Knowing exactly when you're gonna die, as Edward Bloom realizes in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), can give you courage and strength to endure everything else in your life. Nothing you encounter then seems as awful or impossible. But most people live their lives as though they believe they're going to live forever. Pre must have had a premonition of his early demise as he lived every day as though it were his last. He refused to "pace" himself as his wise coach Bill Bowerman attempted to advise him and as all us mere mortals must do if we hope to make the "finish line." Though Pre was not limited by conventional concerns or constraints as an athlete, he did have definite obstacles to overcome as a person. These seemingly negligible human concerns can sometimes trip up and cripple even the most gifted athletes, and Pre is almost undone by his own negligent hubris. But, as if on a divine mission, he heroically persisted in his own unique quest for excellence, for immortality.
Thanks in no small part to this fine film, Pre may in fact succeed at his lofty goal of immortality, as anyone who has had the good fortune to experience Without Limits will never forget it. While it excels as a fairly accurate portrait of a truly remarkable individual, it absolutely soars as a tribute to that indomitable spirit that moves men to greatness. Robert Towne has captured the essence of the mystery of our competitive natures, of how it's more than just about winning, or being the best, or being known for it. There's still something else undefinable that drives athletes, that eludes description, just beyond the grasp, but of which we all somehow have intimate knowledge. This is Without Limits' most admirable attribute; it's subtle and graceful exploration of the human soul. People oblivious to this aspect of Towne's creation will likely find the film to be only average or even dull. That's their loss.
Billy Crudup inhabits the role of Steve Prefontaine so effortlessly, and is so physically similar that it's still jarring for me to see actual footage of Pre; the two are indiscernible. Donald Southerland as the curiously mannered coach is a delight, so relaxed yet commanding. Monica Potter is very attractive and alluring as Steve's main squeeze.
That Pre would die at 24 in a car crash is almost fitting for someone who lived life so fully, so intensely. But he wasn't reckless, he wasn't self destructive, and that's why his death is all that more tragic. There are so many people that had it all and threw it away out of pride, ignorance, fear, or weakness, but Pre seemed to have conquered his demons and was well on the right track to a life of genuine meaning and joy when he was suddenly cut down in his prime. It's a tragedy of epic proportions, the stuff of legends.
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