ABSTRACT
Distance Runner tells the story of Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay), a high-school dropout overwhelmed by his poverty and hopelessness. Smith’s first attempt at petty theft lands him in reform school. While serving his time he displays a natural talent for cross-country running and is soon being groomed by the headmaster (Michael Redgrave) for a big race between rival schools and potential Olympic fame. Seemingly holding all the cards, the headmaster tries to inculcate the indifferent athlete with the ideology of “sport building character,” “hard work getting you ahead,” and “there can be no greater honor than representing one’s country at the Olympic Games.” Dripping with teenage angst, this film convincingly works its way to a showdown between the headmaster and the rebel. Smith’s Pyrrhic victory offers a great opportunity for discussions about the costs and benefits of the individual taking on the system, highlights the issue of resistance and rebellion, and raises questions about social control and whether we participate for ourselves or others. Vastly superior to the similar All the Right Moves (1983). Heavy British working-class accents may require attentive listening by those unfamiliar with them.
