Personal Best (1982)

Directed by Robert Towne. Starring Mariel Hemingway, Patrice Donnelly, Scott Glenn, Kenny Moore, Jim Moody, Jodi Anderson, Larry Pennell, Kari G. Peyton. [R]

After an unsuccessful competition during the 1976 Olympic trials, track-and-field athlete Hemingway is driven to excel and qualify for the 1980 team while also acting on a mutual attraction with a more accomplished rival/teammate (Donnelly). Solid sports drama could have used a swifter pace (or shorter runtime), but it’s more thoughtful and subdued than the average effort in the genre, a story told through images more than dialogue or significant plot developments. Writer/director/producer Towne strikes a celebratory tone of awe toward powerful female forms, the strength and tactility of arms and legs captured by a lens unintimidated by modesty; the screen practically shudders with sweat and sinew, but there’s a purity to it that strips bare any notion of leering, with less eroticism found in steam rooms than arm wrestling bouts (not that Over the Top doesn’t belong on late-night paid cable…). No one’s going to accuse Hemingway or professional hurdler Donnelly of being skilled actresses, but their crude understatements work for these specific characters; Glenn also turns in a worthy performance as their manipulative coach. In addition to Donnelly, numerous real-life track-and-field athletes also make appearances.

74/100