BREAKING AWAY 1979, 101 minutes
In the university town of Bloomington, Indiana, four boys are a year out of high school and not sure what to do with their lives. Their end-of-summer hang-out spot is a flooded limestone quarry where their fathers used to work. They swim, lie in the sun, ponder their options and watch the more privileged college students, who deride them as ‘Cutters.”
One of the boys, Dave Stohler, aspires for glory as a bicycle racer, idolizing the legendary Team Cinzano and embracing all things Italian. Dave has taken to learning the language and singing opera—much to the dismay of his stolidly Midwestern father. When a beautiful sorority woman catches Dave’s eye, he presents himself as an Italian exchange student. It is an illusion that can only last so long—especially when the Cinzano cyclists come to town.
Directed by Peter Yates and written by Steve Tesich, this coming of age comedy struck a chord when it was released in 1979 and has since been included on the New York Times “Best 1000 Movies” list.
BE ADVISED- This film is Rated PG, with smoking (but not quite), drinking, mild profanity, some violence, teen angst, town vs. gown antagonisms, a badly behaved Cinzano bicycle team, and a Hoosier trying to sing “M’appari tutt’amor.”
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