Very disappointing...

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Without Limits is an inspirational film based on the greatest runner that America has ever seen and the tragedy that ended his life, Steve Prefontaine. Billy Crudup, looking very similar to the late Pre, plays the role. The film takes a look into the personality of the swift footed Oregon native. It starts out with Bill Dellinger trying to recruit Pre. This is when you see the first signs of his sarcastic side taking two of Oregon's best track runners on an "easy ten" leading them all the way. You also get a glimpse of Pre's stubborn side as well telling Oregon's recruiter that he would not go to Oregon unless head coach Bill Bowerman (who didn't believe in recruiting) personally let him know that he is wanted. Pre got his greetings in a letter and headed to the running college of Oregon. Pre's first couple of weeks on the Oregon track team got him the nickname that lasted to his dying days, Rube, as a cause of his drive to push the limits. Pre's first collegiate race was a blowout that shot him to stardom, smashing the American record. After that he was the all-star of Oregon's track team. Although Pre was a performer Bowerman insisted on pushing the limits on Pre's mental side, trying to cure him of front running which in Pre's eyes was chicken sh*t. Racing was a work of art to Pre and he wouldn't sit back for 2.5 miles and then take the race in the last 500 meters. The movie focuses on this battle between front running and the way Bowerman wanted him to race (holding back). This was the biggest struggle for Pre in his collegiate career, trying to test the odds and push the limits when everyone thought they were impossible. He wanted to go all out until he had nothing left. In the 1972 Munich Olympics is where Pre would come to a devastating halt in success. With high hopes in the preliminaries Pre told reporters, when they asked how he thought the race would turn out he stuck to his normal routine in saying "I hope that it comes down to a pure guts race, if so then I am the only one who can win it." He also said at about the same time a phrase that is famous even still today "If you're going to beat you will have to bleed to do it." Pre got beat in the race for gold and from there he went into a state of depression. The movie is not just some statistic, though, it has the romance that diverges the movie to a more emotional side. Mary was the soft spoken religious type that went on with her normal self until she was spotted by Pre. Love that Pre had never felt before was driven to be with Mary. Although at first Mary wasn't interested Pre's sarcastic, outspoken, and completely goal driven attitude grabbed her and pulled her in. Pre's relentless and persistence really shows in his pursuit of love. His ability to think he could do anything he wanted confused most because he refused to believe in talent. Pre's legacy went to a crashing end as the movie closes out its story. A powerful ending that leaves a lasting impression of the 24 year old track runner that was troubled with the fact that a mediocre effort could win a race and a magnificent effort could lose one. Pre broke every American record from 2,000 meters to 10,000. Director Robert Townes does a great job depicting the struggle, with help from a friend of Pre's, Kenny Moore also a world-class runner, the dynamic duo comes together to make a classic sports movie that anyone can relate too.

I wish I knew more about Pre's background. As it stands, it doesn't seem there was much to his character other than sleeping with girls and running.I personally thought this movie would have had integrity and strength throughout from beginning to end. Sports films show the battles young people have to face to live up to not only others expectations of them but their own expectations of themselves. Some tasks are harder than others and its normally because either you don't feel your good enough or you don't feel others see you as good enough. If you give up you never find out if you really did have it in you to succeed. This movie did a good job of representing that. The runners in the movie were excellent, the acting was top notch. The fact that they did film the movie in Oregon and still made it into a wonderful experience is amazing. I would love to see more movies just like this to show to my own kids. It shows them to never give up on your dreams. That is why I like this movie despite the backstory flaws.

What a great fantastic film. I bought this film on the reviews I read on IMDB and I was not let down. I don't really know much on any sports as you wouldn't ever catch me on a track! But, watching a film about one mans faith in himself & his sport means I have a new found interest, and one I will follow over the following future sports events. I really now want to read about Prefontaine and find out more about his short but amazing life. Billy Crudup is just compelling to watch and would like to know more about the research he did on this role on such a bright light of a human. What I like about Donald Sutherland is you sooo easily can see how he lives & captures the moment that you believe him with no doubt - he is Bill! Everyone in production, etc, have put their heart & soul into this story, which makes the film enjoyable and one you don't wish to end but it does very tragically. It's just inspirational in every sense about a man who won't ever be forgotten. A must!

This is definitely one of the best sports movies ever made as well as one of the most unnoticed movies of 1998. Strange really, because "Without Limits" is an amazing story about Steve Prefontaine. I didn't know it was a biographical movie up until it showed the Olympics. So when I realized that the main character really ran like the wind and had no physical obstacles he couldn't overcome I instantly became an admirer of Steve Prefontaine.Billy Crudup, who truly stole every scene "even" in "Almost Famous" is brilliant as Steve Prefontaine. His amazing transformation into the role of America's fastest runner was absolutely amazing, and I had no idea who the actor was, I only vaguely remembered his name. Donald Sutherland delivers his performance of the decade and the very beautiful Monica Potter does a great job as well.The subtle manner in which the director chose to display Pre's life is admirable and very touching. He truly was a role model. He's a role model to me now, more than 30 years later. When he was explaining his running logic to his coach I really understood his look on life. He wasn't planning on being disappointed, he went the distance.There's one more thing this movie deserves immense credit for. It made me want to run. AND ACTUALLY ENJOY IT!!!!!!! A brilliant movie that made me think about my life. 8/10