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‘Breaking Away’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

June 11, 2024 · Breaking Away (1979) · Comedy · Drama · Sport · 1:52:20 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Bill Simmons's 70s sports movie Pyramid

Tiered list · Bill Simmons · ▶ 18:21

top level
  1. ·Rocky (1976)▶ 18:21
next level (tier 2)
  1. ·The Longest Yard (2005)▶ 19:00
  2. ·Breaking Away (1979)▶ 20:44
next level (tier 3)
  1. ·Slap Shot (1977)▶ 19:17
  2. ·The Bad News Bears (1976)▶ 19:19
  3. ·Rollerball (1975)▶ 19:20
next level (tier 4)
  1. ·The Jericho Mile▶ 19:37
  2. ·Rocky II (1979)▶ 19:35
  3. ·North Dallas Forty (1979)▶ 19:35
  4. ·The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977)▶ 20:00
  1. ·Fast Break · honorable mention▶ 20:12
  2. ·One-on-One (1977) · honorable mention▶ 20:12
  3. ·Fish That Saves Pittsburgh · honorable mention▶ 20:14
  4. ·Bingo Long · honorable mention▶ 20:15

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 32:07Opening credits, Mike's drowning/monologue scene, Dave chasing the truck, and the Little 500 race (which he calls the most rewatchable)
Chris Ryan▶ 32:07Agrees with opening credits and discusses multiple scenes but doesn't give one definitive pick
Sean Fennessey▶ 38:32The Little 500 race - 'It's easily my pick. Because it's just so exciting'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 41:14Multiple picks including Indiana (1979), cycling movies over running movies, pink polo villain archetype, Robyn Douglass as 70s babe, Hart Bochner's blue Mercedes, Amy Wright's character actress run, John Ashton as Mike's brother, Barbara Barrie as great screen mom, and PJ Soles' impressive 6-year career run
Chris Ryan▶ 43:33Barbara Barrie — Agreed on cycling movies being better than running movies, Hart Bochner as great villain who later appears in Die Hard, John Ashton as Mike's brother, and Barbara Barrie as one of the all-time great screen moms
Sean Fennessey▶ 43:02Hart Bochner — Supported redoing 1980s Oscars due to pretentious choices, agreed on Hart Bochner appearing in Die Hard, noted Robyn Douglass had 'all the tools' like Anthony Edwards, and observed John Ashton has looked 60 for 70 consecutive years

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 48:41The quarry
Chris Ryan▶ 48:24Referenced having the same pick as someone else but the specific location isn't clear from transcript
Sean Fennessey▶ 48:27Discusses the wheel/tire sabotage scene with the Italians, focusing on the mechanical details and tension

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 49:07The dad eating pepperoni pizza in his car, listening to the race
Chris Ryan▶ 50:14Discussed the health food theme and rated the Bloomington pizza as 'B minus'
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:28Made jokes about Bill's pizza obsession and referenced Along Came Polly pizza scene as comparison

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 51:26Hart Bachner's performance in the bike race - leaving the inside open on the final lap, described as 'a fucking choke job'
Chris Ryan▶ 51:01Doesn't really see a weak link but mentions Moocher's relationship subplot with Nancy (lifting weights, secret marriage) as unnecessary, though notes the movie is too lean to cut anything
Sean Fennessey▶ 51:13Questions Paul Dooley's car salesman character's business strategy of repeatedly selling lemons, but doesn't strongly commit to it as the weakest element

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 59:17The TV series adaptation from 1980, NBC paying $5M to air the movie just 5 months after release, and Dennis Christopher lying about his age (actually born 1950, not 1955)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:26These guys just wouldn't have this much idle time - they would all be playing video games instead of walking around town, watching football practice, and hanging out

Movies Referenced (58)

Rocky II (1979)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 18:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 9:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Hangover (2009)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 3:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rollerball (1975)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 19:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Creed (2015)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 37:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dazed and Confused (1993)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 8:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Deep (1977)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 10:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alien (1979)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 28:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carrie (1976)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 47:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Death Wish (2018)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 3:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Moneyball (2011)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Peter Yates

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Breaking Away, Krull▶ 10:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 12:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Weir

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Way Back, Witness▶ 10:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Gosford Park, Nashville, Short Cuts▶ 3:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (45)

Paul Dooley

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Breaking Away, Hairspray, Sixteen Candles▶ 2:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dennis Quaid

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Far from Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow▶ 22:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Pine

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Star Trek, Wonder Woman, Star Trek Beyond▶ 12:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dennis Christopher

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Breaking Away, Django Unchained▶ 23:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Gazzara

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Road House, Anatomy of a Murder, The Big Lebowski▶ 26:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Breaking Benjamin

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for National Treasure, Hellboy▶ 2:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Colin Farrell

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Lobster, In Bruges, S.W.A.T.▶ 28:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Stern

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for City Slickers, Breaking Away▶ 5:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Ashton

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Gone Baby Gone, Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop II▶ 46:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Justin Yard

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Avengers: Endgame, The Suicide Squad, Avengers: Infinity War▶ 19:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Randolph

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Bourne Supremacy, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire▶ 10:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bobby Knight

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Anger Management, Blue Chips, Hoop Dreams▶ 41:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Tesich

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Breaking Away, The World According to Garp▶ 16:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Springsteen

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Blinded by the Light, The Wrestler, Philadelphia▶ 34:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George V. Higgins

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Killing Them Softly, The Friends of Eddie Coyle▶ 13:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Sheldon

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗