Breaking Away

 Breaking Away tells the story of Dave Stoller and his three best friends while they find their way out of adolescence into adulthood. Without the guarantee of a college degree or a steady job, these young men feel lost in a new world that they increasingly see as being divided between the haves and the have nots. Dave, Mike, Cyril, and Moocher were all raised by working class families in a small town in Indiana, also home to the state university. Abandoned limestone quarries once worked by the town’s residents – known as “cutters” – surround the town, serving as a reminder of lost industry and tragic irony. Dave and his friends reflect a sentiment shared by the people of the town that the university’s students, who are generally wealthier, are in effect cultural trespassers. This sentiment provides a societal conflict between the cutters and the university students that culminates in the ending bicycle race showing that four lost young men can achieve the seemingly impossible. This film ultimately explores some fundamental human ideas such as overcoming near impossible odds, class struggle, and the relationship between father and son.

            Dave, Mike, Cyril, and Moocher are all “in eminent danger of turning 20” and growing up after graduating high school. These friends share a common concern that they will become screw-ups and will waste away their lives. Mike, the former star quarterback resents the university students for having the opportunity to make it to the pros. Without a scholarship, Cyril can’t afford college. Moocher debates whether or not he should marry his girlfriend at such a young age. Dave on the other hand has a dream of becoming a world-class cyclist and has a romantic interest, however he hides behind an Italian mask to escape reality. Each young man in this group of friends has an equally important and deep internal conflict that allows the film to explore realms of thought that often go forgotten.

            Dave, an ardent bicyclist, who shows quite a bit of talent, idolizes the Italian cycling team so much so that he wholeheartedly embraces Italian culture, much to the annoyance of his friends and family. Dave escapes the reality of his life by playing out an Italian fantasy. He embraces Italian culture so entirely that it edges on obsession at points. Feeling ashamed of his working class background, he pretends to be an Italian foreign exchange student to win the love of a girl attending the university. Dave’s escapist approach to life comes crashing down when his idols come to town for a racing event in which they force him to crash after being annoyed that he could keep up with them. This stark realization that his idols are not in fact as perfect as he imagined left Dave disillusioned and depressed, forcing him to finally evaluate his actual life. With the help of his parents and friends, Dave pushed through and regained his drive much like any other developing adult who relies on a support network.

With the presence of the wealthier university students, it causes Dave, his friends, and the entire town, who come from lower classes, to question their self-worth. The very limestone quarries worked by prior generations like Dave’s dad led to the construction of the university’s campus. So in effect, the university was built by the hands of cutters. This is a tragic irony; with the miners feeling as if the university they built is too good for them and intended only for the rich. Dave and his friends reflect the sentiment held by the miners, as they feel a certain level of resentment towards the students who will seemingly have it all.

Dave, once again with the help of his friends triumphed over the university students in the final race, coming in a near and exciting first, proving that class and material wealth are not as strong as one’s all intense burning desire to prove their worth. The outcome of the race not only proved the self-worth of Dave and his friends but also proved to the townspeople that previously lived in the shadow of the university that they too were worth something.
[Borrow this movie from the Ithaca College Library.]

I think that we, as human beings, can all find a fundamental message in the film that allows us to delve into deep introspective thought about our own lives. Throughout my own life and much more recently, I too have questioned my own self-worth. I feel a deep connection to Dave’s character who, during his moment of doubt and pain after the accident, lost sight of what is truly important in life. I know that I have experienced the same moments of doubt and pain where things that were once important to me suddenly weren’t. Dave’s father, for the most part, hides his true emotions towards his son, but as a loving father who cares deeply for his son, he is ultimately there to support him. This kind of paternal bond is not always shown in many families and I believe I can firmly relate my relationship to my father to Dave’s. It is for the above stated reasons that this movie is universal and appeals to a level of emotion that is deeply complicated and sometimes perplexing.