Movie · 1979 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 41m · PG · English
Curator score: 8.8/10 (54.4K ratings)
The movie that tells you exactly what you can do with your high school diploma!
Overview
Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his three friends: the comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one day, and even takes up the Italian culture, much to his friends' and parents' annoyance.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.8/10
IMDb: 7.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.96/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Metacritic: 91
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Peter Yates
Production
20th Century Fox
Cast
Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie, Paul Dooley, Robyn Douglass, Hart Bochner, Amy Wright, Peter Maloney, John Ashton, Lisa Shure, Jennifer K. Mickel, P. J. Soles, David K. Blase, William S. Armstrong, Howard S. Wilcox, J.F. Brière, Carlos Sintes, Eddy Van Guyse
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, funny, and deeply likable coming-of-age sports film that turns a small-town bike obsession into something bigger: class identity, friendship, and the awkward thrill of becoming yourself. It’s nostalgic without being syrupy, and the underdog energy lands with real charm.
Best for
coming-of-age stories
underdog sports movies
hangout movies with strong friendship dynamics
1970s American cinema
viewers who like earnest but witty drama-comedy
Skip if
you want fast-paced sports action over character work
you dislike small-town nostalgia
you prefer darker or more cynical coming-of-age films
you need high-stakes plotting every scene
Overview
Breaking Away is one of the great American coming-of-age movies because it understands that growing up can feel both ordinary and epic at the same time. The film’s bike-racing plot gives it momentum, but its real subject is class anxiety, identity, and the fragile confidence of post-high-school life. It’s affectionate toward its characters without pretending they’re more mature than they are.
Worth noting
What makes it endure is the balance of comedy and sincerity. The friendship group feels lived-in, the parents feel recognizably exasperated, and the film’s sense of place is vivid enough to make the town itself feel like a pressure cooker. Even when it gets sentimental, it earns the feeling through observation and detail rather than manipulation.
Bottom line
It’s also just a pleasure to watch. The movie has a breezy summer texture, a strong emotional payoff, and a genuine love for the absurdity of teenage self-invention. If you like underdog stories that are as much about belonging as winning, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Patrick Willems (4.5★) · 534 likes
A movie so good it almost convinced me to get really into cycling. ALMOST.
D Arboleda (4.5★) · 489 likes
Wish I was vibing at the quarry with my boys, riding my bike and rebranding as Italian
Nakul (4★) · 309 likes
Peter Yates' coming-of age-drama & part underdog sports tale, BREAKING AWAY was a pure delight. The ending filled me with so much joy to the point I had a big smile on my face. It beautifully captures the vulnerability not only of youth, but of the male identity. It quickly won me over with it's nostalgic, summer hangout-movie vibe and cast of loveable slackers. No wonder it's one of Richard Linklater's favourite movies.
2005 · Drama, Adventure, History · 2h 7m · PG-13 · Curator 5.8/10 (81.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A later-life counterpart to the same underdog thrill: an obsessive pursuit of speed, dignity, and personal meaning.