Breaking Away (1979)

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

Director:

Peter Yates

Writer:

Steve Tesich

Stars:

Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern

Won 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

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

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. He idolizes the Italian cycling team so much he pretends to be Italian, much to the chagrin...

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Plot Keywords:

italian | cycling | indiana | college town | swimming | 

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Taglines:

The movie that tells you exactly what you can do with your high school diploma!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian French

Release Date:

20 July 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bambino

Filming Locations:

Highway 37/Dixie Highway

Box Office

Budget:

$2,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,702, 15 July 1979, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$16,424,918

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Features Barbara Barrie's only Oscar nominated performance.

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Goofs

When Dave is chasing Kath with her notebook after she drops it, he chases her on his bike and he passes the Indiana Memorial Union. A few shots later, he passes it again.

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Quotes

Mike: They're gonna keep callin' us "cutters." To them, it's just a dirty word. To me, it's just somethin' else I never got a chance to be.

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Crazy Credits

Introducing

Robyn Douglass

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Connections

Referenced in Cocoon: The Return (1988)

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Soundtracks

M' apparì tutt' amor
(uncredited)
from "Marta" (Italian version)
Music by Friedrich von Flotow
Sung by Dennis Christopher

User Reviews

Four men try to cope with the growing pains of living in "smalltown" USA.

This movie is a wonderful depiction of four Indiana men who try to grow up and make decisions about their futures. They all have their own problems to deal with but all need each other in dealing with their situations. Being outcasts in town, they turn to each other for hope and understanding. Being "less privileged" than others their age, they learn to make the best of what they have...each other. This is a great movie about growing up and how everyone deals differently with the obstacles they are dealt with. Dennis Christopher leads this all-star cast in a movie that should be watched by the young and old. It is a compelling saga of how these young men conquer the everpresent problem of trying to fit in.