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Running (film)
Encyclopedia
Running is a 1979
drama
/sports film
directed by Steven Hilliard Stern
. It is about the fictional
American
marathon runner and Olympics hopeful Michael Andropolis and his struggle to compete in the Olympic Games
. It stars Michael Douglas
and Susan Anspach
.
runner. However, his life is fraught with trouble. His marriage, which produced two children, has fallen apart and ended in divorce. He struggles with unemployment and at one point in the movie is seen snapping due to frustration with the unemployment office bureaucracy. Additionally, his coach
is reluctant to endorse him for the games. Andropolis always starts races strong, but because of his over-competitive strive, he pulls ahead of the pack too soon, sapping strength he'll need for the final minutes of the race. So he tends to not come in first, having used his stamina too early. His coach feels he is a quitter.
However, he providentially makes it through to the Montreal Olympics by finishing fourth in the qualifiers, but getting the ticket due to an injury in one of the top three finishers. Andropolis surprises everyone, by pacing himself early in the race, only pulling ahead halfway through the race. Well on his way to the finish line ahead of the main pack, Andropolis slips on wet leaves rounding a turn. The fall leaves him with shoulder and leg injuries as other runners pass him by.
As paramedic
s tend to him where he fell, as darkness falls, Andropolis is overcome by the need to "finish" the task of the race. He gets up, limping by and winding his way through traffic on roads that have been re-opened, as the marathon rules mark, and since the presumed final competitor had crossed the finish line hours earlier. Exhausted by the grueling ordeal of finishing the race with numerous injuries, Andropolis is greeted with cheers and support from the entire olympic stadium. He is met at the finish line by his ex-wife (Anspach), as his coach witnesses with a proud smile, and his daughters watch him on TV.
Many of the scenes including the start of the marathon as well as scenic shots were filmed in Georgetown, Ontario
, Canada
.
The movie was filmed in Georgetown, Ontario
, Canada; Lakeshore Studio, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Montréal, Québec, Canada; New York City, New York, USA.
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
/sports film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Steven Hilliard Stern
Steven Hilliard Stern
Steven Hilliard Stern is a Canadian television and documentary director, producer and writer....
. It is about the fictional
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
marathon runner and Olympics hopeful Michael Andropolis and his struggle to compete in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. It stars Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and Susan Anspach
Susan Anspach
-Private life:Anspach was born in New York City and was raised in Queens, New York. She graduated from William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City in 1960. Paul Simon was a neighbor. She enrolled in the music department at the Catholic University of America...
.
Overview
Michael Andropolis (Douglas) is a US hopeful for the 1976 Olympic Games as a marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
runner. However, his life is fraught with trouble. His marriage, which produced two children, has fallen apart and ended in divorce. He struggles with unemployment and at one point in the movie is seen snapping due to frustration with the unemployment office bureaucracy. Additionally, his coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
is reluctant to endorse him for the games. Andropolis always starts races strong, but because of his over-competitive strive, he pulls ahead of the pack too soon, sapping strength he'll need for the final minutes of the race. So he tends to not come in first, having used his stamina too early. His coach feels he is a quitter.
However, he providentially makes it through to the Montreal Olympics by finishing fourth in the qualifiers, but getting the ticket due to an injury in one of the top three finishers. Andropolis surprises everyone, by pacing himself early in the race, only pulling ahead halfway through the race. Well on his way to the finish line ahead of the main pack, Andropolis slips on wet leaves rounding a turn. The fall leaves him with shoulder and leg injuries as other runners pass him by.
As paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s tend to him where he fell, as darkness falls, Andropolis is overcome by the need to "finish" the task of the race. He gets up, limping by and winding his way through traffic on roads that have been re-opened, as the marathon rules mark, and since the presumed final competitor had crossed the finish line hours earlier. Exhausted by the grueling ordeal of finishing the race with numerous injuries, Andropolis is greeted with cheers and support from the entire olympic stadium. He is met at the finish line by his ex-wife (Anspach), as his coach witnesses with a proud smile, and his daughters watch him on TV.
Many of the scenes including the start of the marathon as well as scenic shots were filmed in Georgetown, Ontario
Georgetown, Ontario
Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto making it part of the Greater Toronto Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The movie was filmed in Georgetown, Ontario
Georgetown, Ontario
Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto making it part of the Greater Toronto Area...
, Canada; Lakeshore Studio, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Montréal, Québec, Canada; New York City, New York, USA.
Cast
- Michael DouglasMichael DouglasMichael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
- Michael Andropolis - Susan AnspachSusan Anspach-Private life:Anspach was born in New York City and was raised in Queens, New York. She graduated from William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City in 1960. Paul Simon was a neighbor. She enrolled in the music department at the Catholic University of America...
- Janet Andropolis - Chuck Shamata - Howard Grant
- Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
- Richard Rosenberg - Philip AkinPhilip AkinPhilip Akin is a Canadian actor who has been active for over thirty years in stage, film, and television. He has had featured roles in major American films such as The Sum of All Fears, S.W.A.T., and Get Rich or Die Tryin’...
- Chuck - Gordon ClappGordon ClappGordon Clapp is an American actor, best known for portraying the role of Det. Greg Medavoy for all 12 seasons on the television series NYPD Blue, winning an Emmy Award in 1998.-Early and personal life:...
- Kenny - Lawrence Dane - Coach Walker
- Lesleh DonaldsonLesleh DonaldsonLesleh Donaldson is a Canadian actress who has worked in stage and film.She has appeared in a number of films but is generally best remembered for her roles in several horror movies including Funeral Home , Happy Birthday to Me , Curtains , and Deadly Eyes...
- Andrea Andropolis - Robin DukeRobin DukeRobin Duke is a Canadian actress and comedian. Duke is most famous for her work on the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. In the 2000s, Women Fully Clothed, a sketch comedy troupe which she co-founded, toured Canada...
- Olympic Office Receptionist - David Eisner - Man in Unemployment Office
- Giancarlo EspositoGiancarlo EspositoGiancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
- Teenager - Marvin GoldharMarvin GoldharMarvin Goldhar was a Canadian actor, best known for his voice work in animated programs and in made-for-TV movies.Among his voice credits include Cedric Sneer on The Raccoons, Mr...
- Maloney - Robert Hannah - Stuntman
- Shawn Lawrence - Kenny's Trainer
- Jim McKayJim McKayJames Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
- Himself - Jennifer McKinney - Susan Andropolis
- Monica Parker - Fat Lady
- Tony RosatoTony RosatoTony Rosato is an Italian-Canadian animated voice actor who has appeared in television and movies in both Canada and the United States....
- Italian athlete - Murray Westgate - Mr. Finlay
- Trudy Young - Pregnant woman