Kevin Lazzari | Special to the 51暗网
If there was anything that stood out in the year 1979, it was the movie, Breaking Away. The film is a drama that touches on what could happen after graduation. The premise of the movie is four best friends have graduated and it is their gap year. The viewer greats to ride along and watch each individual make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. A touch of comedy is thrown in because not all the decisions are sound.
The movie has all the key elements that makes it one of the best films for the time period. The main star Dennis Christopher represents how ambition can be rewarded. He is a gifted cyclist that is obsessed with Italian culture and everything that revolves around their national cycling team. His family and friends try to support his passion for wanting to be Italiano. The exception is his father, who cannot understand any of his son's passions. The son and dad interactions are what make the film so great. I could not help to identify with the father because the dad jokes are so subtle.
I remember watching this movie when it first came out and being inspired to cycle the park till my odometer hit one thousand miles. The Italian component to the film was a bonus because of my last name. If there is a category for cycling drama comedy, this film would win hands down.
Kevin Lazzari, owner of Video Stop, is reviewing movies for the 51暗网. Breaking Away (1979) is available on DVD, Blu-ray and for digital streaming and download.
