Breaking Away

What's the big deal?

A family-friendly story about angst, rebellion, and triumph. I'm surprised at all of the acclaim for the movie because I thought it was good, but nothing that I would consider to be in the all-time great category as all of the reviews and award nominations would seem to suggest.

The dad and the Italian obsession were just a bit too cheesy, but that is overshadowed by it being a genuinely good sports movie.

I appreciated the class conflict stuff, even as some of the writing is on the obvious/cliche side. Yates also incorporates some interesting shots, especially around the quarry. And the climactic race is pretty well done, leading to a nice conclusion.

The underdog sports movie and the dry realism of the '70s merge into a humble little small-town comedy of unsentimental optimism. Younger Paul Dooley is hilarious, but even younger are some future character actors I never imagined I'd see so young.

good ol indiana

This was surprisingly good.

Cheesy and paint-by-numbers competition film. The final shot of the big race at the end is very compelling.

Overall a great Coming-of-Age movie that effectively blends Teen hangout Comedy with Sports Drama. The screenplay can be cheesy and somewhat dated in parts, but the cinematography and acting more than make up for it. I'm surprised Dennis Christopher didn't have a bigger career. I found him extremely likable.

This is a rare feel-good movie that leaves no sour aftertaste, recommended for all.

Viewed December 14, 2020.

The nostalgia factor probably inflates my score but I enjoyed this when it was on tv

Absolutely charming.

Back when I was a child I remember being impressed with this movie. I also had a thing with bicycles back then. That truck following scene was awesome, I remember talking about it among friends. But now that I watched this again, I got irritated by the dialogue, the Ity talk, weird acting. Everything seems to be forced. Seems like either the movie aged badly or I did ;)

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Lame, cliche and forgettable.

Breaking away is in reference to a cyclist breaking away from the pack to go solo and win the race. It's also a metaphor for growing up and breaking away from society's perceived limitations on who you are and what you are based upon where you live and who your parents are. What a wonderful film!

Score based on distant memory.

Fantastic coming of age tale with nice performances throughout and a great comedic turn by Paul Dooley. Highly recommended.

It's that biking movie, with the redneck smalltown folks and stuff. It's a good way to wile away 2 hours.

The best cycling movie of all time.

https://esperwatchesfilms.tumblr.com/post/642663364395515904/breaking-away-1979

A slice of life!

The movie that taught me Italians are dicks and if you fake an accent to a girl you should never come clean about it.

Not bad when it focuses on the resentments and restlessness of growing up working-class and hopeless in the face of diminishing job prospects, and also when it allows itself to marinate in Dennis Christopher's utter joy at using his formidable talent for bike racing. You get the impression that he's truly great but has no idea what to do with it. I get that the whole Italian charade is a bit of play-acting in the face of a deeply questionable future; doesn't mean it's funny. Terrible ending.

an old favorite; great slice of life film.

Good coming of age movie.

One of those sappy, hokey feel good movies that I know I'm supposed to hate but it worked for me. I loved the father son relationship, one of the better ones committed to film. Paul Dooley's performance is hilarious and I loved all the friends, especially Dennis Quaid.

This is a lovely little film that is a wonderful combination of comedy & the bittersweet pain of growing up. A perfect cast & a top notch script.

Not bad.

I admit, I have a soft-spot for this film both because I'm a cyclist and that I saw it as an impressionable 14-year-old. Upon re-viewing today it does have cheesy parts and is looking a bit dated, but it's still a good (if not great) film.

Breaking away is what good waffles do

88.750

The strength here is the performances of the supporting cast and the really vivid sense of place that Peter Yates creates. Paul Dooley, Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern carry this film, which manages to be a better example of this genre through the force of it's amiability.

A very nice coming-of-age film by the talented Peter Yates.

At once a touching, funny coming-of-age story and a compelling sports film, Breaking Away is a delightful treat.

It's like Ben Hur, only... not quite.

Mostly inoffensive, though Dave's father does seem more like a caricature than an actual person. I'm sure I would've appreciated this more if I hadn't seen it 35 years after its debut, but seeing it now there was little of interest -- so much just seemed predictable or cliched (though perhaps it was fresh at the time).

Sweet and true and beautifully observant. Therefore, rare and one to cherish.

An interesting bridge between the down-to-earth dramas of the 70s and the heavily stereotyped high school movies of the 80s, but it's still really dated. The Italian stuff was really grating.

A true mixed bag. Some funny and surprising turns around this corner, unsubtle and awkward around the next corner. The journey was enjoyable enough, but the ending did nothing for me.