MOVIE REVIEW : ‘ON THE EDGE’ LAUDS AMATEUR SPIRIT

Ever since 1905, Marin County’s Dipsea Race, predated in this country only by the Boston Marathon, has attracted long-distance runners of both sexes and all ages. With its starting point in seedy Richardson Bay, the 7.2-mile run traverses the treacherous slopes of Mt. Tamalpais.

Since film maker Rob Nilsson grew up in the shadow of Mt. Tamalpais in Mill Valley and has participated in the Dipsea, it’s not surprising that he’d be inspired to make a film involving a Dipsea-like race. Would that he had been more inspired. “On the Edge” (Plitt Century Plaza), despite various pluses, plays too much like a nice, well-meaning TV movie on the amateur spirit in sports. What’s up there on the screen is often pretty good--at moments, even better than that. It’s just that there’s not enough to the film for it to be satisfying.

After an absence of 20 years, a celebrated runner (Bruce Dern) uses his sabbatical--he’s a high-school coach--to return home to Mill Valley and train for the Dipsea. He had left in disgrace, having confessed to cashing in airline tickets provided by race promoters and living on the proceeds, ruining his chances to become a champion. But now he’s determined to redeem himself. Returning home, however, means dealing with his crusty old father (Bill Bailey), a long-widowed old radical who has always disapproved of his son’s passion for running.

Nilsson couldn’t have done better in his casting. Dern has been a runner ever since high school, with a loner quality that’s just right for his role; bulbous-nosed, scratchy-voiced Bill Bailey really is an old leftist, one of the most vivid presences in two recent documentaries, “Seeing Red” and “The Good Fight.” These are two strong, weathered men, both of whom are drawing on a central passion--sports and politics, respectively--and they’re an unusually believable father and son. The late John Marley, who died shortly after completing his role, is pivotal as the grizzled veteran who agrees to coach Dern and tries to smooth out the edginess between father and son. The only other key role is that of the race director (Jim Haynie), a local sports-shop proprietor and a longstanding Dern nemesis.

Originally, there was another major character, the woman in Dern’s life, played by Pam Grier, but her part has ended up entirely on the cutting-room floor. Regardless of why Nilsson made such a drastic trim, he’s left a large and crucial hole in his story, for we never get a clear idea of the motivation for Dern’s single-minded dedication to winning the race. We understand his wanting to redeem himself, but why so badly--and why at this particular time? We’re left to assume that something in Grier’s character must have inspired the decision.

This is a lamentable loss, because Dern, bearded and intense in his solitude, seems literally living his part as he subjects his wiry body to a punishing course of training. Once in progress, the race allows Nilsson and cameraman Stefan Czapsky to cut loose, filming it dynamically, intricately working in media coverage of the event, and capturing the majesty of Mt. Tamalpais from such spectacular angles that they leave even those of us who know it feeling as if we’d never truly seen it before.

Nilsson tries to stave off the race’s predictability with a gesture on the part of Dern’s runner. But “On the Edge” (PG-13 for a couple of strong words) doesn’t benefit fully from the impact of this twist. That’s because, even at the end, we still don’t know Dern’s runner as well as we should.