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      Challenge of a Lifetime

      1985 1h 37m Comedy Drama List
      Reviews Out-of-shape divorcee Nora Schoonover (Penny Marshall) swims, bikes and runs her way to the Hawaiian Ironman triathlon. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Jeff M his TV movie starts our really, really rough with over-exaggerated characters and amateurish dialogue and attempts at sarcastic humor that fall flat and feel overwritten. (Although credit to screenwriter Peachy Markowitz for having the best name of all time.) In fact, I'd say the first half of this fails. The start of Marshall and Gilliland's relationship is so far-fetched (he falls in love with her after being asked to flush her dead goldfish down the toilet) that it takes us almost the whole film to accept them as a couple. Silverman feels like a poor man's Matthew Broderick, and I didn't buy him as Marshall's son. The movie finally starts coming to life when it concentrates more and more on Marshall's training and the triathlon itself. Marshall was never a capital-G Great actress, but it's easy to forget that she was a likable screen presence, and once we get past the underwhelming first act of this film, we get to care about her Nora Schoonover thanks to Marshall's charisma. In fact, she starts to bring out the best in all the actors surrounding her. At the end, I had a lump in my throat. There are a number of 1970s-1980s athletes who pop up throughout, and it's fun spotting them and trying to remember their names. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Audience Member very inspirational movie, fun to watch Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Challenge of a Lifetime

      Challenge of a Lifetime (1985) Challenge of a Lifetime (1985) View more photos

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Out-of-shape divorcee Nora Schoonover (Penny Marshall) swims, bikes and runs her way to the Hawaiian Ironman triathlon.
      Director
      Russ Mayberry
      Producer
      Robert Greenwald
      Screenwriter
      Sally Robinson
      Genre
      Comedy, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Dec 5, 2019
      Runtime
      1h 37m