Breaking Away (1979)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

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:

Steve Tesich based the Dave Stoller character on David K. Blase, who had once led a team to victory in the Little 500 and had an Italian fixation. Blase had a cameo as the race announcer in this movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dave is drafting behind the Cinzano semi-truck, his bike is on the small chain-ring and he is managing to travel at 50+ miles per hour. An earlier shot shows him in the large, and correct, chain-ring behind the semi.

Quotes:

Dad: I was proud of my work. And the buildings went up. When they were finished the damnedest thing happened. It was like the buildings were too good for us. Nobody told us that. It just felt uncomfortable, that's all.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 4 in A major (Italian Symphony), Opus 90

A film to treasure!!!

Breaking Away is a picture that is better than the sum of its parts. Oh, its parts are wonderful. The writing is sharp, observant, and funny (It won an Oscar!), the acting is superb (how Paul Dooley was nixed a nomination never mind the award I'll never know), and it is a well shot film. But its charms go even deeper. It is the story of four young men in their late teens, who are staring adulthood in the face after a year of leisure in the "small town" of Bloomington, Indiana, and how they deal with watching successful college kids pass them by. It is also about a young man in search of an identity (including that of a Italian bicycle racer), and of a family that is loving and supportive, almost in spite of itself. All these add up to a richly enjoyable, deeply moving family picture that gives us many moments to treasure (a large number include Paul Dooley as the frustrated and confused, but eventually loving father). Like other sports movies (the lead character races bicycles), it has a contest at the end, and like many much poorer ones, it ends with triumph. But we cheer not only for these immensely likeable "cutters," but for ourselves, for being treated to this bittersweet, touching, and wonderful movie.