GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Majorthebys Charming and brutal

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

RbDeraj At many a time throughout the film, the storyline seemed like another cliché of a sports film about a talented kid from a rough background being trained by an old grumpy harsh coach trying to relive his prior glory days. This was true in a sense, but was pulled off well enough to cover that up. The director and cast were descent for being not very well known. They did a good job in making the situations realistic showing how Drew (our main character) was torn between his loyalties and stuck in his predicament. He was faithful to his brother yet at the same time was used, abused, and put into dangerous situations by his illegal and harmful practices. Thinking that running track could take him to college and a better life, he is mentored by an old coach and neighbor who pushes him to his limits through unusual training methods and teaches him life lessons along the way. Just when you think this couldn't get any more typical, the plot takes an unexpected twist in a Gran Torino Sort of way.I didn't quite like the high school romance that they threw in there with much of it seeming out of place and corny. While the story was inspiring, I thought that the attempted climax of those feelings failed to get the desired effect. The most touching moment of the film, where Drew breaks through his inner barriers and mentally pushes past the problems in his life, came across as cheesy with too much crying for my taste. The actual physical running and form in the film looked believable and accurate (unlike some sports films I have seen) which always makes it more watchable for people who have been involved in running.As an avid runner I like the idea of this being brought to audiences not familiar with the sport of track. It shows them that there is more to running than just running like Drew learns in the film from Coach Colman.6.5/10

Todd Kelly How does this type of drivel get made? Who sits down and decides to create something so cliché? Every single character was a cliché. Who enjoys this kind of predictability? Couldn't the writer have come up with even one original character? Maybe this is the world of talentless cookie cutter people that surrounds him. None of the relationships in the film would ever exist because people just don't behave this way to each other. Someone explain why he would listen to his brother when he acted like that? When coach said wax on wax off was the most enjoyable moment because I had been saying it to myself the entire film and I found something to laugh about. If you want to see a much better version of this film watch the Jerico Mile with the amazing Peter Strauss.

dansview Yes there were the standard clichés of high school underdog athlete from the wrong side of town. But there were enough fine qualities to this film to overcome stereotypes of the genre.The outcome was realistic and that's refreshing. I've never seen the lead before, so I was able to believe him as the character without thinking of him as an actor from some other film.No one was over-the-top. That's a big plus too. The gangster was pretty ordinary, the brother sleepy for the most part, the girl quiet and real, and the mom subtle and resigned. I've seen Richard Jenkins do these parts before, so I would have preferred someone else, but nevertheless, he did a decent job.I totally get the message on a personal level. I have never been able to break through to that level of personal commitment required for greatness in anything. This kid had to.Nice cinematography, adequate use of emotional music without being obnoxious. But this is a dark, slow film and it requires a special degree of commitment to stick with it. Not unlike that required of a long distance runner.

A_Different_Drummer As a sports film (of which there are many each year, mostly in the B-genre, most you will never hear about) this little gem has more in common with Eastwood's Gran Torino. In other words -- oh this sounds so cliché, but sometimes only a cliché will suffice -- this really isn't a film about winning, or a film about running, but a film about life. Life. The one sport we all have in common. The one sport we compete in each day, whether we want to or not. The 4-minute mile becomes a metaphor for merely living your life with integrity, with impeccability. With its sights set so high, this would be such an easy film to mess up. The balance is so delicate. Heavy-handed direction would make the viewer feel manipulated, or "Disneyed." And too light a touch would miss the mark completely. Canadian director Charles-Olivier Michaud, with very few credits in features, simply nails it. I mean nails it. Pitch perfect direction. About as far from Michael Bay and the Transformers as the Earth is from the Moon. And the cast is uniformly excellent, especially veteran warhorse Richard Jenkins -- who steals his scenes so subtly you don't realize it until the film is over -- and Analeigh Tipton, who has to simultaneously be provocative enough to attract a boy who wasn't looking for a relationship in the first place, yet practical enough to cement that relationship as the seismic tremors in the script come one after another. A gem. A perfect gem.