Breaking Away (1979)

Director:

Peter Yates

Writer:

Steve Tesich (written by)

Release Date:

20 July 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Sport

Tagline:

Somewhere between growing up and settling down... [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A small-town teen obsessed with the Italian cycling team vies for the affections of a college girl.

Plot Keywords:

Italian | Indiana | Small Town | Cycling | Teen

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Dennis Christopher	...	Dave
Dennis Quaid	...	Mike
Daniel Stern	...	Cyril
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Moocher
Barbara Barrie	...	Mom
Paul Dooley	...	Dad
Robyn Douglass	...	Katherine
Hart Bochner	...	Rod
Amy Wright	...	Nancy
Peter Maloney	...	Doctor
John Ashton	...	Mike's Brother
Lisa Shure	...	French Girl
Jennifer K. Mickel	...	Girl
P.J. Soles	...	Suzy (as Pamela Jayne Soles)
David K. Blase	...	500 Race Announcer
William S. Armstrong	...	500 Race Official
Howard S. Wilcox	...	500 Race Official
J.F. Brière	...	Mr. York (as J.F. Briere)
Carlos Sintes	...	Italian Rider
Eddy Van Guyse	...	Italian Rider
Alvin E. Bailey	...	Stone Cutter
Harold Elgar	...	Stone Cutter
Floyd E. Todd	...	Stone Cutter
Robert Woolery	...	Stone Cutter
Russell E. Freeman	...	Stone Cutter
Jimmy Grant	...	Black Student Leader
Gail L. Horton	...	Fight Spectator
Woody Hueston	...	Owner of Car Wash
Jennifer F. Nolan	...	Anthem Singer
Nora Owens	...	Woman
Douglas Rafferty	...	Sports Announcer
Bill Ringgenberg	...	Race Starter
Dr. John W. Ryan	...	University President
Morris Salzman	...	Blond Guy
Tom Schwoegler	...	Team Captain
Mike Silveus	...	Homecoming Car Kid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gregg Forrest	...	(uncredited)
Tom Ohmer	...	Fraternity Jock (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Yates

Writing credits
Steve Tesich		(written by)

Produced by
Art Levinson	....	associate producer
Peter Yates	....	produced by

Cinematography by
Matthew F. Leonetti		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Cynthia Scheider

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Art Direction by
Patrizia von Brandenstein		(as Patrizia Von Brandenstein)

Set Decoration by
Lee Poll

Costume Design by
Betsy Cox		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Marvin G. Westmore	....	make up (as Marvin Westmore)

Production Management
Art Levinson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William S. Beasley	....	second assistant director (as Bill Beasley)
Michael Grillo	....	assistant director (as Mike Grillo)

Art Department
Mark Wade	....	property master

Sound Department
Bud Alper	....	sound mixer
Neil L. Kaufman	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Moyse	....	sound editor
Dan Sable	....	sound editor
Theodore Soderberg	....	rerecording mixer (as Ted Soderberg)
Paul Wells	....	rerecording mixer
Douglas O. Williams	....	rerecording mixer
Brydon Baker III	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ira Anderson Jr.	....	special effects

Stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt double: Dennis Christopher (uncredited)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt double: Dennis Quaid (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Glennon	....	camera operator
John J. Linder	....	key grip (as John Linder)
Mike Weathers	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Victoria Snow	....	costumer: ladies

Editorial Department
Jonathan Cohen	....	assistant editor
Jonathan Day	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Leonard A. Engel	....	music editor (as Len Engel)
John Neal	....	scoring mixer
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestration (as Herbert Spencer)
Val Stuart	....	singer: opera arias
Patrick Williams	....	music adapted by

Transportation Department
Jerry F. Johnson	....	transportation coordinator (as Jerry Johnson)

Other crew
William S. Armstrong	....	technical advisor: "Little 500"
James Koehler	....	location auditor
Ana Maria Quintana	....	script supervisor
Elise Rohden	....	production coordinator
Gary Rybar	....	bicycle coach
Gary Rybar	....	bicycle rider
Tom Schwoegler	....	bicycle coach
Tom Schwoegler	....	bicycle mechanic
Michael King	....	location manager (uncredited)
Gary Russell	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (as 20th Century Fox)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  titles
• Cinzano  acknowledgment: the producer wishes to acknowledge the enormous help and cooperation of
• Citizens of Bloomington, Indiana, The  we would like to thank for their assistance and co-operation
• Fox Fanfare Music  copyright: original music, 1979 by
• Indiana University Foundation, The  we would like to thank for their assistance and co-operation
• Indiana University  we would like to thank for their assistance and co-operation
• Trans Audio  sound services

Also Known As:

Bambino (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | USA:PG (PCA #25493)

Filming Locations:

Bloomington, Indiana, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

As of the Little 500 in 2005, the "Cutters" have had a team every year since this movie was made. However, the original "Cutters" team, created after the movie's release, never included locals. Race guidelines dictate that all racers must attend the University.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the policemen arrive at the café, the bowling ball stuck to Cyril's hand comes loose and breaks a window, but in the next shot it's again stuck to the hand.

Quotes:

Cyril: I sure miss playing basketball. I got depressed as hell when my athlete's foot and jock itch went away.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.34)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Indiana, Our Indiana

Sweet but not saccharine

This film was a pleasant surprise. No sex, no violence, no special effects. Just an incredibly literate and humorous script (which won an Oscar for Steve Tesich) and fantastic performances by the four leads. This is a film for those who still believe that good cinema requires meaningful dialogue and acting that is achingly real in its sincerity. Don't get me wrong: sex and violence have a very real and justifiable place in film; but this movie would have suffered from such a gratuitous inclusion. Peter Yates, the director, has done a fantastic job of pacing the film, and the score, consisting mostly of Rossini overtures, and excerpts from Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony (#4 in A Major, Op. 90), is an inspired touch, adding precisely the right atmosphere. This is the kind of low-budget triumph that the film community constantly extols for P.R. purposes, yet never supports with actual awards.