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ADIL SAYEED's avatar

Dennis Quaid is 70. So, he was 24 if Breaking Away was filmed in 1978. A 24-year-old playing the part of a 20-year-old -- not so bad by movie standards.

I'm sure you'll never be Mean Old Man Mike.

Dennis Quaid had a pretty good career.

Michael Rushton's avatar

He did. I think the movie was remarkably prescient in looking at the futures of young people in a de-industrialised Midwest

ADIL SAYEED's avatar

Another parallel: Breaking Away was released at the end of a decade of high inflation, which contributed to the rise of the Reagan Democrats who helped to defeat President Carter in 1980 -- similar to high prices left behind by inflation of 2021 and 2022 helping to take down Democrats yesterday. I remember Breaking Away as quite a good movie. Worth watching again, and not just to see if there are any references to inflation. I see Trump got his best-ever vote % in Indiana in line with rest of midwest and country.

Michael Rushton's avatar

It is a great movie! It’s a Bloomington tradition to point out to visitors where various scenes were filmed (the sorority house is just down the road from our house…). I don’t remember inflation, though the father in the movie making the transition from truly being a “cutter” to selling used cars, sitting with his son outside the library built with stones he worked on, these are all really great scenes.

ADIL SAYEED's avatar

I should be clear that I do not blame Biden, Harris or Fed Chair Powell for inflation. They just happened to be in charge when the world economy emerged from covid shutdowns.