Running (1979)

A Masterpiece!

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I saw this movie in the theatre while stationed in Germany, and a few other times on Armed Forces Network, and while it isn't an award-winning effort, it was a perfectly cool movie...Michael Douglas is convincing as Michael Andropolis, a long-distance runner who had the potential to be great, but always found a way to mess it up...his cynical coach gave up on him, as did his wife, played well by one of my favorite actresses, Susan Anspach...and then Michael lucks into a chance to compete in the Olympics, once again coming up short at the end of the race...and then...you'll have to see the movie to get the finish...but I can tell you that it's worth the effort to see...Douglas plays the role of a non-conformist runner very well...in fact, this role is not unlike a lot of other roles that Douglas has played...yes, there are some flaws...there are some elements that are kind of goofy, but if you take this movie for what it is...entertainment, not documentary, then it's fine...

I loved this film, having seen it in 2006 for the first time 27 years after its first release! It really showed Michael Douglas' early potential to become the Oscar winning star he became in the 80's, everything was there - nice guy, caring, all the mannerisms, facial expressions and voice intonations that he later did so well, but I think this was the absolute best of his early roles. OK so he was the messed up guy that he portrayed so often, but in this film he had an ambition that took over his life, almost to the exclusion of everything else. I really felt for his kids - embarrassed by him at first, but then so thrilled for him. And the finale - well, he could have won the gold medal, but that would have been unreal and wrong in the context of the film, instead we saw him battling it out to the very end - and I had tears running down my face when he finally entered the stadium. I rate this one of the best Douglas movies!

This is one of my favorite films. I saw it about 1981 on a premium channel, and recently went to great lengths to obtain this film on DVD. Apparently it hasn't been released in the U.S.. Though the production itself is lacking,(especially the music) I think the story itself is one of the best ever brought to film with the old "quitter finally triumphs" plot. Michael Douglas really brings his character to life. What jogged my memory about this film was the "running" portion of "Forest Gump". After watching the DVD of "Running", I can't help but think that section of "Forest Gump" was derived from this movie. This is especially apparent in the scene where Michael is training and the neighborhood kids join in on the run. The extras could have been cast to be more realistic, but if you'll look past the production, you'll find a truly inspiring story!

I loved this movie, I saw it when I was kid. My Dad took me to it when he was training for marathons. I have been searching for it for years. Now that I have found it. it is impossible to obtain a copy since it has been discontinued. Looking for assistance!!!