The Long Run

In a kind of African-American Chariots of Fire, Armin Mueller-Stahl turns in another seemingly effortless performance as a German émigré living in Pretoria, South Africa, who coaches aspiring marathon runners. Having taken an interest in a young and independent-minded black woman with raw but underdeveloped ability, he persuades her to agree to a rigorous, year-long training regimen to prepare for the “toughest race in the world.” Although quite obvious in its plot route and sentimental aspirations, this unabashedly inspirational story does at least manage to avoid an interracial, May-December romance--at least in the conventional sense. A strong optional purchase. (T. Rich)