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Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

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Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Old 01-23-19, 09:54 PM
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Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

this is one of my favorite movies of all time. one year, many years ago i was on a Kevin Costner blitz and saw every one of his movies. came across this and it just blew me away in it's cliched simplicity, but with so much heart and great performances. and bicycle movies are so few and far between. don't get me wrong, i'm not big into these movies and really only handful (ottomyh...Premium Rush, Quicksilver, certainly the most famous, Breaking Away, i guess the BMX movie some people thought were cheesy but enjoyed. not sure i remember too well. think 80's. few others, but AF just wowed me and i think i actually shed a tear or two. i really may have. seen it many times, have it in many forms and just love it.

so does anyone know this movie at all?

American Flyers (1985)
  • Sports physician Marcus persuades his unstable brother David to come with him and train for a bicycle race across the Rocky Mountains. Marcus doesn't tell David that he has a brain aneurysm which could render him paralyzed or dead at any given moment. While David powerfully heads for the victory, Marcus has to realize that the contest is now beyond his capabilities. / Features great views of the Rockies and an insight in the tactics of bicycle races.

Last edited by OldBoy; 01-24-19 at 05:35 PM.
Old 01-23-19, 10:13 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

This movie caught my attention as a kid because the final race was filmed in my hometown of Golden, CO.
Old 01-23-19, 11:26 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Have it on both CED (one of the last titles on the format) and DVD.
Old 01-24-19, 06:18 AM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

I think it was the first time I saw Kevin Costner in anything. This was the movie he did right before he got cast in The Untouchables, if memory serves. It was directed by John Badham.
Old 01-24-19, 07:36 AM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

I preferred Breaking Away.
Old 01-24-19, 09:03 AM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Originally Posted by james2025a
I preferred Breaking Away.
Same here.
Old 01-24-19, 12:02 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

This was on a budget DVD along with the Stallone film Victory that I found a few years ago and picked up. Had never heard of it before then. Enjoyed both films to be honest.
Old 01-24-19, 01:52 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

This was a hit at my house when I was little. I think my dad rented it. We watched as a whole family. My brother and I rented it many times afterwards. And yes Costner really blew up after this movie.

What movie stores would do back then is highlight other movies with the same actor. So when the Untouchables was a hit then this and Silverado would be out front and center. I haven’t watched it in many years.

I remember an intense scene on a stationary bike. The character is being monitored by doctors while he pedals as fast as he can. I also remember a sexy scene where the guy and girl trade t-shirts. Shit maybe that was another movie. Anyway my recollection is that it was a good movie that characterized the road biking world accurately. There was a small craze for road biking at the time.

Also, I just learned this was written by the same writer as Breaking Away.

Last edited by Mabuse; 01-24-19 at 02:24 PM.
Old 01-24-19, 03:21 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

I vaguely recall watching the movie on HBO years ago when it was on. For me Vision Quest was more relevant as I was a HS wrestler in part because of the movie.
Old 01-24-19, 03:31 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

When this movie came out I was really into bicycling and rode several days a week. I was also working at a grocery store around that time and one of my jobs was handling the VHS rentals and that's how I first found out about it. I think I ended up buying the store's copy once they decided to stop renting it.
Old 01-24-19, 04:42 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Wife and I saw in in the theater on a rare “new parent” date night.
Old 01-24-19, 05:40 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Originally Posted by Mabuse
I remember an intense scene on a stationary bike. The character is being monitored by doctors while he pedals as fast as he can. I also remember a sexy scene where the guy and girl trade t-shirts. Shit maybe that was another movie. Anyway my recollection is that it was a good movie that characterized the road biking world accurately. There was a small craze for road biking at the time.

Also, I just learned this was written by the same writer as Breaking Away.

i think it was a treadmill and it kept rising as he ran, Costner's brother was running and going for the record that Costner's character held. he got it, but yes, it was a great scene. and that trading shirts most certainly happened. it was Alexandra Paul from Baywatch if i remember correctly who was the girl who i believe showed her little chest...

so glad some know this movie. it is so great. in fact i have the HD version in Vudu and gonna que it up tonight, i hope...
Old 01-24-19, 05:46 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
I think it was the first time I saw Kevin Costner in anything. This was the movie he did right before he got cast in The Untouchables, if memory serves. It was directed by John Badham.
Badham made such great 80's films...
Old 01-24-19, 05:54 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Fun fact...the actor who played David, Costner's brother in the movie.....David Marshall Grant, is now a TV writer/producer and showrunner. He's an EP and writer of the ABC show "A Million Little Things" right now.

I believe he was also the showrunner for Brothers and Sisters and the old NBC show Smash. I think he still acts occasionally.

I've seen American Flyers 2-3 times. Recently saw it again on Vudu as a rental. It's a nice breezy 2 hour cycling movie. The twist that Costner's character was actually the one dying made it sad.
Old 01-24-19, 06:21 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Yes it was a treadmill!

And yes Costner’s character had some kind of chronic aneurism problem or something.

And they were sponsored by 7-11 who really were big into sponsoring American cycling at the time.
Old 01-24-19, 06:29 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Know of it, never saw it.
Old 01-24-19, 06:32 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

You can watch it for free on Vudu with short ad breaks right now.

https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/...an-Flyers/9295
Old 01-24-19, 06:52 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Originally Posted by DJariya
Fun fact...the actor who played David, Costner's brother in the movie.....David Marshall Grant, is now a TV writer/producer and showrunner. He's an EP and writer of the ABC show "A Million Little Things" right now.

I believe he was also the showrunner for Brothers and Sisters and the old NBC show Smash. I think he still acts occasionally.
I remeber him mostly from The Rock where he played the weasely military colonel with the bad line reading of, “Three tours in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Desert Storm; three Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars and the Congressional Medal of...Jesus!”
Old 01-24-19, 06:58 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Originally Posted by Mabuse
Yes it was a treadmill!

And yes Costner’s character had some kind of chronic aneurism problem or something.

And they were sponsored by 7-11 who really were big into sponsoring American cycling at the time.
yeah, it's what their father had and died from and even though Costner knew he had it he wanted to test his brother as well. that was sad aspect of whole movie, but great little twist. i remember fondly when he couldn't put key in keyhole. i figured it out right then...
Old 01-24-19, 06:59 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Originally Posted by GoldenJCJ

I remeber him mostly from The Rock where he played the weasely military colonel with the bad line reading of, “Three tours in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Desert Storm; three Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars and the Congressional Medal of...Jesus!”
yeah, i've seen him acting here and there and name pops up with shows and stuff and always remember him from this. he didn't do too bad...
Old 01-24-19, 08:06 PM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Watched it on Betamax tons of times. I distinctly remember Alexandra Paul's boobs.
Old 01-27-19, 10:30 AM
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Re: Anyone know the cycling movie American Flyers (1985)?

Originally Posted by DJariya
You can watch it for free on Vudu with short ad breaks right now.

https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/...an-Flyers/9295

Thanks for the tip. I watched it last night. First time since I was 10 years old.

The racing scenes are great. The rest not so much. The whole movie is about this illness. Like it’s more about the illness than it is about cycling. Way too much melodrama about their health. It’s almost like a Douglas Sirk film in that regard. I’d forgotten that the “doctor” was John Amos. His scenes, especially the ones with his son, are like they’re from another movie. Silly comedy scenes.

Incredible amount of product placement. McDonald’s is all over this movie. There’s even a major plot progression that hinges on somebody ordering their food at McDonald’s.

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