4 Minute Mile (2014)

4 Minute Mile is a plodding unoriginal drama although it does make a reference to The Karate Kid at one point.Drew (Kelly Blatz) is the headstrong teenager who is a good sprinter. His father died when he was a kid, his older brother is mixing with drug dealers and gets Drew to do some literal running for him and his glamorous mother (Kim Basinger) seems not to care that her sons could be descending down the crime ladder.Drew comes to attention of an alcoholic, loner coach Coleman (Richard Jenkins) who suggests he moves up to running the mile and gets Drew involved in a tough training regime which also involves sanding a boat, pushing a tyre underwater and sometimes coming out with sage like advice which Drew listens to or ignores depending on his mood.Their is a potential love interest for Drew but a heavy cloud hangs over his brother and his fractious relationship with the drug dealers which you will guess will play a pivotal role in the final act.This really is a trite film lacking any resonance, it looks cheap and features a bland performance by Blatz, an excellent performance by Jenkins and a minor appearance by Basinger.

At many a time throughout the film, the storyline seemed like another cliché of a sports film about a talented kid from a rough background being trained by an old grumpy harsh coach trying to relive his prior glory days. This was true in a sense, but was pulled off well enough to cover that up. The director and cast were descent for being not very well known. They did a good job in making the situations realistic showing how Drew (our main character) was torn between his loyalties and stuck in his predicament. He was faithful to his brother yet at the same time was used, abused, and put into dangerous situations by his illegal and harmful practices. Thinking that running track could take him to college and a better life, he is mentored by an old coach and neighbor who pushes him to his limits through unusual training methods and teaches him life lessons along the way. Just when you think this couldn't get any more typical, the plot takes an unexpected twist in a Gran Torino Sort of way.I didn't quite like the high school romance that they threw in there with much of it seeming out of place and corny. While the story was inspiring, I thought that the attempted climax of those feelings failed to get the desired effect. The most touching moment of the film, where Drew breaks through his inner barriers and mentally pushes past the problems in his life, came across as cheesy with too much crying for my taste. The actual physical running and form in the film looked believable and accurate (unlike some sports films I have seen) which always makes it more watchable for people who have been involved in running.As an avid runner I like the idea of this being brought to audiences not familiar with the sport of track. It shows them that there is more to running than just running like Drew learns in the film from Coach Colman.6.5/10

We were able to watch this movie on Netflix streaming. From the brief description I figured I would like, and I found it to be even better than my expectations.Set and filmed in the Seattle Washington area, it features a high school boy who has always been fast, and wants to be the fastest 400M runner on his team. But he has issues, mostly stemming from an abusive and no good older brother. When he has issues with the track coach he drops off the team. But someone tells him of an older coach that may be able to help him.The older coach uses unusual methods, seemingly unrelated to running fast. It turns out he is testing the boy, to see if he has the patience and the guts to take instruction and give it his all. They even use the old "wax on, wax off' reference. And, the old coach wants him to run the mile, not the 400 meters.The boy is Kelly Blatz, about 26, who plays Drew Jacobs. Blatz was an all-star high school athlete and looks very comfortable in his role as a runner. The old coach is Richard Jenkins who once again takes a generic role and makes it special. Also good is Analeigh Tipton as Lisa, also a runner and with eyes for Drew.As the story unfolds it is made clear several times that what they are doing isn't so much about winning races on the track but clearing out your inner demons so that you can accomplish what you want. A very special small film, never dull and always enjoyable, and with a few surprises.SPOILERS: Drew's brother is getting drugs from some thugs, and Drew is expected to carry drugs and money back and forth by running with a shoulder bag. There is a showdown of sorts at Drew's home, the old coach sees it and calls cops, but he is accidentally shot and dies. The brother and other thugs end up in prison, and even though Drew had not won the regional mile race to go to state finals, on his own he ran his mile in 3:57 as we see in parallel the state championship race won in 4:03. And as the movie ends we get a short feel-good scene of one year later and Drew is lining up at the start of a college race.

This film tells the story of a young man who takes up running as a way to get a college scholarship, so he can leave the undesirable social situation he is in.The story of him forming a bond with a older coach, striving to win could have been touching, but "4 Minute Mile" doesn't achieve the emotional intensity that I hoped for. Mostly it's too do with the ineffective delivery of the plot. I watched the first ten minutes three times but I was still not entirely sure who was who. In addition, how the young man and the coach bond is unconvincing and poorly explained. And I think Cam Gigandet is under utilized in the film. Fortunately Richard Jenkins is there to save the day, but it still doesn't save this film from being rather flat and uninteresting.