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Breaking Away

Why did Breaking Away never become a classic movie? The cast reads like a “Who’s Who” Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley, Paul Dooley, Barbara Barrie

It came about when the “coming of age” genre was popular. It spawned a tv series starring teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy. Yet it remains a forgotten movie. It’s really crying out to be made into a Broadway musical!

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by Anonymousreply 106August 31, 2021 10:31 AM

Great movie, and Paul Dooley should have gotten a Best Supporting Oscar nomination. So should Dennis Quaid's abs!

by Anonymousreply 1August 24, 2021 12:54 AM

For a second, I thought the blond in OP’s post was Glenn Close.

by Anonymousreply 2August 24, 2021 12:57 AM

Somehow OP left out the only thing that mattered in that movie: Hart Bochner.

by Anonymousreply 3August 24, 2021 1:01 AM

I remember seeing this at the theater when I was like 7, & there was a spin-off TV show. My dad was a huge fan of the movie; the show, not so much.

by Anonymousreply 4August 24, 2021 1:04 AM

I had such a gayling crush on Dennis Christopher, from this to Fade to Black!

by Anonymousreply 5August 24, 2021 1:06 AM

An excellent film that still holds up today. I saw it at the local theater when I was in high school. I purchased the DVD not so long ago and it is just as good as I remembered it.

by Anonymousreply 6August 24, 2021 1:26 AM

Christopher was so adorable in this, and in Chariots of Fire. Perfect face for a mischievous yet lovable boy.

by Anonymousreply 7August 24, 2021 1:26 AM

It was a boring movie. I remember falling asleep in the theater.

by Anonymousreply 8August 24, 2021 1:28 AM

R8 That was you then? I recall throwing Jujubes at you to wake up.

by Anonymousreply 9August 24, 2021 2:15 AM

It was very popular at the time, OP, spawning a TV series, as you mention. I guess I am a little surprised it’s not one of those movies one comes across every now and then on cable. Maybe there are licensing issues that keep it off tv? Where are our resident Hollywood insiders who know stuff like this? Maybe it just doesn’t translate well? Now I kind of want to see it again to figure out why.

by Anonymousreply 10August 24, 2021 4:15 AM

ALW should do it as a musical extravaganza rejigging the Starlight Express train tracks for cyclists. Barbara "Company" Barrie is still alive and ready to sing her heart out.

by Anonymousreply 11August 24, 2021 4:20 AM

I invited a gorgeous friend to see it with me while we were in college in 1978. I flirted with him a little and he showed no interest whatsoever. I still enjoyed the movie, I just invited the wrong guy.

by Anonymousreply 12August 24, 2021 4:24 AM

I seem to recall male nudity or am I wrong?

by Anonymousreply 13August 24, 2021 4:37 AM

R13 Quaid abs but I don’t remember much else.

by Anonymousreply 14August 24, 2021 5:11 AM

It features young Dennis Quaid and Hart Bochner.

How DARE you question its classic status, OP.

by Anonymousreply 15August 24, 2021 5:20 AM

The series was filmed in my beloved college town of Athens, GA.

by Anonymousreply 16August 24, 2021 5:28 AM

The best thing about it is Dennis Christopher and he is pretty much the entire movie. Everyone else is a supporting player to him. He is so handsome and charming and he should have gone on to a major career but for some reason didn't. When it is listed as playing on TV Dennis Quaid is the only one named.

by Anonymousreply 17August 24, 2021 5:42 AM

OP, I owe you an apology. I thought you were disagreeing with its status as a classic. You’re saying it should be considered one but isn’t. That’s completely different! However I would argue it is a beloved film, a cult classic at the very least.

by Anonymousreply 19August 24, 2021 5:46 AM

Christopher Dennis was apparently a personal assistant to Halston, but is married to a woman. I loved that movie. It was one of the few that the networks played when I was a kid. I can't imagine any 9 year old kids I know watching it now, (with commercials and no remote!). It always made me feel a little melancholy.

by Anonymousreply 20August 24, 2021 4:52 PM

It's an outrage to Italians.

by Anonymousreply 21August 24, 2021 8:25 PM

I saw it in the theater when I was in high school. I remember we all thought it was really good (including my dad, who usually hates movies). I also remember my tongue hanging out at some of the guys.

by Anonymousreply 22August 24, 2021 10:13 PM

Great cast but it was one film that seemed less than the sum of its parts on rewatching. It has too many typical coming of age elements and Christopher wasn't that great an actor. I used to have an office that looked directly at the one time site of the stadium where they had the "Little 500". It became a poor excuse for an arboretum.

by Anonymousreply 23August 24, 2021 10:31 PM

Christopher had drug issues according to that book Brad Davis' widow wrote.

She said he and Davis were quite wild when they were in England filming Chariots of Fire.

by Anonymousreply 24August 24, 2021 10:45 PM

Was that the movie where at the dinner table the dad buttered a piece of bread and then buttered an ear of corn with it?

I'd never seen anyone do that, before or since.

by Anonymousreply 25August 24, 2021 10:57 PM

I found it muy inspiradora.

by Anonymousreply 27August 24, 2021 11:43 PM

Sorry, posted R82 on wrong thread.

by Anonymousreply 28August 25, 2021 2:12 AM

I went to IU-Bloomington around that time. They really played up the Townie vs Students rivalry aspect which was not nearly as big a deal in real life.

by Anonymousreply 29August 25, 2021 3:06 AM

Movies like this always get reconsideration over time. It's one of my absolute faves with a terrific Oscar winning script, great performances and direction. No one has to validate for me that it's a classic.

by Anonymousreply 30August 25, 2021 4:03 AM

Dennis Quaid had some great abs going on in that show hubba hubba! I liked the movie but the kid prerending to be Italian was kind of a bore. I do agree it should be considered a classic.

by Anonymousreply 31August 25, 2021 4:09 AM

The Oscars were a crowded field that year, but Breaking Away did get a couple of nominations.

Barbara Barrie was beat in Supporting by our Meryl in Kramer vs Kramer. And director Peter Yates was beat out, again by K v K.

I agree Paul Dooley should have been nominated in Supporting. He should have taken the place of either Mickey Rooney (The Black Stallion) or Frederick Forrest (The Rose).

But it was a big year with: Kramer vs Kramer, The China Syndrome, Being There, All That Jazz, Apocalypse Now, Norma Rae, The Rose, Manhattan, Alien, Star Trek, 10, The Muppet Movie, 1941, Moonraker

by Anonymousreply 32August 25, 2021 5:09 AM

R25 that was Wargames. Such a great little scene - "This corn is RAW!" Someone posted just that scene:

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by Anonymousreply 33August 25, 2021 5:19 AM

Pretty sure this beloved movie IS considered a classic, OP.

by Anonymousreply 34August 25, 2021 6:01 AM

It did quite well at the Oscars. Nominated for Best Picture over China Syndrome and Manhattan which were thought to be more likely since Breaking Away had been shunned by the Globes.

5 nominations and one Bes Screenplay.

It is surprising Paul Dooley got left out while Barbara Barrie got in. He should have been in instead of Rooney. Fredric Forest I like in The Rose and I also think he gave the best performance in Apocalyse Now. Duvall is remembered for that speech about naplom but he's barely in the film. Forrest was better.

by Anonymousreply 35August 25, 2021 6:12 AM

I regard it as a classic. It won an Oscar for best screenplay, and some other cool awards/nominations. Not too shabby. I *love* the father at the end!

Within the past year, showed this movie to SO who is really into cycling and somehow never heard of this gem. He loved it as much as I did. Breaking Away's the "town & gown" theme reminded me a bit of The Outsiders' "Soc's versus Greasers" thing.

by Anonymousreply 36August 25, 2021 6:31 AM

Breaking Away and The Black Stallion were both sleeper hits made for about 2,5 million. Breaking Away grossed 20 million, and The Black Stallion made almost double that. It was a good year for American movies. The Black Stallion is filled with incredible imagery, but wasn't nominated for its cinematography or direction...

by Anonymousreply 37August 25, 2021 6:40 AM

Is Rooney good in the film r37. I'm not sure if I ever saw it. Maybe as a kid but on cable. I kind of remember the images of the horse running but don't remember Rooney at all.

by Anonymousreply 38August 25, 2021 6:43 AM

This movie was huge when I was a little kid. My sisters saw it numerous times because of the eye candy.

by Anonymousreply 39August 25, 2021 6:44 AM

This brings up an annoying memory. I went skiing in my hometown and the guys who rented the boots giggled that we were townies. I guess the saw the movie.

I still wish I'd said I go to an elite liberal arts college and my friend goes to an Ivy league school. You go to a state school in a small town and you chose to live here! We were just born here.

(i'm triggered by this obviously.)

by Anonymousreply 40August 25, 2021 6:47 AM

I looked up to see if it got any Globe nominations. Just one for new star for Christopher.

Funny I noticed Bette Midler got no star female and she beat Bo Derek and Susan Anton!

She must have had jokes about that in her act at some point.

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by Anonymousreply 41August 25, 2021 6:50 AM

[quote] The cast reads like a “Who’s Who”

Dennis Christopher puts the “Who?” In Who’s Who.

by Anonymousreply 42August 25, 2021 6:54 AM

I thought Rooney was OK in The Black Stallion, but his role is a little corny and predictable, and, overall, the racing part of the movie is a letdown after the unforgettable shipwreck and island adventure, which should be seen on the big screen, if you ever get the chance.

by Anonymousreply 43August 25, 2021 6:59 AM

I was about 8 or 9 when this came out, and my whole family saw it and loved it. The acting was really superb, the dad being the real standout (REFUND? REFUND?).

It is regarded well, and held up over time but if you ask people if they want to see a movie about a college bike race, kid who wants to be Italian, etc. Yeah, they wanna see Superman or some shit.

It has an unconventional story line,and at the time cycling in the USA was a VERY small sport. The "Little 500" wasn't technically a road race, but a track race on very cheap bikes, and mostly just a fun college tradition.

Later in life I became a competitive cyclist, spent about ten years doing it full time, and this move really captures the spirit of a sport that was super small and unknown until maybe 1989 (Greg Lemond) or when Lance Armstrong starting winning the Tour.

When I told people I raced bikes, they thought I meant motrocycles.

The film isn't really about bike racing, it has many themes and storylines

1 - Small town Bloomington life/the kids are local and looked down upon as Cutters

2 - Coming of age/group of friends maturing

3 - The culture, spirit and energy of cycling

4 - College?

5 - Mom never got to travel

6 - The Italian team isn't gonna let some kid hang with them, pump in spokes, life is unfair.

7 - The Cutters - best underdog story.

by Anonymousreply 44August 25, 2021 7:07 AM

Jackie Earle Hailey had quite a comeback. He pretty much disappeared and then got an Oscar nomination in 2006.

by Anonymousreply 45August 25, 2021 7:10 AM

Paul Dooley, 93, and Dick Van Dyke, 95, have been cast in the new movie "Capture the Flag".

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by Anonymousreply 46August 25, 2021 7:59 AM

R29: You must have been pretty oblivious because the town-gown thing in Bloomington was and is obvious and pretty dramatic. Both sides of the gap seem pretty insular in their own way.

by Anonymousreply 47August 25, 2021 1:54 PM

[quote] She must have had jokes about that in her act at some point.

She wouldn’t shut up about losing the Oscar to Sally Field in Norma Rae. A joke about it even showed up in her sitcom 20 years later.

by Anonymousreply 48August 25, 2021 2:07 PM

R12-Breaking Away was released in 1979.

by Anonymousreply 49August 25, 2021 2:17 PM

[quote] Christopher Dennis was apparently a personal assistant to Halston

Oh, dear! Was he related to Sandy Dennis?

by Anonymousreply 50August 25, 2021 2:27 PM

I think Paul Dooley was in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

by Anonymousreply 51August 25, 2021 2:29 PM

Paul Dooley has been in everything. He's often the avuncular dad, but he's just as easily the sympathetic cop, the next door neighbor, etc. Occasionally he gets to play against type. Like Brian Cranston (in another thread), he's been around longer than you think and one of the few recognizable names who did a Murder She Wrote is still breathing.

by Anonymousreply 52August 25, 2021 2:33 PM

More important than his Star Trek TNG appearance was his being in an episode of The Golden Girls ( and the LAME spinoff show that never got off the ground).

by Anonymousreply 53August 25, 2021 2:40 PM

[quote]Dennis Christopher puts the “Who?” In Who’s Who.

Even though he didn’t become as famous as his costars, he has worked consistently, mostly in tv.

[quote] Jackie Earle Hailey had quite a comeback.

He really did have a great career resurrection. Even though he was a good actor, I think his “type” worked against him. He was secondary character actor and the 1980s didn’t use his “misfit” character type very often. I think Sean Penn was coming up behind him and getting roles he might have had. If he were younger, he definitely would have been considered for Penn’s role in The Breakfast Club.

by Anonymousreply 54August 25, 2021 2:51 PM

Sean Penn wasn’t in The Breakfast Club, you freak.

by Anonymousreply 55August 25, 2021 2:57 PM

[quote] Sean Penn wasn’t in The Breakfast Club, you freak.

Geez, old age is kicking my ass. I swear I thought it was Penn in Nelson’s role. Mea culpa.

by Anonymousreply 56August 25, 2021 3:07 PM

This is a classic movie. What is OP talking about.

by Anonymousreply 58August 25, 2021 3:10 PM

I loved it as a kid and dreamed of cycling and the tour de France. I even applied later on to Indiana University. It confused a lot of people. I couldn't say why I wanted to go there was to race in the little Indy. So it kinda was about bicycle racing., r44. I inspired a lot of American kids to cycle.

I was accepted to IU but went to NYU instead, lol.

by Anonymousreply 59August 25, 2021 3:15 PM

R29 Yes, dad buttered an ear of corn that way. It might have happened in other movies, too, but it definitely was in Breaking Away.

by Anonymousreply 60August 25, 2021 3:17 PM

Jackie Earle Haley was great in the Bad News Bears.

by Anonymousreply 61August 25, 2021 3:22 PM

I have to disagree with you on a few points OP: it is truly a classic movie by a few definitions -- it's over 25 years old and is still well-loved and fondly remembered; it has award winning script and performances; and its relaxed direction is quite . You also forgot Hart Bochner and that is simply unforgivable on DL, and omitting Amy Wright is almost as bad.

I also think one of its strengths is that it was most definitely NOT a "who's who" cast. The actors in the movie may have gone on to varying levels of success and visibility but in 1979 they were not known quantities and therein lies its eternal charms.

by Anonymousreply 62August 25, 2021 4:37 PM

^^its direction is quite relaxed^^

by Anonymousreply 63August 25, 2021 4:38 PM

It was also a sleeper hit, which I believe came out late summer, no advance publicity really or even mentions of it in what summer films were headed to theaters that year. It then got great reviews and terrific word of mouth and was a wonderful, uplifting film to see.

by Anonymousreply 64August 25, 2021 4:58 PM

I’ll clarify what I mean by classic. When you look at the movies that came out that year and ask the average person which ones they are familiar with, Breaking Away does not rank as highly in people’s minds as Kramer vs Kramer, The China Syndrome, Apocalypse Now, Norma Rae, 10, The Muppet Movie.

I like Breaking Away but I don’t think it is held in as high regard as it deserves. It should rank as high as those listed above but for some reason it doesn’t.

by Anonymousreply 65August 25, 2021 5:00 PM

Breaking Away is almost certainly better known than ‘10’ these days. It’s likely gained a bigger fan base than Norma Rae, too.

by Anonymousreply 66August 25, 2021 5:34 PM

[quote] Breaking Away is almost certainly better known than ‘10’ these days.

Only because SJW cancelled 10 because it deals with rating women according to their looks.

by Anonymousreply 67August 25, 2021 5:37 PM

Young people and their problems bore me.

by Anonymousreply 68August 25, 2021 5:41 PM

The incredibly handsome Hart Bochner almost caused me to break my dick off on several occasions when I was pondering him during my private time of contemplation. He was so hot and such an asshole. My type!!!

by Anonymousreply 69August 25, 2021 6:09 PM

Dennis Quaid got his then wife (PJ Soles) a small role in the movie.

by Anonymousreply 70August 25, 2021 6:48 PM

Elizabeth put Christopher in her production of The Little Foxes after seeing him in Breaking Away. He played the Dan Duryea role.

by Anonymousreply 71August 25, 2021 6:56 PM

R60 - Cinemax happens to be running Breaking Away this month (wondering if OP saw it and thought to start this thread?). I (re)watched it On Demand today... a scrappy little film, definitely entertaining. But there is no corn on the cob in it. I paid specific attention since I thought maybe I had forgotten about it. The dad eats, in his respective eating scenes: coffee, French fries, zucchini, a candlelit dinner (not sure of the food but no corn), sits in front of an empty plate (while the rest of the family is eating various stuff with a fork - no hands), and pizza in the car during the Big Race. That's it. The scene is from WarGames.

by Anonymousreply 72August 25, 2021 7:16 PM

And yes, I had too much time on my hands today.

by Anonymousreply 73August 25, 2021 7:17 PM

The Dad calls the Italian food "Eye-dee" food, if I recall correctly when the Mom is inspired by her son's love for all things Italian and fixes an Italian dinner.

by Anonymousreply 74August 25, 2021 8:02 PM

[quote] The incredibly handsome Hart Bochner almost caused me to break my dick off on several occasions when I was pondering him during my private time of contemplation. He was so hot and such an asshole. My type!!!

Hope you still think about him when you jerk off now, especially now that we know he’s bisexual.

by Anonymousreply 75August 25, 2021 11:13 PM

I don't really care for sports movies although I do like some sports. I did find Bull Durham entertaining, however.

by Anonymousreply 76August 26, 2021 12:41 AM

R76 we really appreciate you weighing in with your enlightening thoughts!

by Anonymousreply 77August 26, 2021 12:45 AM

I loved Jackie Earle Haley in the movie, he played "Moocher", one of the townies. I thought he was handsome as hell, and thought his thick eyebrows gave a hint of a big bush down below. Those were my bush days. I thought about Bochner's bush, as well. Now that I know he may be bisexual, I would have explored the possibilities.

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by Anonymousreply 78August 26, 2021 2:38 AM

Jackie Earl Haley . Haven't thought of him in years. His iconic role, of course, is Kelly Leak in Bad News Bears. I was 10 when that movie came out and even I knew that he was laughably miscast as a tough kid and a good athlete!

by Anonymousreply 79August 26, 2021 2:41 AM

Day of the Locust was Jackie Earle Haley’s best role.

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by Anonymousreply 80August 26, 2021 2:57 AM

How and why would anyone think a property as cinematic as Breaking Away would be "crying out" for musical treatment? It's a joke, right?

by Anonymousreply 81August 26, 2021 3:04 AM

So nice to see the love for this film. I had the chance to do the closed captioning for this many years ago. I really enjoyed the film.

And love to see the appreciation for Paul Dooley's performance. This is in my top 10 list of Performances that should have been nominated and won the Oscar.

by Anonymousreply 82August 26, 2021 3:13 AM

r54 I think you are thinking of a Sean Penn connection since Penn resurected his career. They had been in a Broadway play together years ago. Hailey was pretty much out of the business when Penn got him a part in All the King's Men which led to Little Children and the Oscar nom.

by Anonymousreply 84August 26, 2021 5:20 AM

no r67, because the braid wearing is cultural appropriation.

NO silly, no one gives a shit about that movie in 2021. How fucking old are you. Op, seriously you think the muppet movie is more a classic than Breaking Away? Never seen The China Syndrome, Apocalypse Now or Norma Rae, heard of em but not really interested. But I've seen Breaking Away more than once.

by Anonymousreply 85August 26, 2021 6:09 AM

The China Syndrome isn't a classic. It is just remembered for its news worthiness since it was in release when Three Mile Island happened.

by Anonymousreply 86August 26, 2021 6:12 AM

God, that was horrible, R80.

by Anonymousreply 87August 26, 2021 10:32 PM

r52 Whoa. I just learned Paul Dooley created the children's educational show "The Electric Company". You probably need to be in your 40's or 50's to know what it is, but it was this funky version of Sesame Street with a mostly black cast. Morgan Freeman was it. I loved it. I never knew that. Not sure if anyone mentioned it. Paul Dooley really is a renaissance man.

by Anonymousreply 88August 29, 2021 7:34 AM

Bill Cosby and Morgan Freeman.

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by Anonymousreply 89August 29, 2021 7:36 AM

Breaking Away was a fun, enjoyable movie. I'd watch it again.

But movies that become classics usually have a score of unforgettable scenes and dialogue. Think of Ferris Bueller, for example. I can't think of a single scene/dialogue from Breaking Away that's as memorable as any one of the memorable scenes in FBDO.

by Anonymousreply 91August 29, 2021 9:47 AM

R91 ""It's the Italians, Papa!"

by Anonymousreply 92August 29, 2021 1:53 PM

Interesting that Christopher who spends the movie wanting to be an Italian has as his real surname Carrelli. His father was Italian.

by Anonymousreply 93August 29, 2021 8:42 PM

Paul Dooley wasn't in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He did play Enabran Tain, of the Cardassian Obsidian Order, in Deep Space Nine. Supposedly he was Garak's father.

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by Anonymousreply 94August 29, 2021 8:52 PM

The gals and I are working on a girls-only remake.

by Anonymousreply 95August 29, 2021 11:16 PM

[quote]The China Syndrome isn't a classic. It is just remembered for its news worthiness since it was in release when Three Mile Island happened.

It's still a great movie. Jane Fonda gives a better performance in it than she does in Coming Home and Jack Lemmon (I believe he won the Cannes for Best Actor) is first rate as well.

by Anonymousreply 96August 29, 2021 11:23 PM

I always thought that Jackie Earle Haley in Breaking Away looked a bit like Karen Allen. Like they might have some genetic ancestor in common or something. Does anyone else think so?

by Anonymousreply 97August 29, 2021 11:38 PM

"I can't think of a single scene/dialogue from Breaking Away that's as memorable as any one of the memorable scenes in FBDO."

Sheer nonsense, of course. Christopher breaking down in front of Dooley when he loses the race, and Dooley's response ; Dooley removing his pocket protector in anticipation of sex; Barrie confiding about her passport; The utterly charming serenade scene... and many more...the entire movie, in fact.

by Anonymousreply 98August 30, 2021 1:51 AM

Only scene I can remember is at the swimming hole.

by Anonymousreply 99August 30, 2021 2:18 AM

I remember nothing about it except the cute guys and the dork thinking hes Italian.

by Anonymousreply 100August 30, 2021 3:00 AM

The dad having a heart attack because of a refund. "Refund? Refund" REFUND?" - memorable

by Anonymousreply 101August 30, 2021 3:26 AM

Grew up in Indiana at the time and this movie was huge. So was Hoosiers, which came out about 8 years later.

by Anonymousreply 102August 30, 2021 6:21 AM

They made a short lived tv series in late 70’s with Sean Cassidy. Dominique Dunne was in 3episodes

by Anonymousreply 103August 30, 2021 6:26 AM

Love this movie. I worked with Barbara Barrie about ten years ago and told her I loved her in BREAKING AWAY, and she was stunned I knew the movie at all. I told her it was a classic and that she was brilliant in it. What a wonderful actress she is.

by Anonymousreply 104August 30, 2021 8:36 AM

Jesus fucking chririst, r91. How hard would it be to type "Ferris Bueler's Day Off" instead of FBDO? Lazy goddam queen.

by Anonymousreply 105August 31, 2021 10:14 AM

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Zora Stowers

Update: 2024-05-19