Personal Best (1982)

The intertwined lives and loves of three highly-ranked athletes striving for the national team; Chris bounces between the beds of male coach Terry and her female friend, competitor, and role model Tory.

Director:

Robert Towne

Writer:

Robert Towne

Stars:

Mariel Hemingway, Scott Glenn, Patrice Donnelly

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

1976. Chris Cahill and Torry Skinner are US national caliber track and field athletes, Chris in the 100 meter hurdles, and Torry in the pentathlon. Chris has the natural ability to be great but she doesn't possess the confidence or drive, while Torry, who has less natural ability, psychologically knows what it takes to be great, leading to Torry making the Olympic team finishing second in her event, while Chris has a disastrous Olympic trial. Torry can see the potential in Chris, and tries to convince her coach at Cal Poly, Terry Tingloff, to coach Chris, Terry who will only allow Chris to train with the team without his guidance in he only having seen her disastrous performance at the trials. Although not ideal in that no scholarship money is involved, Chris accepts the offer against the wishes of her father, who currently coaches her. In their time together, Chris and Torry embark on a relationship, each seeing in the other what each doesn't possess, their attraction thus sexual as ...

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Plot Keywords:

male rear nudity | female athlete | female nudity | lesbian | wet t shirt | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 June 1982 (Japan)

Also Known As:

As Parceiras

Filming Locations:

Hayward Field - 15th Ave. and Agate Street, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$99,797, 7 February 1982, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,672,311

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Geffen Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sporting events seen in this movie include such pentathlon events as the one hundred meter hurdles, the shot-put, high jump, long jump, and eight hundred meter long distance race.

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Goofs

During the trials, Chris fouls in the shot put. As it is assumed she made no mark in the event and scored zero points she surely would never have a chance to finish high up in the overall standings, especially after she also had a poor hurdles race. Not scoring in a heptathlon event will cost roughly 20% of your overall score, virtually impossible to make up over the other 4 events.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Tory Skinner: He's awful cute... for a guy.
Chris Cahill: Are you shittin' me? Hey!

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Connections

Referenced in Friends: The One with Rachel's New Dress (1998)

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Soundtracks

You Don't Know Me
Written by Cindy Walker (as C. Walker) and Eddy Arnold (as E. Arnold)
Sung by Kenny Loggins
Courtesy of CBS Records

User Reviews

not perfect, but important

As flawed as it might seem, and as much as Mariel Hemingway's body may have been exploited in the interest of box office sales... This was a very important movie for me and many girls my age. It was the first movie we ever saw that let us know that we weren't the only girls in the world who liked other girls. And it showed us that this could be beautiful and that we weren't freaks. For that it will always hold a special place in my heart. And the same goes for many other lesbians around my age.