Without Limits (1998)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert Towne

Writers (WGA):

Robert Towne (written by) and
Kenny Moore (written by)

Release Date:

11 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Pre-The Way he Competed...The Way he Lives his Life

Plot:

The film follows the life of famous 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine from his youth days in Oregon to...

Plot Keywords:

Olympics | Running | Box Office Flop | Olympic Games | Athlete

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Billy Crudup	...	Steve Prefontaine
Donald Sutherland	...	Bill Bowerman
Monica Potter	...	Mary Marckx
Jeremy Sisto	...	Frank Shorter
Matthew Lillard	...	Roscoe Devine
Dean Norris	...	Bill Dellinger
Billy Burke	...	Kenny Moore
Gabriel Olds	...	Don Kardong
Judith Ivey	...	Barbara Bowerman
William Mapother	...	Bob Peters
Adam Setliff	...	Mac Wilkins
Nicholas R. Oleson	...	Russ Francis (as Nicholas Oleson)
Amy Jo Johnson	...	Iowa's Finest
Lisa Banes	...	Elfriede Prefontaine
Frank Shorter	...	Fred Long

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief sexual material and brief strong language.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Finnish | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | UK:12 | UK:15 (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Portugal:M/6 (video premiere) | USA:G (short version) | USA:PG-13 | Spain:7 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Citrus College - 1000 West Foothill Boulevard, Glendora, California, USA

Company:

Cruise/Wagner Productions

Trivia:

Tom Cruise considered playing Prefontaine, but decided against it citing that he was too old for the part.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Finnish runner Juha Väätäinen's name is in then end credits spelled as "Juha Vastinen".

Quotes:

Steve Prefontaine: Bill, has it ever occurred to you that there's such a thing as overcoaching?
Bill Bowerman: Yeah... I'm against it.

Movie Connections:

Version of Prefontaine (1997)

Soundtrack:

Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe

Without Limits: Well-made and acted film draws fervent fan - again!

While I did not know Steve Prefontaine personally, I am the age he would be now and I remember him and the incredible records he set, as though it happened yesterday. I routinely devoured the sports pages to read anything about him. And, from all that I do remember, this film was made based on truth. It was also extraordinarily well-cast and well-acted. Donald Sutherland is the consummate character actor, literally BECOMING Bill Bowerman. Billy Crudup, as well, WAS "Pre"! And he has a stunning future (he was great in "Almost Famous"). I would like to see more of Monica Potter, who is quietly making a name for herself. I enjoyed the reality of the script by Robert Towne and Kenny Moore. And Towne's direction assured that no one overacted, as I believe occurred in another docu/film on the same subject recently. The cinematography made me yearn for Oregon once more, and the editing, as it is supposed to do, completed the work with its continuity: I never felt as though I wasn't brought naturally from one scene to the next. I have seen this film a half-dozen times and could watch it again and again - if only for the "race" footage! Steve Prefontaine, after all, was this country's best middle and long distance runner, and moreover, its quintessential athlete - American to the core.