CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

* * 1/2

PG-13, C-124m, UK.

D: Hugh Hudson. Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Dennis Christopher.

Tagline: With Wings on their Heels and Hope in their Hearts

This is a "nice", inoffensive film about two British track athletes competing in the Paris 1924 Olympics. Some people LOVE it for its message of good sportsmanship and standing up for your beliefs. If you're like me, you'll... enjoy some parts (esp. the iconic running on the beach scene), but be bored the rest of the time. There's no real conflict. It's just... nice.

I found the main conflicts of the story to be ordinary and easily resolved. One is that Scotsman Eric Liddell, a devout Catholic minister and

And worst of all, THIS beat Raiders of the Lost Ark for Best Picture?! *sobs* I know, action pictures don't generally win Best Picture, and it's a shame. Raiders is more an action movie - it's a classic. If Raiders couldn't win, then the other contenders would have been a better choice, IMO. Reds was well-made and probably deserved to win. On Golden Pond (maybe - haven't seen it). Atlantic City was good, but not "Best Picture" IMO. Perhaps I would have liked Chariots of Fire better if it hadn't won Best Picture - my expectations were too high, and I was looking for something that wasn't there.

That being said, Chariots of Fire is a polarizing film. Love it or hate it. Make the call.