There IS a sequel, written by the same author, "American Flyer", about the Coors Classic race in Colorado, but it doesn't not come close to "Breaking Away".
I quickly chose the following though they may seem quite dissimilar because they involve a personal struggle and growth, usually interdependence on friends and others, a sweeping landscape or other extreme environment (like NYC), flaws that hold the hero back and often someone close who can ruin everything, but who ends up teaching the main character a valuable life lesson.
"Out of Africa" - Rich spinster, author Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) marries out of convenience and moves to Kenya to start a farm. Her husband cheats, leaves her for long periods and WWI breaks out. To name a few hardships.
"Hidalgo" - Distance horse racer Frank Hopkins accepts a challenge to ride his mustang in an elite race against a Sheik's prize Arabian horse, across the desert, fighting, robbers, prejudice, cheating rivals and brutal desert conditions.
"Good Will Hunting" - Poor, abused foster-house teen, played by Matt Damon, emerges from the tenements of South Boston, armed only with his genius, guts and three great friends, to test the waters of the Ivy League, tutored by the pompous math professor, Stellan Skasgard and helped with his psychological issues by therapist Sean, played wonderfully by Robin Williams (Best Supporting Oscar).
"White Fang" - In early 20th Century Alaska, a young, naive adventurer (Ethan Hawke) sets out to find gold, gets beaten up, robbed and almost gives up until he is helped by a sympathetic Danish prospector (Klaus Maria Brandauer, who played Meryl Streep's husband in "Out of Africa")...and a half-wolf/half-Husky who will do anything for him.
"Repo Man" - It's 1980's L.A.--Yuppies rule and anyone else ends up working in convenience stores, selling drugs or trying to find aliens in the trunks of 1964 Chevy Malibus...while dodging rival repo men, gangs and psychotic "friends" whose idea of a good time is "doing crimes". Otto, the disaffected youth played with snarky humor by Emilio Estevez, is helped by worn-out Repo guy, Harry Dean Stanton and a weirdo (Tracey Walter is hilarious as "Miller") who burns garbage all day and talks about time travel and plates of shrimp. Don't worry...you'll know what he means.
"The Prestige" - Great performances by Hugh Jackman as a magician who wants to find the real thing, his tech guy, played by Michael Caine (who is never bad in anything), and balked at every turn by his rival, the better magician but lousy showman, Christian Bale. Jackman (masquerading as an American, Robert Angier), must fight off Bale's (Bordman's) attempts to undermine and humiliate him--oh, after causing Angier's wife to drown!)...and travels to Colorado to race in the Coors...wait, no...to visit exiled scientist, Nikola Tesla, who is himself fighting off more attempts at thefts of his inventions by Thomas Edison! Tesla is brilliantly played by David Bowie. Will Angier reach his main goal (that Bordman never "Gets"): to see "the look on their faces"?
"Maurice" - Two young meet at University in Edwardian England and fall in love. Of course they must hide it and plan to have a secret affair forever. Fate and prejudice step in and one of them (Clive--Hugh Grant) marries a woman. Maurice is devastated but true to himself. At Clive's, he meets the self-confident and gorgeous groundskeeper, Alec (brilliant 2nd film role by Sherlock's Rupert Graves). The two bond and must decide if love is worth suffering...
"Reds" - One powerhouse journalist and activist, John Reed (Warren Beatty) fights imperialism, capitalism, worker abuse and pretty much all injustice, including the U.S. involvement in WWI. He meets lively reporter Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) and together they witness the Bolshevik revolution, write about it and try to practice free love while promoting Communism in America and creating art. Sound like a tall order? It is! Sweeping story, great cast, gorgeous scenery and great action scenes, including battle scenes and worst of all, appearances before Congress. Will love triumph? Look it up in Wikipedia...AFTER you see the film!
Scent of a Woman - Young Charlie, played by newcomer Chris O'Donnell, scholarship student at a New England boarding school, witnesses a prep school prank and is put in the hot seat by the snooty administrators, facing expulsion if he doesn't rat out his jerk "friends". Needing money to go home for Christmas, he accompanies the blind, bitter, Lt. Col. Frank Slade to NYC for a weekend of pleasure. Instead, it's a descent into hell, punctuated by great dinners, dances with girls, life lessons and rides in Ferraris. When he comes back to school, Slade surprises him just as he is about to be expelled, teaching him how to stand up for himself and "keep his soul intact".
Aspen Extreme - Two young guys come to Aspen, CO to ski. They face extreme weather and steep mountains...and accidents.
The Calcium Kid - Mild-mannered British kid (Orlando Bloom) who delivers and drinks lots of milk is put onto the boxing circuit when some guy discovers that his bones are like rocks. He decides he likes it but is not exactly the boxing type!
Cinderella Man - In the depths of the depression. Boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) (who can't afford milk) is possibly washed up due to a hand injury on the docks. He doesn't want to take welfare (public relief) out of pride, though his kids are hungry and cold. His manager finds a couple long shot fights for him and he rallies, only to face a terrible foe: Max Baer, Heavyweight Champ who has already killed two men in the ring. Does Braddock have what it takes to face off with Baer, keep his pride and provide for his family or should he stay alive and risk losing his kids? If you like boxing, forget Rocky! This is your film.
She deserves her revenge, and we deserve to die.
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