Movie #69 - Without Limits

"Pre - The way he competed...The way he lives his life."

Surprisingly, I am quite entertained by this film. Not because its a 70's time piece or because its a movie starring every one's favourite movie villain, Donald Sutherland, but because watching a compelling story about an athletic legend in terms of distance running was a treat.

Don't get me wrong, I am usually biased against anything affiliated with Tom Cruise (producer), but I was impressed by the overall cast of this biopic. Donald Sutherland gives the cast instant credibility, and is not a villain in this film as some might think. Monica Potter is once again cast in another time piece - seek out Patch Adams and you'll see a very similar performance, and pretty much the same set and costumes.

The real star of the show is the performance of then-unknown actor Billy Crudup. Not only does Crudup capture the essence of Prefontaine, but he conveys the true power inside the real Prefontaine from his rendition on screen. I don't know if Cruise intended to star in this film himself back in 1998, but Cruise and Crudup look very similar in stature and appearance. What's funny is that they appear together in MI:3, guess that's equivalent to coming full circle.

In the end, the movie plays out like every "true" story - you cannot change the ending... which is what makes it compelling. I like movies based on true events, but full adaptations usually turn out better since the events being portrayed actually happened... although glamourized, it is better than any script out there. Check out Pursuit of Happiness and you'll understand what I mean.