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Blu-Ray : Recommended
Ranking:
Release Date: January 20th, 2015 Movie Release Year: 1979

Breaking Away

Overview -

This charming, Academy Award winner (1979, Screenplay) cycles high on comedy as four friends come to terms with life after high school. When top-notch cyclist Dave (Dennis Christopher) learns that the world's bicycling champions are always Italian, he attempts to turn himself into an Italian, driving his parents (Barbara Barrie, Paul Dooley) crazy. But everything changes after he meets the Italian racing team-an encounter that ultimately leads him and his friends (Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley) to challenge the local college boys in the town's annual bike race.

OVERALL:
Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Limited Edition to 3,000
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC-MPEG-4
Length:
101
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.85:1
Audio Formats:
Isolated Score Track
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH
Special Features:
Original Theatrical Trailer
Release Date:
January 20th, 2015

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Peter Yates' 'Breaking Away', nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, introduces audiences to four young men from Bloomington, Indiana during their first fall out of high school: Dave (Dennis Christopher), Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley), Mike (Dennis Quaid), and Cyril (Daniel Stern in his feature-film debut). The foursome are trying to find their place in the world since their original boyhood plan of wasting the rest of their lives together is not feasible.

The pressure to figure things out is amplified by living so close to Indiana University and its students who already have a leg up on the gang. There's animosity between them because some of the college students look down on the locals, calling them “Cutters” in reference to the many who worked in the stone-cutting industry, like Dave and Cyril's fathers.

We also see the frustration of Mike, who was a quarterback in high school, but can now only read about the IU players in the paper. While Wooderson from Linklater's 'Dazed and Confused' appreciates high-school girls because “I get older, they stay the same age,” Mike can't stand incoming freshman for the same reason.

Mike is also frustrated because he sees Moocher and Dave breaking away from the group. Moocher is in love with Nancy (Amy Wright) and needs to get a job so they can start a life together. Dave is in love with cycling, especially the Cinzano racing team. He tries to immerse himself in the “I-talian,” as his father Ray (Paul Dooley) pronounces it, culture, speaking in a broken accent and listening to Italian opera. Dave's mother, Evelyn (Barbara Barrie), tolerates his antics, as long as he doesn't turn Catholic, but they drive his father crazy.

Dave is a gifted cyclist, who frequently wins local events. When it is announced the Cinzano team will appear in an upcoming race, we see Dave train. The college cyclists are shown using a car as a wind break. Dave uses a semi truck on the freeway because of the high speeds he can attain. During the race, Dave learns things about his heroes that will help him on his journey to adulthood. Deciding honestly is the best policy, he reveals himself to Cathy, a college girl who he pretended to be Italian around. Her reaction, while understandable, is slightly over the top.

Steve Tesich's Oscar-winning screenplay takes familiar story elements for a coming-of-age story and creates unique and memorable characters and situations. The former is certainly helped by the talented cast. Christopher is so believable evoking Dave's sincerity. Stern exudes Cyril's intelligence and awkwardness with great ease. The highlight is Dooley, who starts off as an exasperated and curmogedonly man who doesn't understand his son yet comes around as they better understand each other. He also has the benfit of being given some of the funniest lines.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

Twilight Time presents 'Breaking Away' on a limited edition 50GB Region A Blu-ray disc in a standard blue keepcase. The discs boot up directly to the menu screen without any promotional advertisements. Included is a six-page booklet with notes by Julie Kirgo.

Video Review

Ranking:

The video has been given a 1080p/AVC-MPEG-4 encoded transfer displayed at 1.85:1. Colors are strong hues, as seen in the green fields of Indiana, the yellow jersey Dave wears when riding, and the reds of the university football uniforms and the vehicles at Ray's used lot. Blacks are inky and whites are bright.

Although there are soft edges due to the source, there's very good clarity and contrast in daytime exteriors, especially during the climatic bike race. On the other hand, a lot of beige and low light used in Dave's home contributies to the video's dim appearance. Night exteriors and the sequence of Dave working in the garage on the bike are also not as clear. There's slight banding around street lights.

Audio Review

Ranking:

The audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. Dialogue is clear throughout except when intentionally overwhelmed by the loud quarry machinery. At the soft end of the spectrum, the fanit rattle of bike chains can be heard travelling through the sprockets, revealing a wide dynamic range,

For mono, the track does a good job of having effects sound like they recede into the distance and delivers some slight ambiance. The orchestra comes through with good fidelity. There's no overt signs of evident age or defect.

Special Features

Ranking:
  • Audio commentary with Actor Dennis Christopher and Film Historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman – Twilight Time's usual suspoects talk with the star whose enthusiam for the project is palpable throughout the interview.
  • Isolated Score Track
  • Road to Adulthood (SD, 1 minutes) – A TV ad for the movie
  • Academy Booster (SD, 1 minutes) – A TV ad created after the film earned five Academy Award nominations including director, screenplay, and picture.
  • Dennis Christopher's Fellini Story (Audio, 13 min) – Cut from the commentary track, Christopher tells of going to Europe as a 17-year-old and on his first night in Rome, he stumbled upon Fellini shooting 'Roma' and got a part in it.
  • Original Theatrical Trailer (SD, 3 minutes) 

Final Thoughts

'Breaking Away" is an emotional, exhilarating film about growing up that remains authentic and accurate four decades later thanks to the realisitic characters created by the screenwriter and cast. The Blu-ray delivers a pleasing HD presentation but lacks in extras beyond its enjoyable commentary track. This release is recommended.