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Breaking Away (1979)

PG  101 min  -  Comedy | Drama | Family   -  20 July 1979 (USA)
7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 10,741 users  
Reviews: 85 user | 31 critic

A small-town teen obsessed with the Italian cycling team vies for the affections of a college girl.

Director:

Peter Yates

Writer:

Steve Tesich
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Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 9 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Christopher ...
Dennis Quaid ...
Mike
Daniel Stern ...
Cyril
Jackie Earle Haley ...
Barbara Barrie Barbara Barrie ...
Paul Dooley ...
Robyn Douglass Robyn Douglass ...
Katherine
Hart Bochner ...
Rod
Amy Wright ...
Nancy
Peter Maloney Peter Maloney ...
Doctor
John Ashton ...
Mike's Brother
Lisa Shure Lisa Shure ...
French Girl
Jennifer K. Mickel Jennifer K. Mickel ...
Girl
P.J. Soles ...
Suzy (as Pamela Jayne Soles)
David K. Blase David K. Blase ...
500 Race Announcer
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Storyline

Best friends Dave, Mike, Cyril and Moocher have just graduated from high school. Living in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana, they are considered "cutters": the working class of the town so named since most of the middle aged generation, such as their parents, worked at the local limestone quarry, which is now a swimming hole. There is great animosity between the cutters and the generally wealthy Indiana University students, each group who have their own turf in town. The dichotomy is that the limestone was used to build the university, which is now seen as being too good for the locals who built it. Although each of the four is a totally different personality from the other three, they also have in common the fact of being unfocused and unmotivated in life. The one slight exception is Dave. Although he has no job and doesn't know what to do with his life, he is a champion bicycle racer... Written by Huggo  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Italian | Cycling | Indiana | Small Town | Quarry  | See more »

Taglines:

Somewhere between growing up and settling down... [Australia Theatrical] See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Sport

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | French

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Los muchachos del verano See more »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$17,702 (USA) (15 July 1979) (1 Screen)

Gross:

$16,424,918 (USA)
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Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

University patriarch Herman B. Wells, the 11th President of Indiana University, Bloomington and longtime Chancellor, can be seen clearly in the crowd shots during the Little 500. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: When Dave finds out about the Italian team coming to race in Indianapolis he reattaches the front wheel to his cycle, leaving the quick-release lever pointing forward. However, in the next shot with the postman, the lever is facing to the rear. See more »

Quotes

Dad: You guys still go swimmin' in the quarries?
Dave: Sure.
Dad: So, the only thing you got to show for my 20 years of work is the holes we left behind?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: Episode #22.34" (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

"Trail to Mexico"
(uncredited)
Traditional ballad
Sung by Dennis Quaid with modified lyrics See more »