The Long Run

This movie was a general letdown.. I have seen better movies like Chariots of Fire and Prefontaine, so I went in to this movie knowing it might be poor, but the acting was mundane even for those diminished standards.....not recommended

This dated movie explores the relationship between an aging (over the hill?) white running coach and a talented, undiscovered, young black woman runner in South Africa around 2000. The 51 mile Comrades Run is the backdrop. The portrayal of life at that time is somewhat interesting. The development of the relationship between the two characters is not particularly believable (no, there is nothing amorous, it just doesn't ring true and is somewhat predictable.) But what I HATED was the portrayal of the Comrades Ultramarathon. As an ultramarathoner, I found the portayal of the race and the training and all things running ludicrous.
So if you want an inspirational movie about running... keep searching. Try "Running on the Sun."

Don't let the "R" rating on this movie scare you from seeing it, or from showing it to your family. Yes, there is a shower scene where the black runners are showering, and a scene where Christine skinny-dips in a water tank, but it is very discreet and in no way offensive. The language is not worse than in many PG movies.

Furthermore, the morality is largely consistent with traditional values. Bertold (the coach) takes Christine into his little home because he has noplace else to live, but makes it very clear that she will be completely safe. Later, Christine's boyfriend wants her to move in with him, but she refuses. Throughout the movie the main characters show concern for their moral character, as well as their dedication to winning the big race. As with all these sports dramas, it comes as no surprise that Christine won the big race.

What makes this movie so compelling is the psychology, both of Bertold and Christine. Bertold failed at the race twice, so he is sort of trying to relive the race through Christine. He thinks of nothing else as he does his best to train her. Christine, not understanding the male singular focus on training, longs for social interaction. The story pivots on how they handle these different perspectives.

Parents can feel comfortable showing this movie to at least junior high kids. It wonderfully gives a South African feel to the whole story. Family discussion could revolve around understanding both psychological perspectives and how one's own kids would work to resolve the conflict. This is a surprisingly good movie, much better than Prefontaine (written by the same writer). The only better running movie I've seen is "Chariots of Fire."

I was surprised when, by accident, I watched this movie in HBO in Malaysia. I just had to get a copy of DVD from the United Kingdom as the seller in U.S. would not ship it here. This is not only a good story, in spite of being just a simple racing and "love" story, but I observed the acting of Armin (Berry, the coach) and I fell in love with him. The heroine is a cute, beautiful African actress, fresh and young, and her acting is so down to earth, you think you are living among all the characters in this movie. The dancing scene at the local bar is so funny, and the embrace at the ending tells it all. His denial of love for Christine, and Christine's free spirit and at the same time, her love for the older man is obvious from the very beginning. Well, its just a lovely, charming story and good race! Loved the "bus" boys also, and Terror! Even Gaza is a good actor that shows his ego get in the way and envy of the old coach. I would recommend this to all, men and women. Its good, romantic and funny.

It is difficult to find motivational movies that star women athletes. With a few exceptions most are about men and men's teams.(From Hoosiers, Rudy, Remember the Titans, Cool Runnings, Radio etc) Even fewer films are about women runners.(Chariots of Fire, Prefontaine, Pre etc) So, I was delighted to find this video about Kristina Moyo and her challenge of finishing the Comrades Ultramarathon. The footage of Africa, music, dialogue, running scenes, and final finish, has put it on the top of my motivational movie list! She has inspired me to run my first marathon.