BREAKING AWAY (1979)

Title: BREAKING AWAY

Year of Release: 1979

Director: Peter Yates

Genre: Drama, Sport

Synopsis: A young man from Indiana aspires to race as a professional cyclist.

Within a film history context: Movies about competitive cyclists have not been a common sight on cinema screens before BREAKING AWAY. Maurice Champreux's silent French film LE ROI DEL LA PEDALE (1925), alternate title THE PEDLAR, was about a hotel bell boy who determines to race in the Tour-de-France, and also capture the heart of his ladylove. This three-hour movie has a number of impressive race sequences which have stood up well for their authenticity, and picturesque locations. Comedy 6 DAY BIKE RIDER (1934), directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Joe E. Brown, was similar in orientation. A man who has lost his girlfriend to a bike rider, tries to win her back by competing in a six-day bike racing competition. Jean Stelli's French movie POUR LE MAILLOT JAUNE (1940), or FOR THE YELLOW JERSEY, was about the romance between a cyclist competing in the Tour-de-France bike race, and a journalist covering this event. BREAKING AWAY was similar to all three of these movies, but diverted in other key areas.

As with LE ROI DEL LA PEDALE, BREAKING AWAY featured a main male character with a single-minded ambition to race in a major cycling event. Both pictures depict the existence of the particular protagonist, with their family lives deftly illustrated. The difficulties on the cyclist in training for the events are also deftly shown, making these films realistic in their presentation. Where Fortune, the cyclist in LE ROI DEL LA PEDALE seeks to win the admiration of a woman, in BREAKING AWAY, though, Dave's first love appears to be cycling. A romantic relationship with Katherine is a pleasing, if secondary notion for him. LE ROI DEL LA PEDALE, and 6 DAY BIKE RIDER, are compatible in terms of a man wanting the attention of a woman by utilizing his athletic prowess to garner affection. Dave in BREAKING AWAY goes in another direction here, wooing Katherine with Italian serenades that are as far away from cycling as one can get. This also paints Dave as a more multi-faceted character, in that he is not Italian himself, and uses these psychological tactics to disarm, and display his tenderness for Katherine. 

Other narrative traits of BREAKING AWAY deviate from the other European movies. BREAKING AWAY also departs from the other examples in the exploration of friendships which it offers. While Dave is the lead, and his psyche explored in an exhaustive fashion, he is contrasted with friends Mike, Cyril and Moocher. These are all young men coming of age, unsure of what to do with their lives, but finding mutual solace in their confusion. This character structure is nowhere to be found in LE ROI DEL LA PEDALE, 6 DAY BIKE RIDER, or POUR LE MAILLOT JAUNE, with their concentration on the main character. BREAKING AWAY additionally offers further insight into Dave via his interactions with his group of best friends, which is also measured against his relationship with his mother, and father. A well-executed of a cyclist, BREAKING AWAY is a pleasing addition to films in this category.

Overview: Peter Yates was a British director who initially made films in the United Kingdom, before working in the United States, and again in Britain. His output was varied in scope, from comedies, musicals, dramas, to thrillers. Mr Yates' first movie, SUMMER HOLIDAY (1963), was a popular musical starring Cliff Richard as a young man who travels with his friends across Europe in a double decker bus, finding adventure, love and fun along the way. In contrast, crime drama ROBBERY (1967), was a filmic account of the infamous 1963 Great Train Robbery, altered to maintain a fictional perspective alongside realistic detail. Peter Yates' next movie was among his most notable, being BULLITT (1968). The story of a hardened San Francisco policeman, and his pursuit of an underworld figure, was both a critical and financial success for Warner Brothers, and a top role for Steve McQueen in the lead. Next came romance JOHN AND MARY (1969), with Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow. A man and a woman who meet in a bar, have a one-night stand, and then become acquainted in an emotional sense, was the focus here, but it was not a popular success. The 1970s was a period when some of Peter Yates' best films were released to the public.

Peter Yates' seventh movie THE HOT ROCK (1972), was a heist caper about the pursuit of a valuable diamond from a museum, and the efforts to appropriate it, which are anything but easy for those involved in this comedy drama. Crime of a different nature ruled THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE (1973). A criminal with his fingers in a number of pies informs on his associates to avoid being jailed for a recent event, but things catch up with him in dramatic fashion. Much lighter in tone was FOR PETE'S SAKE (1974). The raucous tale of a Brooklyn housewife trying to help her husband financially, but coming unstuck time and again, was a deft showcase for Barbra Streisand in the lead, with Michael Sarrazin as her spouse Pete. Peter Yates followed this with another comedy, MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED (1976). The antics of a number of people in opposing ambulance companies for jobs made up the content here, with a cast including Raquel Welch, Harvey Keitel, Larry Hagman, and Bruce Davison. One of Mr Yates' most commercially successful projects came next, being THE DEEP (1977). The story of a pair of divers who stumble upon deep sea treasure in Bermuda, was one of the hits which assisted Columbia Pictures in its turnaround in the late 1970s. The 1980s, and after, were also productive for Peter Yates in a creative sense.

EYEWITNESS (1981), was a tense tale of the relationship between a man who witnesses a murder, and a television reporter covering the crime. Although critically well-regarded, it lost money at the box office. Mr Yates then made a foray into fantasy with KRULL (1983). The battle of a Prince to save his Princess fiancée from aliens from another planet, was another disappointment, with a low box office take, and high production costs, ruling out a healthy return. There was a return to form for the director with THE DRESSER (1983). The close relationship of a theatre actor and his personal assistant was a prestige picture which garnered numerous international film awards, and acclaim for the director, and its cast including Albert Finney, and Tom Courtenay. In SUSPECT (1987), a public defender is assigned the case of a homeless man accused of the murder of a judge's secretary, and from herein things take a murky turn for her in this thriller. An innocent person placed in a horrendous position by being in the wrong place at the wrong time was explored in AN INNOCENT MAN (1989). An airline mechanic going about his life is framed for murder by two corrupt policemen, ending up in jail, but once released, sets a plan in motion seeking revenge on these officers. 

Into the 1990s came YEAR OF THE COMET (1992), for Peter Yates. A valuable bottle of vintage wine from the early 1800s is discovered by a young woman, and this initiates the pursuit of this by various people, with some of these parties having an unethical interest in it. ROOMMATES (1995), starred Peter Falk as an elderly man whose union with his grandson is contrasted in two life stages. It was not a box office success, and critically derided. Peter Yates' penultimate movie, THE RUN OF THE COUNTRY (1995), observed the interaction of a father and his son in an Irish village, and how their strained relationship becomes even more so with the entrance of a young woman into the son's life. As with the previous example, this movie lost money on its release in cinemas. The final picture for Peter Yates was CURTAIN CALL (1998). In this comedy, a man purchases a Manhattan townhouse, and his life is disrupted by the spirits of two people previously living at the residence, who offer him words of wisdom about his life. BREAKING AWAY was Peter Yates' twelfth film, and one of his best-known pictures.

In the case of BREAKING AWAY, Peter Yates has crafted an appealing, consistent movie. Charting the life of an ebullient young man in Bloomington, Indiana, who aspires to be a competitive bike racer, it is a charming film which flows exceedingly well from start, to finish. The viewer is allowed to become an intimate spectator in the life of Dave, his family, and small circle of close-knit friends. There is a breezy sense of wonder, and truth to this movie, which makes it an inspirational ride for its audience. The depiction of the family is one of its sterling qualities, and beautiful in its execution. There are some allusions about class differences made in BREAKING AWAY which work in a subtle way, never becoming tiresome, or overwhelming the movie. These come from the characters on both sides of the class divide, adding poignancy to their situations. The 'haves', being the privileged Indiana University students, are not as such played as all-out villains, and the director manages to even give them a vulnerability which works within the movie's context. BREAKING AWAY, in all respects, does have many qualities to recommend it, but some flaws are obvious in retrospect.

The center of attention in BREAKING AWAY is Dave, and his friends subsequently take a back seat to him in the narrative, but fleshing out their personal lives just that bit more would have given them even more traction in the film. The scenes of Moocher with a young woman are akin to being a teaser in this respect, as this thread is brought forth, and dropped just as rapidly. If it was not included in the first place, it would not be missed. Both Mike, and Cyril, do not have a personal life in the movie as such, and this is disappointing. Mike, in particular, with his rebellious but charismatic nature, is inexplicably never referred to as being attached to a young woman at all. Aside from this, the usage of wealthy Rod, and his friends in the film also is insufficient. While the scenes which feature this group of characters are pithy, having them as a sideline, instead of delving further into what made them tick, was dismaying. Pitting Mike against Rod in extra scenes would have been dynamite, in light of the sequence where they compete against each other in the quarry's waters. Overall, though, despite these limitations, certain facts about BREAKING AWAY are clear. BREAKING AWAY is an enjoyable picture which scores with its views on coming of age, family, class, and happiness, with its sincere presentation.

Acting: The characterizations in BREAKING AWAY are one of its sterling qualities. In the lead role of Dave Stohler, avid bicycle racer and Italophile, Dennis Christopher is excellent. With his multi-faceted performance, Mr Christopher makes his protagonist complicated, yet understandable at the same time. As Dave's strong but sensitive friend Mike, the movie is a showcase for Dennis Quaid. Employing both body language, and expressions in a non-verbal manner, Mr Quaid deftly makes Mike one of the picture's most potent assets. Dave's wistful, knowing mother Evelyn, is expertly portrayed by Barbara Barrie. Miss Barrie plays off Dennis Christopher exceedingly well, convincing the audience they are a mother and son duo. The third cog in this wheel is Ray Strohler, Dave's father, and Evelyn's husband, in the agreeable person of Paul Dooley. Mr Dooley has a realism about his acting, coupled with a subtle zaniness, that makes his Ray a lifelike, and justified figure in the film. 

Three other performances are of note in BREAKING AWAY. As Roy, Mike's policeman older brother, John Ashton affords the movie another true to life performance. Although his role is small, nevertheless, Mr Ashton's authority shines through as Mike's unshakable sibling. Dave's love interest Katherine, is given credence by Robyn Douglass. Miss Douglass' attraction to the ambitious Dave can be keenly felt, and her reaction to his trickery one of the best scenes in BREAKING AWAY. The last important acting contribution is by Hart Bochner as the privileged, discriminatory Rod. With his good looks and understated manner, Mr Bochner makes Rod someone you love to hate, but the final reels display a gentleness which is both unexpected, and gratifying to witness.

Soundtrack: BREAKING AWAY has a great soundtrack which immeasurably assists the movie in its aims. The renowned composer Lionel Newman, long with Twentieth Century Fox, provides a beautiful score which lifts the spirits throughout the picture, enhancing its aspirational qualities. Aside from this, there are several songs featured, the most prominent being 'M' Appari Tutt' amor' performed by Dennis Christopher, as he woos Katherine from her window perch above.

Mise-en-scene: The onscreen experience for viewers of BREAKING AWAY is a convincing one. Matthew Lionetti's photography is consistent, the colour just right, as the film is not garish in tone, but of a more down to earth nature. Outdoor locations are all well-chosen, and boost the movie's naturalistic tone. Editing is another strong point, with Cynthia Scheider's work particularly palpable during the picture's exciting cycling sequences. Lee Poll's set decoration is keenly felt, especially with the Strohler family home, and its comfortable feel exuding the sense of being a real setting.

Notable Acting Performances: Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Barbara Barrie, Paul Dooley, John Ashton, Robin Douglass, Hart Bochner.

Suitability for young viewers: Parental discretion advised. Low-level violence.

Overall Grade: B

Link: IMDB Page

T.R. BASKIN (1971)

Title: T.R. BASKIN

Year of Release: 1971

Director: Herbert Ross

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A disaffected young woman from Ohio moves to Chicago, but finds nothing but loneliness, and isolation.

Within a film history context: The trials, and travails, of young women from a small town who go to live in the big city were explored a number of times before T.R. BASKIN. With Burton King's silent A LITTLE GIRL IN A BIG CITY (1925), a young woman from the country wins a beauty contest, falling into elaborate traps set by a cunning magazine publisher, but emerging with her dignity intact in this drama. THE RED KIMONO (1925), directed by Walter Lang and Dorothy Davenport, was a morality tale of a young woman from a small-town who becomes a prostitute, and is enveloped in a murder case when she discovers the man she loves has been cheating on her. Into the sound era, one of the most famous films about a small-town girl in the city was William Wellman's A STAR IS BORN (1937). A young woman desires to become an actress, and comes to Hollywood, but her meeting with an alcoholic star brings her not only happiness, but also, much grief. In comparison, NOTHING SACRED (1937), again directed by William Wellman, had a young lady who was thought to have a terminal illness, but discovers that she was misdiagnosed. She plays along with the ruse that she is ill, and a reporter looking for a story falls for her lies, and in love with her. On the other hand, Gregory La Cava's UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1941), featured a small-town woman who proceeds to New York, has an affair with a man, but is subsequently ignored by him. She then marries his brother on the rebound, but this marriage is tested in this romantic comedy.

PRESENTING LILY MARS (1943), directed by Norman Taurog, was the story of a young woman from Indiana who yearns for the stage, and at first is not taken seriously by a Broadway impresario. When she ends up in New York, and pushes him for a chance, she finally receives this. A suspense mode was employed in William Castle's WHEN STRANGERS MARRY (1944). When a young woman from a small town comes to New York to meet with her husband, she is forced to realize that he, in fact, may be a psychopathic killer. UNWED MOTHER (1958), directed by Walter Doniger, related the tale of a young woman from the country who heads to Los Angeles, and into the clutches of a Lothario, who leaves her pregnant, and in the lurch. Similarly downcast was Brandon Chase's GIRL IN TROUBLE (1963). When a young woman leaves the safety of her family farm to make it big in New Orleans, she becomes a stripper, and is subjected to nothing but maltreatment, and sadism, in this exploitation drama. CONFESSIONS OF A BAD GIRL (1965), directed by Barry Mahon, followed the narrative line of the previous entry. A young woman comes to New York to be an actress, but finds that auditioning involves the casting couch to the nth degree in her case. More exploitation fare with sex and nudity was found in Tony Orlando's HOT NIGHTS ON THE CAMPUS (1966). A young woman from Indiana comes to New York to attend college, and lives with four other women who initiate her on a crash course of permissive behaviour, which culminates in her falling pregnant. T.R. BASKIN was a movie which closely surveyed the life of a small-town girl from Ohio, examining her new existence in Chicago.

T.R. BASKIN was of a dramatic persuasion, and had most in common with those films which approached their subject in a serious manner. It was furthest as could be from those light entries where a small-town girl becomes a success in the big city, such as NOTHING SACRED, and PRESENTING LILY MARS. It lacked the sentimentality of these pictures, with their upbeat protagonists, instead, presenting a portrait of a young woman, essentially, on her own in the city, and living by her wits. There was a slight correlation between T.R. BASKIN, and movies from the 1950s and after, such as UNWED MOTHER, GIRL IN TROUBLE, CONFESSIONS OF A BAD GIRL, and HOT NIGHTS ON THE CAMPUS. In these movies, the morality of the young woman in question was the key issue here, and how her transplantation from a small town, to the big city, was a driver in her path to promiscuity. While this may be a simplification on the part of these films, nevertheless, this narrative line does infuse these examples. 

Having a young woman corrupted by her exposure to the big, bad city lended itself to much angst and melodrama, such as in UNWED MOTHER and GIRL IN TROUBLE. HOT NIGHTS ON THE CAMPUS concentrated on the sex and nudity angle, unlike the other movies, which were more straitlaced. The sexual element was but a small part of T.R. BASKIN, and not the raison d'etre, as in HOT NIGHTS ON THE CAMPUS, with its racy scenes. T.R. BASKIN was also not obvious in terms of its central character, and her psychology. It provided a limited account in this respect, mainly charting the woman's reaction to the coldness, and loneliness, of city life, and some of its people. The woman's interactions with other people were muted, and noted in a dry, distancing manner. The city itself could be seen as being a character of sorts in T.R. BASKIN, with the endless secretarial office space, and T.R.'s gloomy apartment just two examples of this. A different view of a small-town young woman in the big city, T.R. BASKIN offers an interesting account in this arena.

Overview: Herbert Ross was an American director who helmed twenty-four films over a twenty-six year period. His output consisted of romances, comedies, and musicals. Mr Ross' inaugural movie, GOODBYE, MR CHIPS (1969), was a remake of the 1939 version with Robert Donat and Greer Garson. This time around, the male school teacher was played by Peter O'Toole, with his showgirl ladylove, by Petula Clark. Next came Herbert Ross' first comedy outing, THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (1970). The tale of a prostitute and a bookish man finding love, was a raucous effort that rang the box office bell, due to the presence of Barbra Streisand and George Segal, and a healthy dose of sauciness. Mystery was the name of the game in THE LAST OF SHEILA (1973). A movie producer invites a group of friends to his yacht, who were present at his home one year to the day when his wife was killed in a car accident. A game of cat and mouse then ensues, with red herrings aplenty in this thriller. Mr Ross then tackled the sequel to FUNNY GIRL (1968), being FUNNY LADY (1975). Continuing the story of Fanny Brice, her career highs, and personal relationships, it was another success for the director, with Barbra Streisand again in the lead. 

THE SUNSHINE BOYS (1975), was a comedy of two vaudeville comedians reuniting for a television special after many years, but whose existing offscreen animosity might affect their current project. Mystery THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION (1976), focused upon duo Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes, and how Watson seeks to assist Holmes with his psychological issues through Sigmund Freud. There was a change of pace for Herbert Ross with THE TURNING POINT (1977). Two friends involved in ballet compare their lives until the present, with the daughter of one becoming a ballerina, this making the women reassess where they have been, and where they are going in life. Also successful was THE GOODBYE GIRL (1977). The unlikely teaming of a struggling actor, a dancer, and her daughter in a New York apartment, was box office gold for Warner Brothers, also bringing an Oscar for Richard Dreyfuss in the lead role. Another well-regarded movie for Herbert Ross was CALIFORNIA SUITE (1978). With an all-star cast including Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, and Walter Matthau, this peek inside the lives of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel was a fun cinematic diversion, with some moments of pathos. 

The 1980s began a run of less-prominent projects for Herbert Ross. Biopic NIJINSKY (1980), though, was not as well-liked as his 1970s efforts. The life of Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky was the topic here, and his crumbling mental state. Despite a stellar cast, with Alan Bates, Janet Suzman and Sian Phillips, it was not a financial success. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981), was another box office disappointment. The life of a sheet-music salesman in 1930s Chicago, and his romance with a schoolteacher, made up the content of this ambitious, but unpopular musical drama. I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES (1982), was also a loss maker, being the story of a young woman trying to break into the movies, and reunite with her screenwriter father. Herbert Ross made a comeback with FOOTLOOSE (1984). When a young man from the city moves to a small town, and rails against its stance toward music and dance, he starts a revolution of sorts in this energetic drama with a pulsating soundtrack. In contrast, comedy was at the core of THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS (1987). A young university graduate finds a way of progressing his career without undue strain in this romantic comedy. 

DANCERS (1987), also examined ballet, as with THE TURNING POINT and NIJINSKY. The romance between a male ballet dancer and his younger muse was charted here, with Mikhail Baryshnikov in the central part. Despite this, it failed to recoup its costs at the box office. Success again came Herbert Ross' way with STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989). When a young beautician gains employment at a salon, she is made to feel at home by the town's womenfolk. With an all-star cast including Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and Shirley MacLaine, it was a bonanza for Tri-Star Pictures. Comedy was also at the heart of MY BLUE HEAVEN (1990). When a federal agent is assigned to watch over a gangster and his wife, fireworks ensue in this comedy crime caper. TRUE COLORS (1991), had a male-male friendship at its core. The very different perspectives of two young men, both law students, are examined here, and how their aims to progress in Washington take them in opposite directions. This, unfortunately, was another of Herbert Ross' misfires, making back only a fraction of its production costs. Herbert Ross' cinematic sawn song was in the form of BOYS ON THE SIDE (1995). The close relationship between three women drives this narrative, which was not only a box office success, but also, critically acclaimed. T.R. BASKIN was Herbert Ross' third film, but one of his lesser movies.

Herbert Ross has made an unsatisfactory picture with T.R. BASKIN. The story of a young woman from Ohio who seeks a new life in Chicago, and running into inherent difficulties along the way, it is a deflating viewing experience. A number of reasons point to this in the movie. Although the acting is one of its best qualities, the lead actress, in particular, is let down by the film's reticence in providing a backstory for its titular character. Aside from the fact that T.R. Baskin is seeking a new life in Chicago, one never gets a sense of why this is so. This subsequently poses questions about her which are never answered, such as what she is running away from, and how she arrived at the decision to move to Chicago. Even though one receives some information about the character through her interactions with other characters in the story, for the most part, T.R. Baskin remains an enigma. Thus, audience identification with her is not an easy feat. While Herbert Ross aptly paints a picture of difficulties in city life, alienation, and loneliness through the visual aspects of the film, the narrative leaves much to be desired in terms of its execution. The movie largely limps along at a snail's pace, and with little to capture the emotions of the spectator. A demanding but disappointing work, T.R. BASKIN stands out as a dismaying movie from Herbert Ross. 

Acting: There are several notable acting performances in T.R. BASKIN. In the lead role of T.R. Baskin, Candice Bergen is excellent. Carefully unravelling the many layers of this young woman to the audience, with a revelation in the final section of the movie, it is one of Miss Bergen's most psychologically complex roles, and one she delivers with finesse. As Larry, T.R.'s love interest, James Caan adds his unique persona to the film. With his easy-going ways, crackly voice, and engaging personality, it would have been good to have seen more of Mr Caan in the picture. The final noteworthy acting in T.R. BASKIN was by Marcia Rodd as Dayle, T.R.'s colleague at the office. Miss Rodd's good humor, knowing attitude, and nous make her one of T.R. BASKIN's brightest lights, in what is otherwise a dispiriting movie.

Soundtrack: T.R. BASKIN takes a very lean approach to its soundtrack, which makes sense in terms of the film's themes, and presentation. Aside from diegetic music in scenes such as the restaurant sequences, there are two notable sequences which employ non-diegetic music. The first is the passage where T.R. and Larry are walking in the city, with a tinkly piano tune quietly playing in the background. The next is when T.R. strolls along the riverside after leaving Larry's home. These are some of the most pensive moments in the film, and nicely punctuated by the solemn scoring in these segments. The closing credits are in contrast to the lack of music in T.R. BASKIN as a whole, with Jack Elliott's piano theme ending the picture in a thoughtful manner.

Mise-en-scene: The visual experience for viewers is one of T.R. BASKIN's best qualities. Cinematography by Gerald Hirschfeld is beautiful, compensating for the deficiencies in the narrative with its subtlety. In turn, production design, and art direction by Albert Brenner is memorable, with the never-ending typing pool where T.R. Baskin works, her apartment, Larry's warm abode, the restaurants, bars, and department store which T.T. visits with Dayle, all excellent examples of his work. Costuming is also of a high standard, Agnes Lyon's creations ensuring that the cast is well-outfitted in upscale, smart apparel, this applying to both the male, and female performers.

Notable Acting Performances: Candice Bergen, James Caan, Marcia Rodd.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Brief female nudity, adult themes.

Overall Grade: D

Link: IMDB Page

Trailer