Tracking a Legend

Steve Prefontaine was, to crib a line from Bruce Springsteen, born to run. And to win. The ultimate competitive animal, he finished first in more than 75% of his races and remains the only person ever to hold the U.S. records in every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters.

But there is another side to this charismatic runner, who knew he was good and wasn’t fearful about sharing the knowledge. Prefontaine became an early spokesman for athletes’ rights and helped put Nike on the map by accepting its sponsorship when it was just a wee Oregon company. More poignantly, Steve Prefontaine died in an automobile accident when he was 24 years old, leading to his apotheosis as the James Dean of track and field.

It’s taken more than 20 years, but Hollywood has finally caught up to Prefontaine’s appeal, and for a while two projects were, yes, racing to reach theaters. A Robert Towne-directed version called “Pre” starring Billy Crudup is scheduled for fall release, well behind the current “Prefontaine.”

Directed and co-written by Steve James, the director of “Hoop Dreams,” and co-produced and photographed in Super 16-millimeter by his “Hoop” partner Peter Gilbert, “Prefontaine,” not surprisingly, takes a documentary approach to its story.

This means that it not only starts off with newsreel footage and shoots as much as possible in a loose, hand-held style, but also frames the narrative around talking head shots of actors--often in unconvincing aging makeup--playing key participants in Prefontaine’s life who comment on the man they knew.

While documentaries like “Hoop Dreams” come with the grittiness of reality automatically included, dramatic films have to manufacture their own, and “Prefontaine” can’t. Though it is always pleasant and agreeable, this film has the bland and undemanding texture that characterizes movies made for network TV. Worshipful without really trying to be, it’s more an illustrated scrapbook than an involving motion picture.

The man who “turned distance running into a blood sport” grew up in Coos Bay, Ore., not sure where to channel his fearful determination to succeed. The discovery of running answered that question, though Prefontaine (played by look-alike Jared Leto) does find time to have a sweet relationship with down-home girlfriend Elaine Finley (Laurel Holloman).

The two go to the University of Oregon where Pre, as everyone calls him, switches romantic allegiances to the more upscale Nancy Alleman (Amy Locane) and comes under the tutelage of irascible coach Bill Bowerman (R. Lee Ermey), a crusty autocrat who, believe it or not, has a caring heart under that gruff exterior.

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It’s Bowerman who moves Pre from the mile to the less publicized longer distances, correctly assuring him that, with his personality, he’ll make everyone care about these races. In a kind of sporadic inside joke, Bowerman, who went on to co-found Nike, is seen continually experimenting, not always successfully, with different kinds of homemade running shoes.

The turning point in Pre’s young life is his participation in the 1972 Munich Olympics, both his memorable 5,000-meter race against Finland’s Lasse Viren and his emotional response to the massacre of Israeli athletes. One result was his determination to fight the Amateur Athletic Union (here presented as a mythical organization called the ATU) to gain conditions comparable to those of cosseted European athletes.

Though “Prefontaine” takes a certain amount of power from its protagonist’s personality and the events he lived through, Steve James’ script (co-written by Eugene Corr) is filled with overly familiar situations and lines like “He ran his heart out” and “Nobody can coach desire.” Equally self-evident is that nobody can ensure that a memorable story will get the kind of nuanced treatment it deserves.

* MPAA rating: PG-13, for brief strong language. Times guidelines: a fatal automobile crash.

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‘Prefontaine’

Jared Leto: Steve Prefontaine

R. Lee Ermey: Bill Bowerman

Ed O’Neill: Bill Dellinger

Breckin Meyer: Pat Tyson

Lindsay Crouse: Elfriede Prefontaine

Amy Locane: Nancy Alleman

Laurel Holloman: Elaine Finley

An Irby Smith, Jon Lutz, Mark Doonan production, released by Hollywood Pictures. Director Steve James. Producers Irby Smith, Jon Lutz, Mark Doonan, Peter Gilbert. Screenplay Steve James and Eugene Corr. Cinematographer Peter Gilbert. Editor Peter Frank. Costumes Tom Bronson. Music Mason Darling. Production design Carol Winstead Wood. Art director Gregory A. Weimerskirch. Set decorator Nina Bradford. Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes.

* In general release throughout Southern California.