American Flyers *** (1985, Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong) – Classic Movie Review 11,285

American Flyers (1985) stars Kevin Costner, who gets on his bike for screen-writer Steve Tesich’s lower-gear follow-up to his 1979 cycle movie Breaking Away.

The yarn about two brothers (Costner as the fit sibling, sports physician Marcus and David Marshall Grant as the unstable, dying one, David) joining the battle to win a bicycle race marathon across the Rocky Mountains is ordinary. But the film just gets to the winning post thanks to pleasant, fresh, likeable performances and well handled race sequences.

American Flyers (1985) is an attractively freewheeling movie, with good writing from Tesich, and it is kept on the track by director John Badham’s firm, controlled direction.

Also in the cast are Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul, Janice Rule, Jennifer Grey and Luca Bercovicci.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,285

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