelt story that will please you for the hour and forty minutes that you watch it unfold. There isn't too much more to this film other than just a happy tale of success and friendship. It is well written, well directed, well acted, and is just an all around well put together film. It isn't something I would watch again, but I don't regret giving it a shot.

dimplet We now have more than a decade of reviews on IMDb of Breaking Away, going back to 1998, enough to conclude, as do many of the reviewers, that this is a classic that has passed the test of time. I would dare say that there will be viewers watching and loving this film 10, 20, 50, 100 years from now. Its theme and message transcend time.Breaking Away was popular when it came out. It was mentioned in three different college classes within the context of the professor's lecture to illustrate a point. So don't underestimate the depth of concept of this film. It effortlessly works on many different levels, and different people see different things in it. You need to watch it carefully, more than once, to appreciate this. But it has become somewhat forgotten, a sleeper. However, tears come to my eyes when I think about one of the key messages, explained by the father, after Dave's encounter with the Italian team. It has proved all too true, with the result that the America of 1979 is crumbling around us. In short, if you haven't seen this movie, watch it. If you don't own it, buy it, because you will want to watch it again, perhaps even 10 or 20 years from now. I've been watching it now and then for more than 30 years.Jackie Earle Haley, who plays Moocher, was also in Bad News Bears, the original with Walter Matthau. He has some pretty funny lines. --- On a bicycling note, I happened to find a mint condition Ciocc Itallian racing bicycle from around this period with full Campagnola components and sew on tires. It was a dream to ride, far more agile, yet stable, than my other expensive road bikes. I can see why Dave developed a love affair with his bike. What I learned is that a well-maintained drive train is nearly silent, at least using modern dry lube. Yet in the movie you can always hear the chain and gears grinding away, especially in the group scene with the Italians. It makes me wonder if bikes back then were really so noisy. Or whether the director or foley man thought too much silence would seem unrealistic to viewers used to cheap bikes, so they added in gear noise.Also, it becomes amusingly apparent, on close viewing, that Dave is in a very low gear moving slowly, pumping and huffing away, when he appears to be tearing down the road. But most people don't notice this. The bottom line is this movie often inspires an impulse to get a road bike, and this is a good thing if you have some relatively quiet roads to go long distances, like Dave. On terrain like in the movie, many people could ride 50 or more miles in a day once you get into condition, but with a road or comfort bike, not a mountain bike. It's a great form of recreation. Go for it!