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Without Limits

PG-13 Released Sep 11, 1998 1h 57m Biography Drama List
79% Tomatometer 39 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Before Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup) makes it to the 1972 Olympics in Munich, he is an unlikely track star at the University of Oregon. At school, after Steve initially clashes with coach Bill Bowerman (Donald Sutherland) over his style of front-running -- running the race at maximum speed from beginning to end -- he develops a strong bond with the man. Steve also has a profound effect on a beautiful co-ed named Mary (Monica Potter), who becomes the object of his affection.
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Without Limits

Without Limits

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Critics Consensus

This drama about American track star and hero Steve Prefontaine intelligently looks at the character of this oft mythologized athlete and features a fantastic performance by Donald Sutherland as Prefontaine's trainer.

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Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: A- Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Richard Schickel TIME Magazine Whether he would have won at the next Olympics, we'll never know. What we do know is that Towne, a man of ruefully romantic temperament, has found a soulmate in Steve Prefontaine. Aug 5, 2008 Full Review Todd McCarthy Variety With a very good part for a change, Sutherland invests the imposing Bowerman with a host of subtly expressed attitudes toward his most illustrious charge. Aug 5, 2008 Full Review Catherine Graham Santa Cruz Sentinel Dazzling, violent, star-driven thrill rides are routine. Finding an intelligent, well-written, old-fashioned movie-movie has become an event. Thus, it is a thrill to watch Without Limits. Rated: A Mar 25, 2020 Full Review John A. Nesbit Old School Reviews intelligent character study of a mythologized athlete Rated: B Jul 24, 2011 Full Review Caffeinated Clint Brag Magazine A brilliantly performed, gut-wrenchingly sad flick Rated: 3/5 Feb 3, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Del H An inspirational sports movie and a biopic of one of those very rare athletes who inspires something in all of us. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Very bland and drab looking Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/12/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most inspirational movies I've ever watched. Watch it quarterly. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review steve d Fairly forgettable despite the strong performances. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review anna c This is definitely one of the best sports movies ever made as well as one of the most unnoticed movies of 1998. Strange really, because "Without Limits" is an amazing story about Steve Prefontaine. I didn't know it was a biographical movie up until it showed the Olympics. So when I realized that the main character really ran like the wind and had no physical obstacles he couldn't overcome I instantly became an admirer of Steve Prefontaine. His amazing transformation into the role of America's fastest runner was absolutely amazing, and I had no idea who the actor was, I only vaguely remembered his name. Donald Sutherland delivers his performance of the decade and the very beautiful Monica Potter does a great job as well. He truly was a role model. He's a role model to me now, more than 30 years later. When he was explaining his running logic to his coach I really understood his look on life. He wasn't planning on being disappointed, he went the distance. There's one more thing this movie deserves immense credit for. It made me want to run. AND ACTUALLY ENJOY IT. A brilliant movie that made me think about my life!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member excellent sports drama the storytelling is superb and really draws you in a must see if you haven't already Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Without Limits

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Movie Info

Synopsis Before Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup) makes it to the 1972 Olympics in Munich, he is an unlikely track star at the University of Oregon. At school, after Steve initially clashes with coach Bill Bowerman (Donald Sutherland) over his style of front-running -- running the race at maximum speed from beginning to end -- he develops a strong bond with the man. Steve also has a profound effect on a beautiful co-ed named Mary (Monica Potter), who becomes the object of his affection.
Director
Robert Towne
Producer
Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner
Screenwriter
Robert Towne, Kenny Moore
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Cruise-Wagner Productions
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 11, 1998, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 24, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$777.4K
Runtime
1h 57m
Sound Mix
Surround, DTS, SDDS, Dolby Digital
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