Since its release in 1979, “Breaking Away,” directed by Peter Yates, has been known as the one and only Little 500 movie. While Yates’ film is about the IU bicycle race, I would say it’s also about honoring Bloomington more than people might think.
The movie is centered around four boys from Bloomington, Indiana: Dave (portrayed by Dennis Christopher), Mike (Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Daniel Stern) and Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley). While each of the boys have some of their own individual storylines, the main character in the film is definitely Dave. It’s established pretty early on that he is viewed as an outsider by Bloomington residents. The bicycle obsessed teen has dreams of racing with the Italians and he doesn’t really fit in.
This dream causes a divide between Dave and his parents. Evelyn (Barbara Barrie) and Ray (Paul Dooley) don’t understand their son, and while Evelyn tries to share Dave’s interests, Ray mostly resorts to anger, resulting in a wider rift between him and Dave.
The relationship between Dave and his parents was one of the most compelling parts of the film to me. While the “parents that don’t understand their child” trope is one of the more common dynamics seen in coming-of-age films, “Breaking Away” goes about it in a great way. It’s not just a series of scenes where Ray yells at Dave, you get to see where Ray is coming from and see how Dave handles the lack of support from his own father.
The two do have a happy outcome by the end of the movie but it’s also not this perfect moment where Ray just magically understands his son. By the end of the movie, they still have room to grow in their relationship which allows for something beautifully realistic.
At its core, “Breaking Away” is a love letter to Bloomington and the people that live there. The movie primarily highlights the town and while IU plays a big role in it, the film is not all about the university that Bloomington is often recognized with.
Dave and his friends, known as the team, “Cutters,” which refers to the Bloomington townies who cut limestone in the local quarries, are looked down upon by the rich, privileged students at IU. This is where the Little 500 race plays a big part in the movie. Though there are other teams competing, it becomes very obvious to the viewer that the real race is between the Cutters and a group of IU students led by one of the film's antagonists, Rod (Hart Bochner).
The Little 500, which began in 1951, had been going on for nearly 30 years when Yates’ film came out. During these biking portions you really get a sense of the dedication Dave has to the sport. It’s not just him as an individual though, during the actual race you see a great portrayal of the teamwork that goes into the Little 500 Race as well. It feels like you’re getting a behind the scenes look of the biking world.
This underdog story is one that you can really get wrapped up in. You want to root for these guys. You want to see them succeed. And even though it’s been nearly 50 years since its release, “Breaking Away” continues to do a great job at showing the beauty and community that Bloomington has to offer.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's Source print publication March 3, 2025.
