Overview
A coming-of-age tale that captures the struggles of youth and class conflict in a small town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- sincere
- lazy sunday
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a touching, funny, lucid, and unusually satisfying coming-of-age sports drama elevated by its performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The cutter families’ quarry heritage contrasts with the privileged Indiana University students, while Dave and his friends struggle to define their own futures.
Dave pretends to be Italian and calls himself Enrico Gismondi while courting Katherine Bennett.
Dave’s intense devotion to Italian cycling and the Little 500 gradually forces him to reconsider what he wants from adult life.
The bicycle racing plot is organized around Dave’s friendships, family tensions, class resentment, and uncertain identity.
Films like Breaking Away, and why
The Last Picture Show
warm coming-of-age drama centered on friendship, class tension, and youthful uncertainty
Hoosiers
uplifting coming-of-age sports story about working-class young people finding purpose
Diner
funny, tender ensemble portrait of teenage friendship and transition into adulthood
American Graffiti
character-driven youth drama combining outsider identity, friendship, and social class
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Yates
- Release Date
- 1979-05-24
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (308)
Cast
- Dennis Christopher
- Dennis Quaid
- Daniel Stern
- Jackie Earle Haley
- Barbara Barrie
- Paul Dooley
- Robyn Douglass
- Hart Bochner
- Amy Wright
- Peter Maloney
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Breaking Away about?
- A restless Bloomington cyclist and his working-class friends discover that growing up means turning youthful obsession into an authentic sense of purpose.
- What is Breaking Away like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Breaking Away as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Breaking Away violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Breaking Away.
- What did critics think of Breaking Away?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a touching, funny, lucid, and unusually satisfying coming-of-age sports drama elevated by its performances.
- Which films are like Breaking Away?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Picture Show, Hoosiers, Diner, and American Graffiti.
- How long is Breaking Away?
- Breaking Away runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Breaking Away?
- In United States, Breaking Away is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
