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Downhill Racer

Play trailer 2:37 Poster for Downhill Racer PG 1969 1h 42m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A smug and overly self-assured downhill skier, David Chappellet (Robert Redford), joins the American ski team and quickly makes waves with his arrogant behavior and even flashier maneuvers on the slopes, falling into conflict with the team's coach (Gene Hackman). A rivalry also develops between David and Johnny Creech (Jim McMullan), the man who is considered the team's best skier, as both push themselves and each other in a race to the Olympic Games.
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Downhill Racer

Downhill Racer

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Critics Consensus

Downhill Racer plunges the viewer thrillingly into the action of the sport -- and continues to hold the attention as a thoughtful drama.

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Critics Reviews

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TIME Staff TIME Magazine 05/30/2018
A modest effort but a good one. It may be the first film in history that starts at the top, goes steadily downhill, and still stays interesting along the way. Go to Full Review
Chris Nashawaty Entertainment Weekly 05/30/2018
A
One of the great unheralded films of the late '60s. Go to Full Review
Keith Phipps AV Club 05/30/2018
B+
Downhill Racer doesn't always work... As a look at how [Robert] Redford's character and those orbiting him spend their time between runs, however, it's superb. Go to Full Review
Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl Jan 24
7/10
[Downhill Racer] features lots of abrupt cuts spanning big jumps in time and place, with a minimum of connecting material, while interactions among characters are stripped down to their shortest possible length... Go to Full Review
Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 10/20/2020
4/5
Excitingly adept in its presentation of potentially ruinous ambition, Downhill Racer continues to exceed expectations of formula and tone. Go to Full Review
CJ Sheu Review Film Review 07/01/2020
Th[e] astounding ending absolves the film of all its other sins, including a screeching score and choppy scene transitions[.] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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mark g @Mark_Alan_G. Jan 11 What am I missing here? This thing drags like no other "action" film I've seen. Gene Hackman is completely wasted, appearing for about a minute in the first hour. You forget he's in the film. Redford plays a conceited punk that you couldn't care less about. Any strong performances here from supporting cast? Nope, none at all. 85% fresh? Really? Why? Just comes off as lethargic and not well made. See more Steve B Jan 4 Redford at his arguable best. Here he is not the incredibly handsome. charming, lead that he was in all those classics. He is a smug, self-centered athlete who is only concerned about his performance. The downhill racing sequences are the best ever filmed in a major movie. Watch for his response to his hometown girlfriend after their afternoon tryst in a parked car. She lays out her plans and dreams and worries for her future. Tells you all you need to know about this character. See more Matthew D @OceanSage Nov 7 Robert Redford is very handsome and charismatic as this arrogant jerk pro skier. The Swedish actress is beautiful, but a shallow character. The shots of snow, trees, and mountains are lovely, but creative cinematography means nothing when the script is atrocious. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched a movie this slow and plotless. It’s hard to care when you can barely follow anyone’s names or aspirations. Most of the film is shots of each guy trying to ski down this difficult course and crashing. Gene Hackman’s coach is pretty good, but like Redford, they are given nothing to work with here. A totally forgettable film unfortunately. See more Marcus T @MarcusT12 Sep 25 This movie is made in a documentary style, with little drama apart from the skiing scenes and crashes. It keeps it's distance from its characters. Redford does what he can with the script and the direction. The plot is pretty minimal. Camilla Sparv was quite fetching as the love interest, but there again the viewer is kept at a distance from any emotion between them. I saw this when it came out and had a similar feeling about it then. It was amazing to see the equipment and conditions they were racing on. Brought back memories of skiing in the old days. See more Mark B Sep 18 An empty film about and empty person. Yawn. Has a reputation it most certainly does not deserve. A good scipt makes us care about a character and the sport but this film is cryptic, unfinished and as I said empty of all content. Does not touch James Salter's book A Sport and A Pastime. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Sep 16 Success in 1 hour and 42 minutes. All ages admitted. See more Read all reviews
Downhill Racer

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Movie Info

Synopsis A smug and overly self-assured downhill skier, David Chappellet (Robert Redford), joins the American ski team and quickly makes waves with his arrogant behavior and even flashier maneuvers on the slopes, falling into conflict with the team's coach (Gene Hackman). A rivalry also develops between David and Johnny Creech (Jim McMullan), the man who is considered the team's best skier, as both push themselves and each other in a race to the Olympic Games.
Director
Michael Ritchie
Producer
Richard Gregson
Screenwriter
James Salter
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Wildwood, Wildwood Enterprises
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 28, 1969, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2015
Runtime
1h 42m
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