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Prefontaine

(1997, Rated PG-13, Drama, Starring R. Lee Ermey, Jared Leto, Ed O'Neill)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Legendary runner's story is compelling, tragic.

updated 08.20.08

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Pre is incredibly ambitious, competitive, and determined to win. Without the physical advantages of a tall body and perfectly proportioned legs, Prefontaine works harder to cross the finish line first. He can also be cocky, egotistical, and immature at times. But overall, Pre personifies the athlete who gives his all to his sport.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence :

    The sequence depicting the 1972 Munich Olympics covers the violence against the Israeli athletes from Pre and the American track team's point of view. The masked, gun-toting terrorists are shown from their perch on the Israeli athletes' balcony, and there is news footage explaining what happened to them. There's an accident that kills someone.

  • Sex :

    Passionate kissing, making out lying down and (clothed) in bed. Pre flirts and cheats on his first girlfriend.

  • Language:

    Standard swear words: "s--t," "ass," "piss," "God damn," "screw," "hell," etc.

  • Consumerism:

    Very minimal, but one notable exception is that the Oregon track coach, Bill Bowerman, was the co-founder of Nike, and they show a very early pair of Nike runing sneakers. There are a few quick glimpses of magazines Pre was on, like the cover of Sports Illustrated.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Several of the scenes take place in a bar, where various college students and adults drink; a couple of parties feature beer; Pre gets drunk.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Prefontaine

Parents need to know that this is a biopic of the legendary young middle-distance runner and Olympian Steve "Pre" Prefontaine. There is standard PG-13 language and a few scenes of passionate kissing and making out. The most disturbing parts of the film revolve around the 1972 Munich Olympics, as the hostage-taking of the Israeli athletes is depicted from the perspective of Prefontaine and the other members of the American athletes. The masked gunmen are shown and gunshots are heard, but the film focuses on how the violence affects Pre and the track team, not on the violence itself.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what disadvantages Prefontaine had to overcome to compete as an elite runner. What was his strategy to win? The film contends that in the 1970s, college athletes at the Olympic level suffered financially, so they could be considered "amateurs." Is that the case today? Parents can also use the film as a way to discuss the events at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the origins of Nike.
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