Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1997)

Breaking the Surface is about the tough times Greg Louganis had on his way to becoming one of the world's top Olympic divers. Some topics discussed were Greg's childhood problems, his ... See full summary »

Director:

Steven Hilliard Stern

Writers:

Greg Louganis (book), Eric Marcus (book)

Stars:

Mario Lopez, Michael Murphy, Jeffrey Meek

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mario Lopez	...	Greg Louganis (as Mario López)
Michael Murphy	...	Pete Louganis
Jeffrey Meek	...	Tom Barrett
Rosemary Dunsmore	...	Frances Louganis
Aki Aleong	...	Dr. Sammy Lee
Bruce Weitz	...	Ron O'Brien
Patrick David	...	Young Greg Louganis
Megan Leitch	...	Megan
Jonathan Scarfe	...	Keith
Rafael Rojas III	...	Greg - Age 9
Fulvio Cecere	...	John Anders
Gabrielle Miller	...	Despina
Kristina Krapic	...	Despina - Age 11
Gregor Trpin	...	Scott Cranham
Andrew Francis	...	Bully Boy #1

Storyline

Breaking the Surface is about the tough times Greg Louganis had on his way to becoming one of the world's top Olympic divers. Some topics discussed were Greg's childhood problems, his homosexuality, and him contracting the HIV virus.

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Plot Keywords:

swim brief | olympics | spouse abuse | sick father | puppy | 

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Taglines:

It's the story of tremendous ups, and for the most part, very well executed downs.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

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.

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Quotes

Frances Louganis: [to Greg about his dad] He was born an angry old man.

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Connections

Referenced in Wedding Daze (2006)

User Reviews

Very inspiring - but not a great cinematic experience

Despite the stigma the film attracts by being a "TV movie", Breaking The Surface is well worth a look. I read Greg Louganis' autobiography before I saw the movie, and I must admit that there were distinct advantages and disadvantages with both. The poetry of Louganis' sport was much more evident in the film - but there was a much more personal account of the man in the book. Mario Lopez acquits himself well here, and I hope he will begin to move onto better things. The rest of the performances are adequate, nothing more. The film has a distinct "not-for-the-cinema" feel about it, which is why it will never reach a greater audience than those who come across it in their movie store, or are channel-hopping and realise that the biopic of "that guy who hit his head in the Seoul Olympics Diving Board" is on.

All of this is a pity - because the movie has a lot to offer, inspiration, a lovely sense of tension, and real believability in one of this decade's true inspirations.

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

A felszín alatt

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Green/Epstein Productions, USA Network Pictures, World International Network (WIN)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1