Breaking Away

Play trailer

Breaking Away

PG

1979

1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Dave (Dennis Christopher) and his working-class friends Cyril (Daniel Stern), Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) and Mike (Dennis Quaid) spend their post-high school days in Bloomington, Indiana, sparring with snooty students from the local university, chasing girls and--in Dave's case--dreaming of competitive bicycle racing. The four friends face opposition from all corners as they decide to make Dave's dreams come true in the university's annual bicycle endurance race.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

At once a touching, funny coming-of-age story and a compelling sports film, Breaking Away is a delightful treat.

Read Critics Reviews

Linda Holmes

NPR

03/14/2021

It's very, very much worth seeing.

Go to Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

03/14/2021

4/4

I seriously can't imagine anyone not liking it.

Go to Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

08/03/2008

There are a few moments when the picture's easygoing pace turns into wobbliness, but these are insignificant compared with its many moments of shrewd insight into the lives of amusingly shaded but very recognizable human beings.

Go to Full Review

Phoenix Staff

Boston Phoenix

09/23/2024

3/4

A commercial American movie with a real feeling for its Midwestern locale, and an unsentimental generosity towards its characters.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

10/11/2021

3.5/4

A textbook definition of a sleeper hit.

Go to Full Review

Rob Hunter

Film School Rejects

03/14/2021

Part coming of age comedy, part underdog sports tale, and part glimpse into small-town America, the film is an effortless joy as it explores a tight friendship approaching the inevitable.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

thiago S

@Thiagostone Jun 11

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Les N

@Vegas628 Oct 30

Watched it again after 50 years and it is still magnificent!

See more

Albert S

@RT70602514 09/02/2025

An absolute gem. Feels like a movie that had no clue how good and timeless it was going to be… dunno. So good.

See more

Ethan S

@RT81945943 08/24/2025

One of the all-time great sports movies. And it's about... cycling?! So so good.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 07/07/2025

Funny in 1 hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

Christian S

@Cstein99 04/12/2025

This movie is a classic that entertains today as much as it did when released! Not much are better than this. Writing, cast and acting top notch. Caio!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Peter Yates

Director

Dennis Christopher

Dave Stoller

Dennis Quaid

Mike

Daniel Stern

Cyril

Jackie Earle Haley

Moocher

Barbara Barrie

Evelyn Stoller

The Paper Chase

78%

72%

The Paper Chase

Watchlist

Claudine

67%

91%

Claudine

Watchlist

Little Murders

71%

80%

Little Murders

Watchlist

That Thing You Do!

93%

78%

That Thing You Do!

Watchlist

More American Graffiti

27%

33%

More American Graffiti

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Dave (Dennis Christopher) and his working-class friends Cyril (Daniel Stern), Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) and Mike (Dennis Quaid) spend their post-high school days in Bloomington, Indiana, sparring with snooty students from the local university, chasing girls and--in Dave's case--dreaming of competitive bicycle racing. The four friends face opposition from all corners as they decide to make Dave's dreams come true in the university's annual bicycle endurance race.

Director: Peter Yates
Producer: Peter Yates
Screenwriter: Steve Tesich
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 18, 1979, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Runtime: 1h 40m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings