{"id":91576,"date":"2023-09-19T11:51:12","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T18:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=91576"},"modified":"2023-09-19T11:53:42","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T18:53:42","slug":"breaking-away-1979","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=91576","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Away (1979)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;He was as normal as pumpkin pie &#8212; and now look at him!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Poster-197x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-91577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Poster-197x300.png 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Poster-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Poster.png 622w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA small town teenager (Dennis Christopher) obsessed with bicycle racing and Italy hangs out with his buddies &#8212;  Mike (Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Daniel Stern), and Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) &#8212; while flirting with a beautiful college student (Robyn Douglass) and managing a rocky relationship with his car-salesman dad (Paul Dooley).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Class Relations<\/li>\n<li>Coming of Age<\/li>\n<li>Dennis Christopher Films<\/li>\n<li>Dennis Quaid Films<\/li>\n<li>Father and Child<\/li>\n<li>Noncomformists<\/li>\n<li>Peter Yates Films<\/li>\n<li>Small Town America<\/li>\n<li>Sports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeter Yates directed this Oscar-nominated feel-good film (Steve Tesich won for best original screenplay) about class relations, friendship, identity, and father-son dynamics in Bloomington, Indiana. Featuring a memorable lead performance by Christopher as quirky high school grad Dave Stohler:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91585\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Bloomington-Streets.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; whose adventures we get drawn into right away. Dave has huge (if naive) dreams, loyal (if confused) friends, and a frustrated (albeit loving) father who doesn&#8217;t hesitate to openly criticize his son. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son-1024x557.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son-496x270.png 496w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Father-Son.png 1281w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Although some scenes are played for laughs, everything feels realistic here, from the quarry where the &#8220;cutters&#8221; (a.k.a. townies) go to swim: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry-1024x544.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"340\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry-1024x544.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry-508x270.png 508w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Quarry.png 1292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; to the exciting closing bike race at Indiana University. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race-1024x542.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"339\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race-1024x542.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race-768x406.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race-510x270.png 510w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Race.png 1283w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Barbara Barrie &#8212; so memorable many years earlier in <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3152\"><em>One Potato, Two Potato<\/em> (1964)<\/a> &#8212; earned an Oscar nomination for her performance here as a supportive mother and wife who seems willing to put up with just about anything. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie-1024x554.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie-1024x554.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie-499x270.png 499w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie.png 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Equally noteworthy are Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, and Jackie Earle Haley (each with a highly distinctive personality) as Dave&#8217;s close friends; their unwavering support for one another is a refreshing throughline.  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2-1024x569.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"356\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2-1024x569.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2-768x427.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2-486x270.png 486w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends2.png 1250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dennis Christopher as Dave (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in Alternate Oscars)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Christopher-Posters.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Jackie Earle Haley, Dennis Quaid, and Daniel Stern as Dave&#8217;s friends<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends-1024x543.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"339\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91581\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends-1024x543.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends-768x407.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends-509x270.png 509w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Friends.png 1302w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Barbara Barrie as Evelyn Stohler<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2-768x413.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Barrie2.png 1301w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Paul Dooley as Ray Stohler<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley-768x413.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Dooley.png 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>Fine location shooting in Bloomington, Indiana<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building-1024x545.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"341\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-91764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building-1024x545.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building-508x270.png 508w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Breaking-Away-Corner-Building.png 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a unique little film. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book, and nominated as one of the three possible Best Pictures of the Year in Alternate Oscars.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0078902\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s4702away.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/breaking-away\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/69621\/breaking-away\/#articles-reviews?articleId=1177061\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=2527&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;He was as normal as pumpkin pie &#8212; and now look at him!&#8221; Synopsis: A small town teenager (Dennis Christopher) obsessed with bicycle racing and Italy hangs out with his buddies &#8212; Mike (Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Daniel Stern), and Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) &#8212; while flirting with a beautiful college student (Robyn Douglass) and managing a rocky relationship with his car-salesman dad (Paul Dooley). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Class Relations Coming of Age Dennis Christopher Films Dennis Quaid Films&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=91576\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=91576"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91773,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91576\/revisions\/91773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=91576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=91576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=91576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}