| Excerpt, Pages 74-76: "The Bowerman we see
in Without Limits is the Bowerman of legend in running circles - the Sage
of Eugene - by turns profane and eloquent, threatening and nurturing, ironic
and sincere."
"Warner Bros.' Without Limits is a labor of love - with a $25 million
budget to smooth the way."
"With these two talents behind it [Olympian / Sports Illustrated writer
Kenny Moore and Oscar winner Robert Towne], Without Limits was bound to
be elegantly written."
"Moore and Towne concentrate on Pre the runner and involve viewers in
the world of elite track, much as a good courtroom drama offers a glimpse
of how things really work within its realm. We're treated to discussions
of front-running, finishing speed, lap times, knee lift, drafting and kicking."
"... And we hear about the racing tactics of a half-dozen runners, from
Don Kardong to Mohamed Gammoudi. Much of this information is artfully
conveyed in animated scenes between Pre and Bowerman, and then reflected
in meticulously crafted action on the track."
"... This makes the film's Munich race, with its blend of both new and
archival footage, probably the most seamless such sequence ever filmed."
"Of course, Without Limits isn't entirely devoted to running.
It's partly an exploration of Pre's profound self-belief, and how he regained
it after Munich. And the eloquence of the Bowerman character enables
the movie to reach for the larger meanings in running." |
Runner's World (4/98)
