We were able to watch this movie on Netflix streaming. From the brief description I figured I would like, and I found it to be even better than my expectations.
Set and filmed in the Seattle Washington area, it features a high school boy who has always been fast, and wants to be the fastest 400M runner on his team. But he has issues, mostly stemming from an abusive and no good older brother. When he has issues with the track coach he drops off the team. But someone tells him of an older coach that may be able to help him.
The older coach uses unusual methods, seemingly unrelated to running fast. It turns out he is testing the boy, to see if he has the patience and the guts to take instruction and give it his all. They even use the old "wax on, wax off' reference. And, the old coach wants him to run the mile, not the 400 meters.
The boy is Kelly Blatz, about 26, who plays Drew Jacobs. Blatz was an all-star high school athlete and looks very comfortable in his role as a runner. The old coach is Richard Jenkins who once again takes a generic role and makes it special. Also good is Analeigh Tipton as Lisa, also a runner and with eyes for Drew.
As the story unfolds it is made clear several times that what they are doing isn't so much about winning races on the track but clearing out your inner demons so that you can accomplish what you want.
A very special small film, never dull and always enjoyable, and with a few surprises.
SPOILERS: Drew's brother is getting drugs from some thugs, and Drew is expected to carry drugs and money back and forth by running with a shoulder bag. There is a showdown of sorts at Drew's home, the old coach sees it and calls cops, but he is accidentally shot and dies. The brother and other thugs end up in prison, and even though Drew had not won the regional mile race to go to state finals, on his own he ran his mile in 3:57 as we see in parallel the state championship race won in 4:03. And as the movie ends we get a short feel-good scene of one year later and Drew is lining up at the start of a college race.
Set and filmed in the Seattle Washington area, it features a high school boy who has always been fast, and wants to be the fastest 400M runner on his team. But he has issues, mostly stemming from an abusive and no good older brother. When he has issues with the track coach he drops off the team. But someone tells him of an older coach that may be able to help him.
The older coach uses unusual methods, seemingly unrelated to running fast. It turns out he is testing the boy, to see if he has the patience and the guts to take instruction and give it his all. They even use the old "wax on, wax off' reference. And, the old coach wants him to run the mile, not the 400 meters.
The boy is Kelly Blatz, about 26, who plays Drew Jacobs. Blatz was an all-star high school athlete and looks very comfortable in his role as a runner. The old coach is Richard Jenkins who once again takes a generic role and makes it special. Also good is Analeigh Tipton as Lisa, also a runner and with eyes for Drew.
As the story unfolds it is made clear several times that what they are doing isn't so much about winning races on the track but clearing out your inner demons so that you can accomplish what you want.
A very special small film, never dull and always enjoyable, and with a few surprises.
SPOILERS: Drew's brother is getting drugs from some thugs, and Drew is expected to carry drugs and money back and forth by running with a shoulder bag. There is a showdown of sorts at Drew's home, the old coach sees it and calls cops, but he is accidentally shot and dies. The brother and other thugs end up in prison, and even though Drew had not won the regional mile race to go to state finals, on his own he ran his mile in 3:57 as we see in parallel the state championship race won in 4:03. And as the movie ends we get a short feel-good scene of one year later and Drew is lining up at the start of a college race.