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PERSONAL BEST (1982) (***1/2)

Famed CHINATOWN writer Robert Towne made his directing debut with this film, which deals with high-level competitive sports and lesbianism.

Chris Cahill (Mariel Hemingway, MANHATTAN) is a talented young hurdler, who loses a big preliminary meet because she is scared by how good the other athletes are. After the race, Chris is lambasted by her coach/father. Pentathlete Tory Skinner (Patrice Donnelly, former pentathlete) recognizes Chris’ talent and encourages her that evening when she finds Chris breaking down. As they kick back that night with some beers and a joint, they discover that they have a sexual attraction to each other. Tory pressures her tough coach Terry Tingloff (Scott Glenn, THE RIGHT STUFF) to train Chris. Eventually, Terry pushes Chris to participate in the pentathlon as well. This creates a great tension in the romantic relationship between Chris and Tory. Terry begins to fear that the relationship is holding Chris back or even worse sabotaging her.

This triangle of characters is fascinating, because of the complexity of the trio’s competitive spirit and sexuality. For a film made in the early ‘80s, it’s frank and honest about homosexuality. Later in the film, champion swimmer/ water polo player Denny Stites (Kenny Moore, former Olympic runner) joins the picture, adding a different dimension to the main character dynamics.

The most interesting topic the film tackles is why athletes need to overcome being “the best.” The title answers that question and serves as the core struggle for Chris, who must find her own personal reasons for competing. Setting this story during the 1980 boycott of the Moscow Olympics only adds a nice touch of poetry to this theme.

As I mentioned previously, the lesbianism is handled frankly, however it does provide for some of the film’s more melodramatic moments. Hemingway and Donnelly aren’t the best actresses in the world, but they make use believe in these characters. Towne’s script really fleshes them out and makes them feel like real human beings. It’s this complexity that makes the film so captivating.

For the cinematography, Towne seems to have fallen in love with the athletic bodies of his actresses. For sweaty action close-ups of muscles glistening to plenty of casual nudity, some might even find it a bit voyeuristic. I found it the perfect style to match the sexuality topic. It’s fascinating that many of the images that play erotically actually don’t involve nudity. It’s a mesmerizing tale of finding inner strength and motivation, which tackles the themes of competition and sexuality with a great deal of insight and depth.

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks