Personal Best (1982, Robert Towne)

Intelligent drama, superbly put together by acclaimed writer Robert Towne, who made his directorial debut with this movie. This incisive character study tells the story of two female athletes who develop a romantic attachment while they train for the 1980 Olympic competition in Eugene, Oregon. It is a terrific, up close and personal, exploration of the life of two athletes; the physical and mental preparation that their life styles require them to endure. Towne’s matter-of-fact approach to homosexuality is refreshing. Throughout the film, people learn and grow and the viewer benefits from the lessons learned by the characters. Mariel Hemingway (she is totally believable as an athlete) and Patrice Donnelly (a real-life athlete) are superb, and I liked Scott Glenn’s performance as the two girls’ manipulative coach. The excellent work of cameraman Michael Chapman and the editing team is very obvious during the race scenes. It’s an unusually mature film for an open-minded audience.

~ by gelpi2008 on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.