Personal Best (1982)

Director:

Robert Towne

Writer:

Robert Towne (writer)

Release Date:

26 May 1983 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

The intertwined lives and loves of three highly-ranked athletes striving for the national team; Chris...

Plot Keywords:

Lesbianism | Running | Lesbian Athlete | Drugs | Injury

Cast

Mariel Hemingway	...	Chris Cahill
Scott Glenn	...	Terry Tingloff
Patrice Donnelly	...	Tory Skinner
Kenny Moore	...	Denny Stites
Jim Moody	...	Roscoe Travis
Kari G. Peyton	...	Penny Brill (as Kari Gosswiller)
Jodi Anderson	...	Nadia 'Pooch' Anderson
Maren Seidler	...	Tanya
Martha Watson	...	Sheila
Emily Dole	...	Maureen
Pam Spencer	...	Jan
Deby Laplante	...	Trish
Mitzi McMillin	...	Laura
Jan Glotzer	...	Karen
Jan Van Reenen	...	Yelovitch

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

1305 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, USA

Company:

Geffen Company, The

Trivia:

Writer and director Robert Towne researched the project by hanging out with many track stars of both genders. The original plan was to show runners training for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. When the U.S. boycotted those games, some lines in the script had to be altered.

Quotes:

Terry Tingloff: The high jump is a masochists event-it always ends on failure.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

YOU MAKE LOVING FUN

The best movie about athletes ever

I believe this movie was the first, and best, movie to treat the relationship between sex and athletic performance in a serious and non stereotypical way. Other films treated athletes as either eunuch/priests whose only concern was their athletic performance, or as over sexed satyrs who required sex as a release and/or distraction from the rigors of training, or sexual relations were gratuitously thrown in as a prerequisite romantic line to draw in a bigger audience.In Personal Best the sexual aspect was actually integral to the plot. We see how sex gets people better opportunities, drives wedges between competitors, and induces self sacrifice--albeit in this case all for naught.I will admit that some of the nude scenes appeared to be gratuitous on the surface, but when you analyze the film you see it was really necessary to show how all those firm toned naked bodies in semi-erotic poses (necessary for maximum athletic performance, I might add) could lead someone down the path to homosexuality.Overall, this movie is a masterpiece of its genre that is interesting, stimulating, and exciting for people of all persuasions.