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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1997)
COURTESY PHOTO Jared Leto stars as Olympic distance runner Steve Prefontaine in the Hollywood Pictures film “Prefontaine.” Too real to be fake, too fake to be real by Thom Schoenborn Managing Editor It was strange to see Prefontaine at the McDon ald Theatre. 1 sat next to Steve Prefontaine’s college roommate, Pat Tyson. Across the row were his parents, and behind me sat one of his coaches, Bill Dellinger. In the midst of so much real history, the docu mentary style with which director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) filmed Prefontaine seemed... surreal. I found myself wishing the interviews with Bill Dellinger (Ed O’Neill of Married, with Children), Bill Bowerman (R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket), Pat Tyson (Breckin Meyer of Clueless) and Mac Wilkins (Brian McGovern) would have been with the real people instead of the actors. The problem is, those of us familiar with the Pre fontaine legend will spend much of the movie finding faults with its accuracy and exaggeration. The fact is, a lot of people didn’t like Pre’s cockiness and brashness. Like a lot of historical fiction, the movie puts a spin on Pre’s obsessive nature as pure determina tion. Some people may buy into it, but they will be the ones whose only exposure to Track Town, USA was last year’s national airing of the Pre Prefontaine ★★ (sports drama) ■ WHERE: McDonald Theatre ■ STARRING: Jared Leto, Ed O’Neill ■ DIRECTOR: Steve James ■ RATED: PG-13 fontaine Classic track and field meet. The meet was star-studded because it was a warm-up for the summer Olympics. But if viewers are able to step away from what they know and watch the film for its message, they will find a marvelous piece of work. "Let’s face it. The reason we’re talking about Pre is because he was a winner. The world needs win ners,” Dellinger said during an interview in the movie. There is perhaps no greater sports story than that of Steve Prefontaine: an Olympian cut down in his prime; an advocate for athletes who was killed before he could reap the benefits he sought. Pre’s desire to succeed and his intense commit ment to a winning attitude pervades the entire film. Pre bemoans his physical attributes, saying everything he is and will be depends upon his desire to win. Jared Leto portrays Pre with intensity and self ishness. You believe that he will win the gold medal in Munich, even though you know better. Watching the race in Munich, Bowerman says, “He knows he can’t out-kick those guys, so he’s going to sprint 600 yards.” It’s one of the best scenes in the movie. The decision to have A1 Bundy portray Dellinger is arguably the best casting decision of the year. The type-casted O’Neill played Dellinger to the hilt. But that’s the problem with the movie. We know too much about Pre’s story to believe half of the movie. It’s not a documentary because too much is made up, but it’s not fiction because too much is real. Especially the end. YOU CAN READ THE EMERALD FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. o.<S.e. on the world wide weh: http://daricwing.uoregon.edu/~ode IT’S JUST LIKE REALLY BEING HERE, BUT WITHOUT ALL THE RAIN. Workshop: African instructors have traveled across country ■ Continued from Page 7 before leaving his village. Koumbassa and Dambakate have been working together since 1993, teaching dance workshops across the United States. During the summer they also teach a dance camp in California. Both now live in New York. “These are among the best teachers of Western African dance nationally,” Depom peo said. Individual dance and drum workshops will begin next week. Dambakate lead drum workshops will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in WOW Hall Jan. 28-30. An addition al workshop will occur at the same time Jan. 31 in Ger linger Annex. Koumbassa dance work shops in WOW Hall will be from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Jan. 28 30, and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 1. Another work shop will also take place Jan. 31 in Gerlinger Annex from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Participants in the drum workshops will need to bring their own drums. Each work shop is $10, and all work shops will be the same. <1 FRI., JAN. 24 0 WalkerT. Ryan, Blues BLACK FOREST TAVERN 2657 WILLAMETTE • 344-0816 AFTER I 0pm • NO COVER EVER! Tom Waters Band THEVETS CLUB 1626 WILLAMETTE • 345-3261 : <1 SAT., JAN. 25 C> [ Peter Bach, Acoustic Giant , BLACK FOREST TAVERN i 2657 WILLAMETTE • 344-0816 1 AFTER I 0pm • NO COVER EVER! ■ Comedy Night 1 SCANDALS, 2222 CENTENNIAL [ 9-1 I PM • 343-4734 | Tom Waters Band , THE VETS CLUB i 1626 WILLAMETTE • 345-3261 Scandals 2222 Centennial Blvd. • Eugene • 343-4734 Come to where it's hot ‘n’ wild! ! fridays: $5.00 Food & Beverage Special 8:30-10:30 p.m. (Includes cover. Call for more details} Saturdays: 75* Beverage Night Starts at 11 p.m. (Call for more details)
