Marking Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne's first effort as director, this splendidly realized drama tells the story of two female athletes who develop a romantic relationship while competing for positions on the 1980 U.S. Olympics team. Towne, who also wrote the screenplay, spent time with athletes while researching the film, and ultimately cast Patrice Donnelly (a young pentathlete hired as the film's technical advisor) in one of the key roles. Revisited a quarter-century later, Personal Best holds up extremely well, and the same-sex content that generated heated controversy during the original 1982 theatrical release today seems almost quaint, given the explicit and often exploitative nature of similar material in later movies. Mariel Hemingway is exceptionally good as Chris Cahill, the driven young track star whose romantic dalliances with competitor Tory Skinner (Donnelly) and champion swimmer Denny Stites (Kenny Moore) threaten to undermine her training. Towne elicits natural, spontaneous performances from his principals, who play characters that aren't stock dramatic “types,” but rather people whose interactions—including the sexual—are honestly portrayed. At the same time, Towne is careful not to shortchange the drama inherent in sporting events, skillfully capturing both the passion and the effort that defines Olympic-level competition. DVD extras include an audio commentary track with Towne, Moore, and costar Scott Glenn. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
Personal Best
Warner, 128 min., R, DVD: $19.98 Volume 23, Issue 3
Personal Best
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