RbDeraj Breaking away is an inspirational sports film, but also a coming of age story or four young men trying to find their way in life. The friends have graduated high school but are unsure of what to do when considering college, jobs, parental expectations, social pressures, and being looked down upon for being "cutters." The plot mainly focuses on Dave who is obsessed with cycling and everything Italian. This comes to an end when he realizes that "everyone cheats" and he sees the world through new eyes. His friends urge him to be in a 500 lap race and they all enter as a team. What comes next is the race of a lifetime. The plot focused on real-life problems of growing up and was relatable to an audience yet had a good, exciting, and capturing story. The movie was inspirational, had an excellent cast with good acting, and was surprisingly funny. It will keep your attention and is sure to entertain cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

MartinHafer When "Breaking Away" debuted in 1979, it made quite a splash. It was a 'small' film that suddenly broke out from the crowd--gaining a lot of critical attention as well as an Oscar. Now, over 30 years later, I decided to watch the film for a second time--mostly because I barely remember it and because it's an important film from this era.The film is about a group of young high school graduates who are not going to college, aren't particularly interested in working and are afraid of growing up. Additionally, they seem to have a chip on their shoulders, as these so-called 'Cutters' are jealous of the local college students. As for the students, they seem to feel the Cutters are beneath them. One way that these so-called losers can finally feel important involves an upcoming bicycle race--and David (Dennis Christopher) hopes to prove something to himself and the community. Can he and his three working-class friends (including Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern) somehow end up winners? While a lot of folks adore this coming of age story, I felt very mixed about it. It was exceptional and some of it I really liked (Paul Dooley's character was great as was Barbara Barrie's), but some I didn't. I particularly had difficulty caring for the kids. The Cutters seemed like jerks--as were the college students. Making any sort of connection with them was tough for me. But, the film did combine nice music, a rousing finale and a lot of nice sports clichés into an enjoyable, though perhaps slightly overrated film.

Scrues1830 Isn't it great when you find a movie that you'll plan to watch for the rest of your life? I knew it a long time ago. Dennis Christopher was strong in his performance, especially the parts where he talks with his father about whether or not he should go to college. When I was a kid and watched this for the first time, I knew it was going to be my favorite. I soon became obsessed with cycling as well, and managed to enter one of those races and win second place! I love the screenplay, which definitely deserved the Oscar it won, and the chemistry between all the characters is undeniable. It really makes you believe that they all are good friends. My favorite part is when Dave says, "Everybody cheats, I just didn't know." and as a 13 year old, believe me, that was really philosophical. If you want to watch a movie that will really blow you away, or help you remember what it was like to be a kid, this is the movie for you. All the actors were amazing, and you find yourself relating to a lot of the problems they face. I even wish I saw it much sooner, because after I saw it, my entire look on life changed. It's a real masterpiece!

MovieGuy109 Peter Yates's film Breaking Away is a movie made for the average human, not for art houses or award shows. Just for the audience. Normally when a filmmaker sets out to make a film like this, the results are lacking. Breaking Away is an exception to that however. This film works as a commercially oriented story without misusing a bit of talent on display here. It is a relatable story for not only cyclists but also just people that have had problems in their life. A real gem of a film with great performances from Dennis Christopher and Dennis Quaid. No one says it is a masterpiece, but most everybody that sees this will take something worthwhile from it.