Breaking Away
Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his three friends: the comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one day, and even takes up the Italian culture, much to his friends' and parents' annoyance.
Critics Sentiment
Dave wins race and meets French exchange student
Italian cycling team forces Dave to crash
The biggest shift occurs when Dave's Italian heroes crush his dreams by forcing him to crash, dropping from his peak excitement at their arrival to devastating disillusionment.
Breaking Away follows a classic underdog sports arc but elevates itself through authentic character work and Dennis Christopher's charming performance. While critics found the plot predictable, they consistently praised the genuine relationships, particularly between Dave and his father, and the film's ability to capture the uncertainty of post-graduation life. The sentiment builds steadily toward a crowd-pleasing finale that had audiences cheering despite knowing where the story was headed.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 42
Dennis Christopher
Dave Stoller
Dennis Quaid
Mike
Daniel Stern
Cyril
Jackie Earle Haley
Moocher
Barbara Barrie
Evelyn Stoller
Paul Dooley
Ray Stoller
Robyn Douglass
Katherine
Hart Bochner
Rod
Amy Wright
Nancy
Peter Maloney
Doctor
John Ashton
Mike's Brother
Lisa Shure
French Girl
Jennifer K. Mickel
Girl
P. J. Soles
Suzy
David K. Blase
500 Race Announcer
William S. Armstrong
500 Race Official
Howard S. Wilcox
500 Race Official
J.F. Brière
Mr. York
Carlos Sintes
Italian Rider
Eddy Van Guyse
Italian Rider
Crew
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