Without Limits

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Without Limits

PG-13

1998

1h 57m

Biography

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

08/05/2008

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.

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

08/05/2008

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.

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Time Out

01/26/2006

he understated cinematography by Conrad Hall and sterling work from Crudup and Sutherland lend a patina of class, yet it's in the end a po-faced film.

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Catherine Graham

Santa Cruz Sentinel

03/25/2020

A

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.

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John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews

07/24/2011

B

intelligent character study of a mythologized athlete

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Caffeinated Clint

Brag Magazine

02/03/2009

3/5

A brilliantly performed, gut-wrenchingly sad flick

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william s

@SillyBommers 02/13/2025

As a fan of formulaic sports movies, I thought this was going to be right up my alley. But something about it didn't quite land. I know they can't really change the source material drastically, but it did feel like the choice to make his trip to the olympics the midpoint made the whole second half feel like an afterthought. It just didn't exactly work for me. Not the worst movie, but not something anyone needs to go out and see.

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Del H

@RT20818837 10/16/2023

An inspirational sports movie and a biopic of one of those very rare athletes who inspires something in all of us.

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09/12/2023

Very bland and drab looking

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07/13/2020

One of the most inspirational movies I've ever watched. Watch it quarterly.

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steve d

@RT35616104 07/06/2020

Fairly forgettable despite the strong performances.

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10/25/2018

excellent sports drama the storytelling is superb and really draws you in a must see if you haven't already

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Robert Towne

Director

Billy Crudup

Steve Prefontaine

Donald Sutherland

Bill Bowerman

Monica Potter

Mary Marckx

Jeremy Sisto

Frank Shorter

Matthew Lillard

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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