DENNIS CHRISTOPHER RIDES 'BREAKING AWAY' W/ DENNIS QUAID

Epitomizes the Haves Haves Not of Breaking Away YEAR: 1979

Feel good movie about teens from the poor side of the tracks but with a cool rock-diving water hole to hang at, BREAKING AWAY is distinguished by a confidently upbeat, quirky protagonist who, while obsessed with Italy, longs to race bicycles with Italy's visiting team: But when not peddling around town, Dennis Christopher's Dave hangs with local buddies Dennis Quaid, a former football hero; Jackie Earle Haley, the token mascot; and Daniel Stern, the comic relief who's the most soulful and in-tune with our cycling hero...

Dennis Quaid as Mike

To the rich college kids, led by preppie jerk Hart Bochner, the young locals are Townies or Cutters while the University remains an albatross that otherwise humble and poor Bloomington, Indiana can't shake. Our boy Dave's the only one with an angle: Finding the prettiest girl in Robyn Douglass, and faking an Italian accent for a filler romance.

Breaking Score: ***1/2

Through the much too-written script, where the late-teens talk like they're suffering a mid-life crisis, the bicycling scenes are nicely shot by action director Peter Yates; and though the class envy gets tiresome, and Dave's jovial dialogue with his parents is a tad silly, as the big race between the locals and jocks approaches, each and every character contributes equally to a spirited finale.

Before that, when a depressed Dave (suffering one of those cinematic teenage-midlife-crisis's) and endearingly dishonest used car salesman dad Paul Dooley walks through the ruin of a town, sharing about his own faded dreams, it seems like another motion picture altogether: More edgy and realistic, which BREAKING AWAY could have used a few more scenes of. But it's an affable sport film meant to celebrate the energy and momentum of youth, and it does that well.

Almost sure this is Jennifer K. Mickel as Girl in Breaking Away with Hart Bochner

Riding against the Italian Bike Company truck in BREAKING AWAY

Dennis Quaid shows his stuff in BREAKING AWAY

"Listen, I'm not going to film this movie without my wife well in reach, so..."

Like Taylor and Burton, married Dennis Quaid and PJ Soles weren't separated in Breaking Away

Breaking Away with Lisa Shure, who'd be in Gorp w/ Dennis Quaid, here with Dennis Christopher

Breaking Away with Robyn Douglass as the ingenue who now runs a bed and breakfast

Jackie Earle Haley, Daniel Stern, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Christopher in Breaking Away

Great shot of the locals view of the college football team BREAKING AWAY