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Though I liked PREFONTAINE, Steve James' version of the same story, this is much better. That was straightforward biography, where this captures the poetry of running (James' film was prose, this is poetic). As he proved with PERSONAL BEST, Robert Towne understands the nuances of track and of athletes. Crudup is excellent as Steve Prefontaine, and even looks like a runner. And Sutherland gives the performance of his career as Bill Bowerman. I truly hope it lands him an Oscar nomination. I also hope Towne gets to direct more often, as all three films of his are winners.

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.

Billy Crudup, who truly stole every scene "even" in "Almost Famous" is brilliant as 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.

The subtle manner in which the director chose to display Pre's life is admirable and very touching. 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. 8/10

Having run track competitively, I had a special interest in this film and I was not disappointed. This film dramatized the life of Steve Prefontaine, a pre-eminent U.S. distance runner in the 1970's.

Though some of the details of his life were fudged for dramatic purposes, the essence of Prefontaine was preserved, namely his brash egotistical style of running and living. In addition to its realism regarding the sequences filmed on the track, this film gives a good account of the psychology of running.

Robert Towne did a fabulous job overall with this film, but especially with the realism of the scenes on the track. The dramatic element, focusing on character development of Prefontaine as a person as well as a runner was also well done, elevating it above your typical sports documentary and improving its entertainment value.

Billy Crudup gives a fine performance as Pre. He captures the arrogance and the crushing disappointment of his life. He was also terrific in the running scenes.

Donald Sutherland was also great as Coach Bill Bowerman. Sutherland played the part with the perfect balance of patient guidance and frustration as Pre continued to ignore his prudent advice. It was as if he were trying to guide a lightning bolt.

This was an excellent sports story. I rated it an 8/10. Even for those who are not fans of track and field and never heard of Steve Prefontaine, this is an entertaining and absorbing film.

Although a contemporary of Steve Prefontaine I had never heard of him, not being a fan of track and field. Nonetheless, Without Limits, a biographical film of Prefontaine, made middle-distance running interesting, even exciting. The racing scenes are not the reason to see this movie though, it is the acting, especially Donald Sutherland who plays Bill Bowerman his coach at the University of Oregon. The film follows Prefontaine (Crudup) from his admission to college in 1969 through the '72 Munich Olympics to his death in 1975 as he trained for Montreal. The axis around which the movie revolves is the relationship between wizened coach and impetuous youth, and Crudup and Sutherland do an excellent job of it. As a Baby Boomer it's always a treat to see those late '60s-early '70s years recreated. What memories. You even get to glimpse the founding of the Nike shoe empire in Bowerman's kitchen.

I wish I knew more about Pre's background. As it stands, it doesn't seem there was much to his character other than sleeping with girls and running.

I personally thought this movie would have had integrity and strength throughout from beginning to end. Sports films show the battles young people have to face to live up to not only others expectations of them but their own expectations of themselves. Some tasks are harder than others and its normally because either you don't feel your good enough or you don't feel others see you as good enough. If you give up you never find out if you really did have it in you to succeed. This movie did a good job of representing that. The runners in the movie were excellent, the acting was top notch. The fact that they did film the movie in Oregon and still made it into a wonderful experience is amazing. I would love to see more movies just like this to show to my own kids. It shows them to never give up on your dreams. That is why I like this movie despite the backstory flaws.