OUR COUNTDOWN: 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

No. 14: Breaking Away (76 points)

Year released: 1979.

Cast: Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley.

What we like: Breaking Away was a "breakaway" movie in that it helped alert us to the dramatic moments inherent in individual "minor" sports; the "I want some American food dammit. Bring me some French fries!" speech from dad, the Cutters T-shirts, swimming at the quarry ... heck, we like all of it, except ...

What we're willing to overlook: ... that guy who plays the preppy rival. He couldn't act his way out of a paper sack.

The scene where Dave (Dennis Christopher) rides to keep up with the truck is, along with Rocky's run through the streets of Phily, one of the two most inspiring training scenes in movie history. -- Page 2 columnist Eric Neel

College kids, biking, the '70s. Anyone else got the munchies? -- Page 2 columnist Dan Shanoff

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