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Chariots of Fire (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Colin Welland (original screenplay)
Release Date:
9 October 1981 (USA)
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Tagline:
This is the story of two men who run...not to run...but to prove something to the world. They will sacrifice anything to achieve their goals...Except their honor. more
Plot:
The story of two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian who compete in the 1924 Olympics. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 4 Oscars.
Another 12 wins
&
15 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(25 articles)
New Moon Chris Weitz Interview
(From MoviesOnline. 8 November 2009, 8:00 PM, PST)
The Sarah Jane Adventures – The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 Review
(From TVovermind.com. 29 October 2009, 10:09 AM, PDT)
(From MoviesOnline. 8 November 2009, 8:00 PM, PST)
The Sarah Jane Adventures – The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 Review
(From TVovermind.com. 29 October 2009, 10:09 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A movie about the fire within
more (168 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Nicholas Farrell | ... | Aubrey Montague | |
| Nigel Havers | ... | Lord Andrew Lindsay | |
| Ian Charleson | ... | Eric Liddell | |
| Ben Cross | ... | Harold Abrahams | |
| Daniel Gerroll | ... | Henry Stallard | |
| Ian Holm | ... | Sam Mussabini | |
| John Gielgud | ... | Master of Trinity (as Sir John Gielgud) | |
| Lindsay Anderson | ... | Master of Caius | |
| Nigel Davenport | ... | Lord Birkenhead | |
| Cheryl Campbell | ... | Jennie Liddell | |
| Alice Krige | ... | Sybil Gordon | |
| Dennis Christopher | ... | Charles Paddock | |
| Brad Davis | ... | Jackson Scholz | |
| Patrick Magee | ... | Lord Cadogan | |
| Peter Egan | ... | Duke of Sutherland |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:L |
UK:PG (DVD rating) (2005) |
Canada:F (Ontario) |
Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba) |
South Korea:All |
Brazil:Livre |
Argentina:Atp |
Australia:G |
Finland:S |
Peru:PT |
Singapore:PG |
Sweden:Btl |
UK:A (original rating) |
UK:U (video rating) (1986) |
USA:PG |
West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The scene in which Harold Abrahams first sees Sybil Gordon, singing as Yum-Yum in "The Mikado", is based on either a mistake of fact or a deliberate alteration to make the story more romantic. In real life, the name of Abrahams' bride was Sybil Evers. Evers was a member of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, but while Sybil Gordon was its principal soprano, Sybil Evers was a minor soprano, who sang the role of Peep-Bo The Mikado, not the lead role Yum-Yum as it appears in the movie. Moreover, she only appeared with the D'Oyly Carte company for one season, 1930-31, six years after the 1924 Olympics.
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: A modern day EXIT sign can be seen over a door as they attend "The Mikado".
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Lord Andrew Lindsay: Let us praise famous men and our fathers that begat us. All these men were honoured in their generations and were a glory in their days. We are here today to give thanks for the life of Harold Abrahams. To honour the legend. Now there are just two of us - young Aubrey Montague and myself - who can close our eyes and remember those few young men with hope in our hearts and wings on our heels.
more
Lord Andrew Lindsay: Let us praise famous men and our fathers that begat us. All these men were honoured in their generations and were a glory in their days. We are here today to give thanks for the life of Harold Abrahams. To honour the legend. Now there are just two of us - young Aubrey Montague and myself - who can close our eyes and remember those few young men with hope in our hearts and wings on our heels.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Madagascar (2005)
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Soundtrack:
He is an Englishman
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (168 total)
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Much more than just another sports movie, CoF analyzes the very different reasons two men have for devoting so much of their lives to training for the Olympics. This in an era when there were no commercial sponsors and no lucrative endorsement contracts. Though there is always fame and personal satisfaction, it seems to be implied that these things alone are insufficient to explain the special forces that drive these two men so much more than all the others.
This is a truly beautiful movie about a different era, about competition and what may serve as motivation to compete--and perhaps about what kinds of motivation are healthy and what kinds are not.
9/10