1982
129 Minutes
Feature, Rated R
Available on DVD
Chris Cahill and Tory Skinner are two champion female athletes who meet at the 1976 Olympic Trials. They start out as friends. They wind up as lovers. And one day, they meet as competitors, in a contest of body and will that will test each of them to their limits...and beyond. Mariel Hemingway and Patrice Donnelly star in Robert Towne's Personal Best, a bold and brilliant drama of the bond that forms between two individuals who have dedicated their lives to the achievement of excellence - and to the attainment of their "personal best" in more than mere athletics. Hemingway plays Chris Cahill, the inexperienced young girl whose long road leads to self-awareness and self-mastery. Her strength and stamina can make here a winner. Slowly, she learns to focus her talents and break through her barrier of determination. Donnelly, once a member of the U.S. Olympic Team and the fourth-ranked hurdler in the world, plays Skinner, who sets the example that Cahill must match and ultimately surpass. Reel life Olympic marathoner Kenny Moore can be seen here playing the role of boyfriend (and keep your eyes out for appearances from Frank Shorter and Edwin Moses as well). Rated R for language and nudity, this film was released on VHS in 1992 and DVD in 2008 by Warner Home Video. Amazon.com offers it for sale in both VHS and DVD format that features commentary by Robert Towne, Scott Glenn, and Kenny Moore as well as available subtitles in both English and French. View a trailer and additional cover art below:
