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Breaking Away

1979 film by Peter Yates

Breaking Away is a 1979 film about a small-town teen obsessed with the Italian cycling team who vies for the affections of a college girl. He and his friends enter a bicycle relay race against intramural college teams.

Directed by Peter Yates. Written by Steve Tesich.
Somewhere between growing up and settling down... taglines

Raymond Stoller

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  • No, I don't feel lucky to be alive! I feel lucky I'm not dead. There's a difference.
  • [to Dave] What's the matter? What are you cryin' for? I think you lost your wallet or something. I didn't want you to be this miserable. A little bit's all I asked for.
  • I was proud of my work. And the buildings went up. When they were finished the damnedest thing happened. It was like the buildings were too good for us. Nobody told us that. It just felt uncomfortable, that's all.

Cyril

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  • I was sure I was going to get that scholarship. My dad of course was sure I wasn't. When I didn't, he was real understanding, you know. He loves to do that. He loves to be understanding when I fail.

Mike

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  • You know, I used to think I was a really great quarterback in high school. Still think so, too. Can't even bring myself to light a cigarette 'cause I keep thinkin' I gotta stay in shape. You know what really gets me, though? I mean, here I am, I gotta live in this stinkin' town, and I gotta read in the newspapers about some hot-shot kid, new star of the college team. Every year, it's gonna be a new one. Every year it's never gonna be me. I'm just gonna be Mike. Twenty year-old Mike. Thirty year-old Mike. Old, mean old man Mike. These college kids out here - they're never gonna get old or out of shape 'cause new ones come along every year. And they're gonna keep calling us 'Cutters'. To them, it's just a dirty word. To me, it's just somethin' else I never got a chance to be.

Dialogue

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Raymond: What is this?
Evelyn: It's sauteed zucchini.
Raymond: It's I-ty food. I don't want no I-ty food.
Evelyn: It's not. I got it at the A&P. It's like... squash.
Raymond: I know I-ty food when I hear it! It's all them "eenie" foods... zucchini... and linguine... and fettuccine. I want some American food, dammit! I want French Fries!
Evelyn: [to the cat] Oh, get off the table, Fellini!
Raymond: Hey, that's my cat! His name's Jake, not Fellini! I won't have any "eenie" in this house! [to the cat] Your name's Jake, you understand?
Raymond: [about Dave] He's never tired. He's never miserable.
Evelyn: He's young.
Raymond: When I was young I was tired and miserable.
Raymond: [about Dave] What are we gonna do about him?
Evelyn: I don't know dear. We could always strangle him while he's asleep.
Raymond: What is this?
Evelyn: It's sauteed zucchini.
Raymond: It's I-tey food. I don't want no I-tey food.
Evelyn: It's not. I got it at the A&P. It's like... squash.
Raymond: I know I-tey food when I hear it! It's all them "eenie" foods... zucchini... and linguine... and fettuccine. I want some American food, damn it! I want French fries!
Dave: Moocher, you're Catholic, right?
Moocher: Yeah.
Dave: Did you ever go to confession?
Moocher: Twice.
Dave: Did it make you feel better?
Moocher: Once.
Raymond: You guys still go swimmin' in the quarries?
Dave: Sure.
Raymond: So, the only thing you got to show for my 20 years of work is the holes we left behind?
Raymond: If you eat so much, Moocher, how come you're so damned small?
Moocher: Oh... It's my metabolism. I eat 3 times a day and my metabolism eats 5 times a day.
Dave: You mean we might be a father?
Raymond: No. I might be a father. And your mom might be a mother. And YOU might be a brother. See, that way I keep it all in the family.
Moocher: Wow! Hey, I didn't think people your age...
Raymond: The next word may be your last, kid!
Dave: Hi, Kathy.
Katherine: [not realizing that Dave's not really the Italian guy he made himself out to be] Oh, God, what did you do to yourself?
Dave: I just, uh...
Katherine: Oh, I liked you better before. Oh, what happened to your cornicello?
Katherine: [Dave remains silent] Now you look like everybody else.
Dave: I am everybody else.
Mike: [after discovering that the college kids beat Cyril up] They want a fight, we'll give 'em a fight.
Cyril: We rednecks are few... college paleface students are many. I counsel peace.
Mike: The only thing I'm afraid of is wastin' the rest of my life with you guys!
Cyril: I thought that was the whole plan. That we were going to waste the rest of our lives together.
Dave: Everybody cheats. I just didn't know.
Raymond: Well, now you know.
Dave: Hell, I don't want to go to college Dad. To hell with them. I'm proud of being a cutter.
Raymond: You're not a cutter. I'm a cutter.

Taglines

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  • Somewhere between growing up and settling down...
  • The movie that tells you exactly what you can do with your high school diploma!

Cast

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