MAGNET contributing writer Jud Cost is sharing some of the wealth of classic films he’s been lucky enough to see over the past 40 years. Trolling the backwaters of cinema, he has worked up a list of more than 100 titles—from the ’20s through the ’80s—that you may have missed. A new selection, all currently available on DVD, appears every week.
Breaking Away (1979, 101 minutes)
Set three decades after Hoosiers captured Indiana high-school basketball in 1951, Breaking Away portrays four restless 19-year-old pals from Bloomington, home of Indiana University. Dave (Dennis Christopher), Mike (Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Daniel Stern) and Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) have quit their jobs at the local A&P grocery store and are feeling the noose of adulthood tightening around their necks. Even though most of the local stone quarries were shut down long ago, the local kids are called “cutters” and sneered at by certain IU students.
“Are you really gonna shave your legs?” Cyril asks Dave as the foursome strolls over the hills to their favorite hangout spot, an overgrown quarry pool, surrounded by mammoth cut stones. “Certo, all the Italians do it,” replies Dave, a bicycle-racing fanatic who worships all things Italian, especially their racing team. “Some country,” smirks Mike. “The women don’t shave theirs.”
Three of the four dive into the pond from the towering stones. “C’mon in, Dave,” urges Moocher. “Nah, I read where this Italian coach said it’s not good to swim right after a race,” says Dave, fresh from victory in a local bike sprint. “Who’s swimming? I’m taking a leak,” says Cyril as the others paddle away quickly. “Ciao, bambini,” shouts Dave at a pair of moppets playing on the sidewalk, as he peddles home with a trophy strapped to his handlebars. “He was as normal as punkin pie, and look at him now,” clucks an old lady on the porch.
Dave’s dad (Paul Dooley) isn’t too impressed with his son’s Italian jag, either, as he swats flies in the kitchen. “It’s that damned ‘Itey’ cologne he wears,” he complains. “It’s called Neapolitan Sunset,” says Dave’s mom (Barbara Barrie). “Well, the flies seem to like it,” says dad. “Buon giorno, papa!” says Dave, bursting into the room with his trophy. “I’m not ‘papa.’ I’m your father,” complains dad. “The victory, she was easy. The promoter says the Italians will be here soon. I will race with the best of them,” says Dave in “broken” English. “I’m 50, and I’ve never won a trophy,” say dad, eyeing the hardware. “I give you this one. You are numero uno, king papa,” says Dave, kissing his old man on the cheek. “Don’t do that!” barks dad.
As Dave lounges under a tree on the Indiana campus, a beautiful coed zipping away on an Italian motor-scooter accidentally drops a spiral notebook in the road. Dave scoops up the notepad and follows her on his racing bike. Still in character, he speaks with the best Mediterranean accent he can muster: “Signorina, this is yours, no?” “You are an exchange student?” asks Katherine (Robyn Douglass). Dave thinks for a moment, then dives right in. “Si, I am Enrico Gimondi,” he replies, flashing his warmest Italian smile.
