Breaking Away
Short description
Breaking Away is set in Bloomington, Indiana, where four young men from working-class families have just finished high school and are drifting through the summer before adulthood. Dave, Cyril, Moocher and Mike spend their days swimming in an abandoned quarry, getting into fights and chasing girls, uncertain about what comes next. Dave is the odd one out: he is obsessed with cycling and with Italy, adopting Italian habits and language, which irritates his friends and his parents. His ambition to race against Italian riders leads him into a contest that brings him up against wealthier college students, testing both his friendship with the others and his own sense of who he is.
Peter Yates directed and produced the film, working from a screenplay by Steve Tesich. It was Yates's seventh feature as director, coming between The Deep and Eyewitness. The cast includes Dennis Christopher as Dave, Dennis Quaid as Mike, Daniel Stern as Cyril, Jackie Earle Haley as Moocher, and Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley as Dave's parents, with forty-two credited performers in all.
Made for about two million dollars and released in May 1979, the film returned roughly sixteen million worldwide, a strong result relative to its cost. On IMDb it holds 7.7 out of 10 from around twenty-seven thousand votes, and on TMDB 7.2 from over three hundred. A critics' rating of 8.3 from forty-two reviews places it above both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The character of Dave Stoller, played by Dennis Christopher, is based on David K. Blazey, who loved everything Italian and once led his team to victory in the 'Little 500' bicycle race. Blazey played an episodic role as a commentator in the film.
- Initially, director Peter Yates (1929-2011) was promised 20,000 student actors for the filming of the final bicycle race. Only 3,000 students showed up on set, forcing Peter Yates to make changes to the shooting schedule.
- When Dave confesses to Katherine that he is a local, not Italian, she turns to leave, then turns back and slaps him. According to director Peter Yates, the actress did not hold back and hit him full force. Six takes of this scene were filmed.
- P.J. Soles, who is fluent in French, initially auditioned for the role of a French woman. She arrived at the audition wearing a black wig and speaking with a French accent. The role had already been cast by that point, and P.J. Soles received the role of Susie. Later, she wore the same black wig in Howard Zieff’s comedy 'Private Benjamin' (1980).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
