The Worst Film Ever

Don't Believe the Hype

Absolutely the worst movie.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

4 Minute Mile is a plodding unoriginal drama although it does make a reference to The Karate Kid at one point.Drew (Kelly Blatz) is the headstrong teenager who is a good sprinter. His father died when he was a kid, his older brother is mixing with drug dealers and gets Drew to do some literal running for him and his glamorous mother (Kim Basinger) seems not to care that her sons could be descending down the crime ladder.Drew comes to attention of an alcoholic, loner coach Coleman (Richard Jenkins) who suggests he moves up to running the mile and gets Drew involved in a tough training regime which also involves sanding a boat, pushing a tyre underwater and sometimes coming out with sage like advice which Drew listens to or ignores depending on his mood.Their is a potential love interest for Drew but a heavy cloud hangs over his brother and his fractious relationship with the drug dealers which you will guess will play a pivotal role in the final act.This really is a trite film lacking any resonance, it looks cheap and features a bland performance by Blatz, an excellent performance by Jenkins and a minor appearance by Basinger.

How does this type of drivel get made? Who sits down and decides to create something so cliché? Every single character was a cliché. Who enjoys this kind of predictability? Couldn't the writer have come up with even one original character? Maybe this is the world of talentless cookie cutter people that surrounds him. None of the relationships in the film would ever exist because people just don't behave this way to each other. Someone explain why he would listen to his brother when he acted like that? When coach said wax on wax off was the most enjoyable moment because I had been saying it to myself the entire film and I found something to laugh about. If you want to see a much better version of this film watch the Jerico Mile with the amazing Peter Strauss.

This film tells the story of a young man who takes up running as a way to get a college scholarship, so he can leave the undesirable social situation he is in.The story of him forming a bond with a older coach, striving to win could have been touching, but "4 Minute Mile" doesn't achieve the emotional intensity that I hoped for. Mostly it's too do with the ineffective delivery of the plot. I watched the first ten minutes three times but I was still not entirely sure who was who. In addition, how the young man and the coach bond is unconvincing and poorly explained. And I think Cam Gigandet is under utilized in the film. Fortunately Richard Jenkins is there to save the day, but it still doesn't save this film from being rather flat and uninteresting.

I anticipated this being a typical, high school sports movie and was geared up for that sort of simple entertainment. Some aspects remained typical: conflict in the protagonists' life stemmed from family, some sort of important death would occur that would make him want to win more, and that the protagonist had a bit of a temper. HOWEVER, the two major unexpected aspects of this film is what pushed me to give it a 7 and not a 5, which I rate as a film that's just average in all ways. The way in which Coleman died was thoroughly unexpected for me and I was shocked! Which I appreciated because I had no real emotional ties to the film until that point. Secondly, the fact that Drew never even made that last state championship meet was a perfect choice for the script and again, I was pleasantly surprised. I figured he would somehow make the meet by the skin of his teeth, and because it's a movie, he would not only be warmed up to race but also win for Coleman! The subtle creation of a relationship with Lisa was a nice touch. Their low key love never distracted from the point of the film, but I do think it added to the tone of learning patience and understanding that it's all a process. In another random side note, as a former 4X4 sprinter that was just as averse to moving up to the mile as Drew, I truly believed in the dedication and passion that was perceived as being a high school athlete. When you're banking on yourself to get an athletic scholarship, and it's just you and the clock, not you and a team backing your skills, you HAVE to be all the things that Coleman tried to teach Drew. I respect the ending of the film, where it's up to the viewer to decide the outcome of the D1 championship because you want to believe that Drew has taken those lessons in and is not only a great runner, but a quality man. At the end of the day, this film is more about learning to navigate life as opposed to just high school athleticism.