If Steve Prefontaine needed more glorification, the 1997 film Prefontaine has risen to the task of further immortalizing this hero of track. Part biographical drama, part documentary-style narrative, this film tells the story of Prefontaine's journey from cocky high school graduate to cocky Olympian. Award-winning documentary director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) brings "Pre" back to the spotlight, telling the story of a life that is both inspirational and somewhat disappointing.
Pre's early life in Coos Bay, Oregon is shown not only through dramatic narrative but also through documentary-style "interviews" with actors playing his friends and family. The director's background in documentary-making shines in this section, with old footage of a rustic small town mixed into the narrative of how Pre began running. The spirit of Coos Bay circa the 1970s is captured excellently, and the film as a whole engrosses you in the era. Of course, because of this style it is difficult to tell what is true and what is fictionalized about his early life. Are the home videos shown really from Pre's family or are they stock footage? Are the quotes from the actors playing his family accurate to how they really felt? The viewer must suspend some disbelief in order to enjoy this film.
The young man set his sights on success early -- in one of the first scenes of the film, his family is watching the Olympics on television and he declares that nothing will stop him from running in the Munich Olympics in four years. His tenacity and sheer talent allowed him to set records that stood for decades. In fact, his record in the 5000-meter dash was just broken this year on June 28 during the Olympic trials by another Oregon native, Galen Rupp. Rupp's new record overtook Pre's by less than one second. But in the film, Pre's incredible talent fails to mask his harsh personality. He lacks empathy for other people -- a fact that drives some of the other characters crazy.
Toward the end of the film we see his character soften up a bit after he returns from an unsuccessful run in the Munich Olympics and takes on the Amateur Track Union back home. While the change gives the viewer a greater sense of sadness at the film's conclusion, it feels somewhat forced. Certainly his struggles could have caused his personality to change form but this felt like a way to placate viewers who might be annoyed with Pre's antics.
Harshness aside, it is impossible to ignore the feats of this young athlete and it is equally impossible not to mourn the loss of someone with such great potential. You may not like him as a person but you will find yourself feeling sorry for his sense of loss after Munich; you will root for him during his final meet at Hayward Field; and you would have to be hard-hearted indeed not to feel your heart swell at the crowd's chanting of "Go Pre" in the final scene.
Brash and cocky athletes in all sports have come and gone, but Steve Prefontaine may have been the most promising of all. Though it feels biased, this film successfully captures both aspects of Pre, painting a picture of a runner we both loathe and admire.