Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1997) (TV)

Director:

Steven Hilliard Stern

Writers (WGA):

Greg Louganis (book) and
Eric Marcus (book) ...

Release Date:

19 March 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Plot:

Breaking the Surface is about the tough times Greg Louganis had on his way to becoming one of the world's top Olympic divers...

Plot Keywords:

Male Nudity | Shower Scene | AIDS | Diving | Olympics

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Mario López	...	Greg Louganis
Michael Murphy	...	Pete Louganis
Rosemary Dunsmore	...	Frances Louganis
Jeffrey Meek	...	Tom Barrett
Megan Leitch	...	Megan
Jonathan Scarfe	...	Keith
Fulvio Cecere	...	John Anders
Patrick David	...	Young Greg Louganis
Rafael Rojas III	...	Greg (age 9)
Bruce Weitz	...	Ron O'Brien
Andrew Francis	...	Bully Boy #1
Nathan Evans	...	Bully Boy #2
Noah Dennis	...	Bully Boy #3
Kristina Krapic	...	Despina (age 11)
Gabrielle Miller	...	Despina

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Green/Epstein Productions

Trivia:

Actual footage of the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, and the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea are used in the film. Actual footage of Greg Louganis diving at the Olympiads and audience reaction is also used in the film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Pleasure of Your Company (2006)

Fascinating true-life story deserved better

BREAKING THE SURFACE: THE GREG LOUGANIS STORY (1996)

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Sound format: Stereo

Despite acting as co-consultant, Olympic diver Greg Louganis is short-changed by Steven Hilliard Stern's conveyor belt TV movie, based on the sportsman's bestselling autobiography. The film tells a remarkable tale, encompassing everything from Louganis' struggle with his sexuality and his troubled family life, his long-term relationship with an abusive lover/manager, his Olympic triumphs, and ultimately his HIV positive status. In the title role, Mario Lopez is engaging and sympathetic, and he certainly *looks* spectacular, but the entire cast (veterans and newcomers alike) simply go through the motions - there's no passion. In fact, the characters are mere ciphers and the sentimentality is contrived and unconvincing. And do we really need another cringe-making TV movie which is too cowardly to show gay characters demonstrating even the most basic affection for one another? Maybe a cable production would have handled the story with a level of honest commitment that's sadly absent here. That said, the film is competent and watchable, if only because Louganis' story is *so* incredible, but viewers looking for the unvarnished truth might be better off reading the book instead.