Bereamic Awesome Movie

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

RbDeraj At many a time throughout the film, the storyline seemed like another cliché of a sports film about a talented kid from a rough background being trained by an old grumpy harsh coach trying to relive his prior glory days. This was true in a sense, but was pulled off well enough to cover that up. The director and cast were descent for being not very well known. They did a good job in making the situations realistic showing how Drew (our main character) was torn between his loyalties and stuck in his predicament. He was faithful to his brother yet at the same time was used, abused, and put into dangerous situations by his illegal and harmful practices. Thinking that running track could take him to college and a better life, he is mentored by an old coach and neighbor who pushes him to his limits through unusual training methods and teaches him life lessons along the way. Just when you think this couldn't get any more typical, the plot takes an unexpected twist in a Gran Torino Sort of way.I didn't quite like the high school romance that they threw in there with much of it seeming out of place and corny. While the story was inspiring, I thought that the attempted climax of those feelings failed to get the desired effect. The most touching moment of the film, where Drew breaks through his inner barriers and mentally pushes past the problems in his life, came across as cheesy with too much crying for my taste. The actual physical running and form in the film looked believable and accurate (unlike some sports films I have seen) which always makes it more watchable for people who have been involved in running.As an avid runner I like the idea of this being brought to audiences not familiar with the sport of track. It shows them that there is more to running than just running like Drew learns in the film from Coach Colman.6.5/10

TxMike We were able to watch this movie on Netflix streaming. From the brief description I figured I would like, and I found it to be even better than my expectations.Set and filmed in the Seattle Washington area, it features a high school boy who has always been fast, and wants to be the fastest 400M runner on his team. But he has issues, mostly stemming from an abusive and no good older brother. When he has issues with the track coach he drops off the team. But someone tells him of an older coach that may be able to help him.The older coach uses unusual methods, seemingly unrelated to running fast. It turns out he is testing the boy, to see if he has the patience and the guts to take instruction and give it his all. They even use the old "wax on, wax off' reference. And, the old coach wants him to run the mile, not the 400 meters.The boy is Kelly Blatz, about 26, who plays Drew Jacobs. Blatz was an all-star high school athlete and looks very comfortable in his role as a runner. The old coach is Richard Jenkins who once again takes a generic role and makes it special. Also good is Analeigh Tipton as Lisa, also a runner and with eyes for Drew.As the story unfolds it is made clear several times that what they are doing isn't so much about winning races on the track but clearing out your inner demons so that you can accomplish what you want. A very special small film, never dull and always enjoyable, and with a few surprises.SPOILERS: Drew's brother is getting drugs from some thugs, and Drew is expected to carry drugs and money back and forth by running with a shoulder bag. There is a showdown of sorts at Drew's home, the old coach sees it and calls cops, but he is accidentally shot and dies. The brother and other thugs end up in prison, and even though Drew had not won the regional mile race to go to state finals, on his own he ran his mile in 3:57 as we see in parallel the state championship race won in 4:03. And as the movie ends we get a short feel-good scene of one year later and Drew is lining up at the start of a college race.

Victoria Cumberbatch I anticipated this being a typical, high school sports movie and was geared up for that sort of simple entertainment. Some aspects remained typical: conflict in the protagonists' life stemmed from family, some sort of important death would occur that would make him want to win more, and that the protagonist had a bit of a temper. HOWEVER, the two major unexpected aspects of this film is what pushed me to give it a 7 and not a 5, which I rate as a film that's just average in all ways. The way in which Coleman died was thoroughly unexpected for me and I was shocked! Which I appreciated because I had no real emotional ties to the film until that point. Secondly, the fact that Drew never even made that last state championship meet was a perfect choice for the script and again, I was pleasantly surprised. I figured he would somehow make the meet by the skin of his teeth, and because it's a movie, he would not only be warmed up to race but also win for Coleman! The subtle creation of a relationship with Lisa was a nice touch. Their low key love never distracted from the point of the film, but I do think it added to the tone of learning patience and understanding that it's all a process. In another random side note, as a former 4X4 sprinter that was just as averse to moving up to the mile as Drew, I truly believed in the dedication and passion that was perceived as being a high school athlete. When you're banking on yourself to get an athletic scholarship, and it's just you and the clock, not you and a team backing your skills, you HAVE to be all the things that Coleman tried to teach Drew. I respect the ending of the film, where it's up to the viewer to decide the outcome of the D1 championship because you want to believe that Drew has taken those lessons in and is not only a great runner, but a quality man. At the end of the day, this film is more about learning to navigate life as opposed to just high school athleticism.

MaryS-333 I attended the world premier of 4 Minute Mile, directed by Charles-Olivier Michaud, at the Seattle International Film Festival. I chose to see the film, not only because it was filmed in Seattle, but also because the storyline sounded compelling. The film proved to be more than compelling; it was shocking, gritty, and suspenseful. A 4 minute mile is difficult for a runner to achieve. Anything is difficult when you lost your father as a child, live in poverty, and have a brother who uses you for illegal drug runs. It's understandable why high school runner Drew Jacobs (Kelly Blatz) has a chip on his shoulder, but he must overcome his anger if he wants to run the mile in under four minutes and receive a scholarship, and more importantly, escape the fate that has befallen his brother. After being kicked off the track team for having a poor attitude, Drew seems to be spiraling downward, until his neighbor (Richard Jenkins), a former track coach who is struggling with his own demons, mentors him. The two form a special bond and fill a void in each other's heart. Excellent performances are given by Jenkins, Kim Basinger and Cam Gigandet, but the real surprise is newcomer Kelly Blatz. Virtually unknown, unlike the other actors who were up for the part, Blatz wowed Michaud and the casting director, who decided to take a chance on him, after receiving a very raw, emotional post-screen-test email from Blatz, which brought them to tears. Although the running sequences didn't make sense geographically to anyone familiar with the Seattle area, it was fun to see familiar sights such as Safeco Field, Garfield High School, and Fisherman's Terminal.According to the director, the film is a metaphor for how you should live your life: Commit yourself. 4 Minute Mile is available July 1 on iTunes and On Demand, and is in theaters August 1. This review was originally published on Yahoo! Voices: http://voices.yahoo.com/movie- review-4-minute-mile-2014-12693420.html?cat=40