Oscar winner Robert Towne served as writer and director of the film, and it chronicles the relationship between track and field star Steve Prefontaine (played by Billy Crudup) and his coach, Bill Bowerman, who was a co-founder of Nike. Bowerman was portrayed by acclaimed Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, who garnered a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Supporting Actor” for this role.
Without Limits was produced by Oscar-nominated actor Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, and it was released and distributed via Warner Bros.
While this film may not be entirely 100 percent historically accurate, the acting performances are solid (especially by Crudup and Sutherland), and it does help introduce Prefontaine and his running legacy to a younger generation of fans (who may have never heard of him since he passed away in 1975). Without Limits garners four out of five stars.
Other film projects that have memorialized Prefontaine include the sports documentary, Fire on the Track, and the 1997 film, Prefontaine, starring Jared Leto in the title role as Steve Prefontaine.
In March of 2018, Steve Prefontaine was posthumously inducted into the National High School Track and Field Hall of Fame, in its inaugural class. Each day, the Prefontaine (Pre) Classic takes place in Eugene, Oregon, in his honor, which is a part of the IAAF Diamond League.
Next year’s Pre Classic will take place on June 28 and 29, 2019.
For more information on Steve Prefontaine’s life story and legacy, visit the Prefontaine Productions homepage.
Read More: Digital Journal chatted with Steve Prefontaine’s sister, Linda Prefontaine, about his life and legacy. She runs the “Tour de Pre” in Coos Bay, Oregon.
