Prefontaine (1997)

I am goofy for any sports movie, so I don't tend to go out looking for one to watch, otherwise it is just not a special experience. After spending a whole day sleeping through the arduous process of not getting into a trial jury, I stumbled out into the streets of downtown Portland, Ore. only to stumble onto the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. They were offering free ice cream and admission only $4. We were let out of jury duty early, so what the heck, I went for it.A sizable percentage of the hall of fame focuses on Steve Prefontaine and his achievements. I knew the name, but not the whole story. I found his story very compelling. A few hours and a few blocks later, I walked by the "Duck Shop" (Univ. of Oregon Ducks) which had the two Pre movies for sale. I have never had any interest in this store before, but now I knew I had to get my Pre movies.I watched this one (Prefontaine) first. It was surreal to ingest so much of Steve Prefontaine's life in one afternoon. I never did drugs of any kind, but the movie made me high on inspiration. I am a sports guy (aspiring 47 year old speed skater), so this movie had a lot of impact on me. I will soon share the experience with my bro-in-law who is a marathoner. I hope to snag him and others to go back with me to the little known Oregon Sports Hall of Fame to repeat the experience. We will follow that up with the two movies. I expect I personally will see the movie and visit the museum time and time again.This is a great movie. I would consider it a sports classic. I highly recommend it. Steve may not be too well known outside the running world and Oregon, but here in Oregon it is a different thing. So maybe you should come here awhile first before watching the movie. (I say that, not being a native). For sure, catch the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in downtown Portland across from the courthouse and park. (Hey, I feel sorry for them, the clerk told me I was the 2nd guy to come in in two whole weeks! But I will go back not out of sympathy, but because it's a great way to learn sports history and get souped up for Prefontaine).BTW, my sports fav's are too numerous to mention, but off the top of my head... Shaolin Soccer, Chariots of Fire, For Love of the Game, every football game of the last 10 years (even though I really don't like football very much), the old B&W flick about the Harlem Globetrotters. I proudly add Prefontaine to my fav's list.As he is known to have said, "To give less than your best is to give away the gift" (posted outside the Hall of Fame).

I had never heard of Steve Prefontaine before I learned that they were making a movie about him, even though he was from Oregon. When I finally saw the movie, I figured that I would just have to accept what the movie showed. "Prefontaine" mostly does a good job, although it goes a little overboard in focusing on how the assassinations at the 1972 Olympics affected him personally. Also, I would have liked to have learned maybe a little more about his childhood.So, although we may not be certain about how accurate the movie is, it's an interesting look at the athletic world in the early '70s. Also starring Ed O'Neill and R. Lee Ermey.

As a huge armchair sportsfan I was keen to see this when BBC 2 showed it in the UK. This was a story of a man fighting against almost impossible odds, the underfunding of the USA team, his slightly imperfect physique, and everyone telling him he was not good enough to win. But here was a man prepared to fight all of this and be a winner. After an unlucky fourth in the Munich Olympics he made his comeback and everything looked set for a rematch with Viren at Montreal. Tragically he died in a car accident before Montreal could take place. Years later it emerged that the Finland team which Viren represented were blood-doping at this time so who knows what the result would have been on a level playing field. What Prefontaine did achieve was to show how poorly amateur athletes were treated in those days and hopefully this no longer happens. Despite being British I found this film wonderfully moving and had tears rolling down my cheeks at the end. A film of bravery, courage and above all determination .... Bravo, a great film about an even greater man.

Steve Prefontaine was America's best long distance runner ever. This movie shows how you can achieve your dreams and that anything is possible. Prefontaine is filled with great action, that is if you actually enjoy watching someone run on the TV. After watching this movie you will feel like going outside and running a five kilometer. This is one of the best movies ever made in my opinion.