Breaking Away (1979)

Breaking Away is a 1979 American coming of age comedy-drama film that follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. It stars Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie, and Paul Dooley. The film was written by Steve Tesich and directed by Peter Yates. It was shot in and around Bloomington and on the university's campus. Breaking Away won the 1979 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Tesich, and received nominations in four other categories. It also won the 1979 Golden Globe Award for Best Film, and received nominations in three other Golden Globe categories. As the film's young lead, Christopher won the 1979 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer and the 1979 Young Artist Award for Best Juvenile Actor, as well as garnering a Golden Globe nomination as New Star of the Year. The film is ranked eighth on the List of America's 100 Most Inspiring Movies compiled by the American Film Institute in 2006. In June 2008, AFI announced its "Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten classic American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community.