Running

I went to this movie because I am a runner. I think I was the only one in the whole theater."As Mike Douglas so aptly put it "No one came" as in "some came running...get it...well...The movie was a big disappointment. First of all, the lead men in the Boston Marathon scene could never have built like football players. to be honest, Michael was the only one who looked like a legitimate runner. It started off with him getting up in the wee hours, guzzling down orange juice, and running fully clothed for his job to work. I believe he would have had a good case of heartburn by the time he got there!And the end when he is heroically crawling to the finish line after everyone else has gone...too much . The only realistic aspect was his relationship with his wife, who couldn't handle this business of her husband running, not working and taking care of the family. It seems he couldn't do both.

An agreeable story about having the courage to be what you are. A film that bring you back everything , dealing with an American marathoner, Michael Andronopolis : Michael Douglas who effortly runs Marathons : 42 kilometers, a man whose main hobbie is running, the only real thing that make him happy, and he is subsequently appointed as US runner in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. Previously, his marriage to Susan Anspach goes wrong . They have two children who shame their father who is contantly running across the city. He won't be discouraged, he won't be used, he won't be stopped from winning back everything he lost and loved.

An interesting film about hope, effort, determination and a strong fighting for getting his purports, in which a stubborn jobless runner gets the greatest success. Michael Douglas gives a nice acting as the runner whose marriage has fallen apart,and his two daughters have not due respect for him, but he gets redemption thanks to his partipation at the Marathons as Boston and especially the Montreal Olympic Games. As stock footage of this Game was used including stadium images and Marathon race throughout the Montreal streets. However, the real winner was a German athlete and nor a Canadian athlete as it shows up at the movie. To prepare his character Michael Douglas had to train, and he had to get fit, as well as he lost weight and gave up smoking approx two packets of tobacco a day . He is well accompanied by a good support cast in brief appearances from Chuck Shamata, Eugene Levy, Lawrence Dane, and look at TV secondary stars as Giancarlo Exposito, Tony Rosato and Gordon Clapp.

It contains an evocative and atmosphetic cinematography by Lazslo George, shot on location in New York , the known Boston Marathon and Montreal, where runner Michael Douglas trains, he runs and he eventually competing. As well as an anticlimatic and unappropriate musical score composed by means of synthesizer. The motion picture was competently directed by Steven H Stern. He was a good craftsman who directed a lot of fims as TV as cinema, such as : Harrard summer, Young love first love, Anatomy of a seduction, A small killing, Miracle on ice, Draw, The devil and Max Devlin, Mazes and monsters, Forbidden love, Obssessive love, The ambush murders, Getting physical , Undergrads, Murder in space, Rolling vengeance, Not quite human, Weekend war, Final notice, Personals, Love and murder, Morning glory, Black Fox , Breaking the surface. Being his most successful movie : This park is mine with Tommy Lee Jones. Rating 6/10. Decent film that will appeal to Michael Douglas fans.

I saw this movie in the theatre while stationed in Germany, and a few other times on Armed Forces Network, and while it isn't an award-winning effort, it was a perfectly cool movie...Michael Douglas is convincing as Michael Andropolis, a long-distance runner who had the potential to be great, but always found a way to mess it up...his cynical coach gave up on him, as did his wife, played well by one of my favorite actresses, Susan Anspach...and then Michael lucks into a chance to compete in the Olympics, once again coming up short at the end of the race...and then...you'll have to see the movie to get the finish...but I can tell you that it's worth the effort to see...Douglas plays the role of a non-conformist runner very well...in fact, this role is not unlike a lot of other roles that Douglas has played...yes, there are some flaws...there are some elements that are kind of goofy, but if you take this movie for what it is...entertainment, not documentary, then it's fine...

This is one of my favorite films. I saw it about 1981 on a premium channel, and recently went to great lengths to obtain this film on DVD. Apparently it hasn't been released in the U.S.. Though the production itself is lacking,(especially the music) I think the story itself is one of the best ever brought to film with the old "quitter finally triumphs" plot. Michael Douglas really brings his character to life. What jogged my memory about this film was the "running" portion of "Forest Gump". After watching the DVD of "Running", I can't help but think that section of "Forest Gump" was derived from this movie. This is especially apparent in the scene where Michael is training and the neighborhood kids join in on the run. The extras could have been cast to be more realistic, but if you'll look past the production, you'll find a truly inspiring story!

Yes I do agree with Castor from Victoria, Running is an outstanding achievement. This movie should be on video so can anyone can see it. The story is good, the performance of all actors are great and yes the music score is out of this world. After the movie I did have to go for a jog while "running" the music score into my head. Watch your TV guide for running and set up your VCR to tape it. You will be happy to add this movie to your collection.