Breaking Away- 25 years!

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
"Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who took to bicycling, got me thinking that
somebody had been following me around with a camera a couple years earlier (this feeling would
be repeated later when "30 Something" aired on TV).

What brings this up is AMCs (American Movie Classics) weekend of films that won Best Picture at the
Academy Awards. Just as I was trying to figure out whether to get out and ride in the drizzle, I
noticed Breaking Away was on. Darn, such conflict! A movie that inspires you to ride shouldn't be
allowed to be on when you ought to be out riding! If you need help remembering the film, you can
check out some of the more memorable lines on this page- http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0078902/quotes

Like the exchange below, that's been uttered countless times since, when people get served something
strange at a restaurant ("I-tey" refers to Italian)-

Dad: What is this? Mom: It's sauteed zucchini. Dad: It's I-tey food. I don't want no I-tey food.
Mom: It's not. I got it at the A&P. It's like... squash. Dad: I know I-tey food when I hear it! It's
all them "eenie" foods... zucchini... and linguini... and fettuccine. I want some American food,
dammit! I want French fries!

Actually, there were some significant differences between myself and Dave Stoller. Dave rode a
Masi, while I raced a Cinelli (which is presently my rain bike, aka "The Iron Pig"). When you
owned a Cinelli you thought a Masi was a distance second-best, and the Masi owners, of course,
thought Cinellis were overweight pieces of wrought iron. And I never shaved my legs (despite that
being the norm among successful bike racers then and now). My Grandfather would have been the
ideal person to play Dave Stoller's dad, while mine, a sports writer, simply wondered why his long-
haired son would take to something as obscure and weird as cycling instead of something normal
like football or track.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[Badger_South]

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 21:13:44 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>My Grandfather would have been the ideal person to play Dave Stoller's dad, while mine, a sports
>writer, simply wondered why his long-haired son would take to something as obscure and weird as
>cycling instead of something normal like football or track.
>
>--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles

So would you say you're the better for it? <bg>

I mean go find one of those former football players, eh? The track guys, who knows, if you're
talking the 70s, some of them may be still running 10K fun runs.

BTW, are you sayin' you _don't_ have the widescreen DVD version of "Breaking..."?

-B

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

> I mean go find one of those former football players, eh? The track guys, who knows, if you're
> talking the 70s, some of them may be still running
10K
> fun runs.

Didn't most of the track and running guys wrote books about healthy lifestyles & diet books and then
died of heart attacks?

> BTW, are you sayin' you _don't_ have the widescreen DVD version of "Breaking..."?

I brought it down to the shop and let somebody borrow it; have no idea where it is now. But at
something like $10, if that DVD is making the rounds and introducing new people to the movie, it's
worth it. But time to get a new copy!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[Badger_South]

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 21:27:09 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>> I mean go find one of those former football players, eh? The track guys, who knows, if you're
>> talking the 70s, some of them may be still running
>10K
>> fun runs.
>
>Didn't most of the track and running guys wrote books about healthy lifestyles & diet books and
>then died of heart attacks?
>
>> BTW, are you sayin' you _don't_ have the widescreen DVD version of "Breaking..."?
>
>I brought it down to the shop and let somebody borrow it; have no idea where it is now. But at
>something like $10, if that DVD is making the rounds and introducing new people to the movie, it's
>worth it. But time to get a new copy!
>
>--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>

Hey especially since these are available:

http://www.audiosound.com/path37inedpl.html

Successful biz owner, c'mon, you know you want one! <eg>

-B

 

[M. Barbee]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > I mean go find one of those former football players, eh? The track guys, who knows, if you're
> > talking the 70s, some of them may be still running
> 10K
> > fun runs.
>
> Didn't most of the track and running guys wrote books about healthy lifestyles & diet books and
> then died of heart attacks?
>
> > BTW, are you sayin' you _don't_ have the widescreen DVD version of "Breaking..."?
>
> I brought it down to the shop and let somebody borrow it; have no idea
where
> it is now. But at something like $10, if that DVD is making the rounds
and
> introducing new people to the movie, it's worth it. But time to get a new copy!
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
25 years ago, I was 1 going on 2. I heard about the movie a couple of years ago and then stumbled
onto the DVD at Border's. I was glad to add it to my collection.

 

[Psycholist]

Since you liked my "old guy" story that I posted yesterday (Cityboy cyclist rubs off), you might
like this, too.

My wife and I were in the stands for the filming of the Little 500 race scenes in Breaking Away.
We've never been able to spot ourselves, but we were there. If you've got that large format, wide
screen DVD thing, look for me wearing a screaming yellow and black striped rugby shirt. I was an
MBA student at IU back in those days ... and cycling wasn't even on my radar screen. (Hey dude ...
they're filming a movie. Cool.) They expected a large turnout but it didn't materialize. We were
just enough to fill maybe one or two small sections of the stands, so they moved us around the
stadium while they took shots from various angles. (Truth be known, it was a long and rather
boring affair.)

I did happen to be riding my "ten speed" to class and got stopped by a detour courtesy of another
scene being filmed. I was late to class, but I watched that scene where Cyril (is that the name?)
has just been beat up and tells the Dennis Quaid character (who wants to go beat up on some frat
boys, " ... I council peace."

They did take after take after take. When I finally saw the movie and had a context for that scene,
I couldn't image why they needed all those takes.

Anyway, Hey MIKE, thanks for making me feel absolutely ancient with this dang thread of yours.

Bob C.

 

[Kevan Smith]

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 01:07:12 GMT, "M. Barbee" <[email protected]>
from wrote:

>
>"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> > I mean go find one of those former football players, eh? The track guys, who knows, if you're
>> > talking the 70s, some of them may be still running
>> 10K
>> > fun runs.
>>
>> Didn't most of the track and running guys wrote books about healthy lifestyles & diet books and
>> then died of heart attacks?
>>
>> > BTW, are you sayin' you _don't_ have the widescreen DVD version of "Breaking..."?
>>
>> I brought it down to the shop and let somebody borrow it; have no idea
>where
>> it is now. But at something like $10, if that DVD is making the rounds
>and
>> introducing new people to the movie, it's worth it. But time to get a new copy!
>>
>> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>>
>25 years ago, I was 1 going on 2. I heard about the movie a couple of years ago and then stumbled
>onto the DVD at Border's. I was glad to add it to my collection.

My wife's old boss has a brief appearance in that film as one of the road racers. Look for a thin
guy with a handlebar moustache about three rows back in the starting line.

--
[email protected]
Always give yourself credit for having more than personality.
39

 

[DiabloScott]

Originally posted by Mike Jacoubowsk
02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
"Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who took to bicycling, got me thinking that
somebody had been following me around with a camera a couple years earlier (this feeling would
be repeated later when "30 Something" aired on TV).

What brings this up is AMCs (American Movie Classics) weekend of films that won Best Picture at the
Academy Awards. Just as I was trying to figure out whether to get out and ride in the drizzle, I
noticed Breaking Away was on. Darn, such conflict! A movie that inspires you to ride shouldn't be
allowed to be on when you ought to be out riding! If you need help remembering the film, you can
check out some of the more memorable lines on this page- http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0078902/quotes

Like the exchange below, that's been uttered countless times since, when people get served something
strange at a restaurant ("I-tey" refers to Italian)-

Dad: What is this? Mom: It's sauteed zucchini. Dad: It's I-tey food. I don't want no I-tey food.
Mom: It's not. I got it at the A&P. It's like... squash. Dad: I know I-tey food when I hear it! It's
all them "eenie" foods... zucchini... and linguini... and fettuccine. I want some American food,
dammit! I want French fries!

Actually, there were some significant differences between myself and Dave Stoller. Dave rode a
Masi, while I raced a Cinelli (which is presently my rain bike, aka "The Iron Pig"). When you
owned a Cinelli you thought a Masi was a distance second-best, and the Masi owners, of course,
thought Cinellis were overweight pieces of wrought iron. And I never shaved my legs (despite that
being the norm among successful bike racers then and now). My Grandfather would have been the
ideal person to play Dave Stoller's dad, while mine, a sports writer, simply wondered why his long-
haired son would take to something as obscure and weird as cycling instead of something normal
like football or track.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

It was my introduction to cycle-mania too. A friend took me to see it and the bug was born - didn't immediately go whole hog, but gradually got hooked and I always remembered Dave as my cycling passion grew. Dave was a local in a midwestern university town and I was in the same situation - him IU, me UofI (Iowa). I had a Cinzano patio umbrella for the longest time.

Six years later (now fully cyclepathic) I was a course marshall for the Coor's Classic in San Francisco - as a gift they gave us tickets to the premier of "American Flyers" (also written by Steve Tesich) that afternoon at the Palace of Fine Arts. Steve introduced the movie saying "There are a lot of you out there that are better bike riders than I ever was, but my love for this sport is unequaled." Bernard Hinault was in the front row.

Refund? REFUND???
You're not the quarterback HERE, Mike.
But sir, they're not GOOD enough!
Everybody cheats, I just didn't know.
I don't care if the second coming's coming.
Oggi, fa molto humido, non e vero? Vai al diablo!

 

[Chris Zacho "Th]

There's a widescreen DVD version of this movie? I have yet to find THIS MOVIE on DVD, period!

Ass-U-Me-ing your not just pulling our chains, where can you get this?

"May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

 

[Pete]

"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> There's a widescreen DVD version of this movie? I have yet to find THIS MOVIE on DVD, period!
>
> Ass-U-Me-ing your not just pulling our chains, where can you get this?

www.netflix.com for one

Pete

 

[Roald Oines]

Chris Zacho "The Wheelman" ([email protected]) wrote:
: There's a widescreen DVD version of this movie? I have yet to find THIS MOVIE on DVD, period!
:
: Ass-U-Me-ing your not just pulling our chains, where can you get this?
:
: "May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!"
:
: Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"
:
: Chris'Z Corner http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

I got mine at Borders.

--
http://rec-sport-golf.com/?rc=oinesroald Please remove the under_scores if sending me mail.

 

[Ken]

[email protected] (Chris Zacho "The Wheelman") wrote in news:25717-
[email protected]:
> There's a widescreen DVD version of this movie? I have yet to find THIS MOVIE on DVD, period!

amazon.com sells it for $13

The Amazon movie review compares *Breaking Away* to *To Kill A Mockingbird* and *American Graffiti*.
That might be a stretch. Or maybe not.

*Breaking Away* was nominated for 5 Oscars and 4 Golden Globes (winning "Best Commedy"). 6 years
earlier, *American Graffiti* was also nominated for 5 Oscars and 4 Golden Globes (also winning "Best
Commedy"). *To Kill A Mockingbird* got a lot more awards.

 

[Brett Jaffee]

Ken <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> *Breaking Away* was nominated for 5 Oscars and 4 Golden Globes (winning "Best Commedy").

It one the Oscar for best screenplay too didn't it?

I only recently started biking, but I was a fan of the movie from when I first saw it in the 70's.
One of the little things I always liked is how there is absolutely no music during the Little 500
bike race - just the sound of the bikes. Then, at the very end of the race, the music suddenly comes
blasting back in. Always thought that was a nice touch.

 

[Thomas Reynolds]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> 02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
> "Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who normal like football or track.
>
> .....
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

I must be the only cyclist in the world who hasn't seen that movie.

It is playing again on AMC tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9:30 A.M. I have programmed my VCR to record it.

Tom

 

[Curtis L . Russ]

On 24 Feb 2004 09:13:41 -0800, [email protected] (Thomas Reynolds)
wrote:

>I must be the only cyclist in the world who hasn't seen that movie.

No. Well, OK, sure, if you mean the only cyclist over the age of 18...

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on two wheels...

 

[Badger_South]

On 24 Feb 2004 09:13:41 -0800, [email protected] (Thomas Reynolds)
wrote:

>"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:<[email protected]>...
>> 02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
>> "Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who normal like football or track.
>>
>> .....
>>
>> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>I must be the only cyclist in the world who hasn't seen that movie.
>
>It is playing again on AMC tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9:30 A.M. I have programmed my VCR to record it.
>
>Tom

Yeah, but is it the wide screen version? <grin>

(it might be, AMC is good about that)

Get the DVD, mang, it's worth it, is all I'm sayin'...

-B

 

[David Kerber]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > 02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
> > "Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who normal like football or track.
> >
> > .....
> >
> > --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
> I must be the only cyclist in the world who hasn't seen that movie.

No, you're not; I haven't seen it either.

....

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the newsgroups if possible).

 

[Luigi de Guzman]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 12:54:08 -0500, David Kerber
<ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>> "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:<[email protected]>...
>> > 02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
>> > "Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who normal like football or track.
>> >
>> > .....
>> >
>> > --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>>
>> I must be the only cyclist in the world who hasn't seen that movie.
>
>No, you're not; I haven't seen it either.

It must be a racer thing.

-Luigi

 

[Karen M.]

Mike wrote:
> 02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
> "Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who took to bicycling, got me thinking that
> somebody had been following me around with a camera a couple years earlier ... ...If you
> need help remembering the film, you can check out some of the more memorable lines on this
> page- http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0078902/quotes...

Any midi files of that great Rossini music? I remember doing club rides (or any ride with more
than one bike) and someone would start up with "The Barber of Seville" or "The Thieving Magpie."
And anyone who's reading the and has seen the film just started humming one of those two pieces.
--Karen M.

 

[Badger_South]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 12:54:08 -0500, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net>
wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>> "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:<[email protected]>...
>> > 02/22/04- TWENTY FIVE YEARS. It seems so long ago, and yet so recent. Twenty five years ago
>> > "Breaking Away", a movie about a confused teen who normal like football or track.
>> >
>> > .....
>> >
>> > --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>>
>> I must be the only cyclist in the world who hasn't seen that movie.
>
>No, you're not; I haven't seen it either.

The thing is, it's more about growing up, and it's very character-driven and -funny-. To a biker,
it's a scream in some places and will give you freakin' chills in others. There's some high drama
and some low drama, and even some near-situation comedy (at it's best). Plus, beautiful photography.

I dare anyone to watch it and not jump up and scream at the Italians at a couple places. You'll be
gettin' chills fer sure if you've never seen it.

They need to restore it or whatever and pump up the sound track (not change, but you now add dolby
or whatever they do to clean it up and make surround sound, etc.) and re-issue it in the theatres.

I'm telling ya' it would be a Blockbuster, even if only cyclists went to
it. There a zillion of 'em. (right???)

Anyway, get the DVD, hijack a friend with a big screen and go wild.

-B