See How She Runs

This is an outstanding film that unfortunately has been lost in the sea of Celluloid on the now defunct Lightning Video Label. Joanne Woodward is brilliant in this film and the supporting cast members back her full hearted all the way. Perhaps the best performance of her career and well deserving of the Emmy she won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama.

This is a compelling drama about a strong-willed woman's desire to run in the Boston marathon. Although she initially begins her jog in the desire to take a few pounds off, she soon yearns to take it one step (after another) further. Betty Quinn (Woodward) is a 40 year old divorced school teacher with the middle age blues. Her two daughters and ex-husband dump their problems on her and she patiently copes. It isn't until Betty starts to jog that her life changes dramatically. Despite snapping dogs and would-be attackers, Betty is determined to run in the Boston marathon. But the grueling event may prove to be physically and emotionally impossible. I will admit I had some reservations about watching and reviewing this film. Why? I'm not sure. But like me, you will find yourself cheering for SEE HOW SHE RUNS!

I was about to write this review, then remembered that when I worked with Ms. Woodward - it was a brief, but important, encounter, as I was building a prop for her - and starstruck - I never told her how much impact her portrayal in this film had on my life; that I wouldn't be standing there speaking to her if I had not been so very influenced by this film - and I send gratitude to Marvin S. Gluck for writing it. It is the most powerful film I ahve ever seen for women - for women who are mothers.

Of course, it wouldn't have been appropriate at the time, although Ms. Woodward could not have been more welcoming, nor kinder. Still, she was rehearsing a Chekov play.in Woodstock, and respectful distance seemed right. (Ms. Woodward

For years I tried to find the film and it appeared nowhere. When I say Woodward's performance and this film changed my life, I did not become a runner. (I have never even jogged). But I took a leap and plunged into theatre at a later age than is usually the case. A less than stellar prop was never carried so proudly.

The 10 stars are for the film, and given without sentiment. The sentiment popped up as I began to write.

I am sure that many women at home had enjoyed this TV movie. Even in France I am sure this feature was released. This is a portrait of a solid and so real woman. I would say that it is a rather feminist story, in the good way. Many female audiences, and I would also say the bulk, will feel the greatest empathy for this woman character played by a Joanne Woodward at her very best, fighting for herself and her children. OK, it may seem cheesy from time to time, but it is supposed to be shown to family audiences. Typical for TV audiences, at home, on afternoons. The last minutes are unforgettable.

SEE HOW SHE RUNS is a decent Joanne Woodward vehicle featuring good acting but a somewhat predictable plot. Likely one of TV's first responses to the running craze of the seventies, the movie is pretty dated and simplistic in its treatment of the sport. We see Woodward going on long runs in full length jeans not once but twice, and while she winds up wearing the Nike swoosh on race day, earlier she dons some pretty funky looking shoes, including a canvas pair of flats that probably would have given anyone else massive blisters and shin splints (though she never has any such issues). Still, if you can forgive the inconsistencies, this is an okay movie on the subject of running and those who catch the fever of training for a marathon.

The plot is rife with predictable roadblocks placed in the path of Woodward's desire to run, including the sketchy ex who frequently questions her abilities yet ultimately seeks reconciliation (which the script nimbly avoids in surprisingly well-played late scene), two remarkably bratty daughters who are jealous of their mother's training time away from them, and a chilling attack during a night run at the end of the second act. From her school colleagues to her landlord to her friends, not a single person initially supports her marathon aspirations, which might be dramatically interesting, but comes off as a little unrealistic. Still, Woodward is uniformly better than the material. In particular, her reactions and physical breakdown after escaping her attacker are so believable that it is a little disturbing. This scene (along with the agonizing climax) are atypically serious moments in what is otherwise a fairly lighthearted look at the process of training for a marathon.

Probably the highlight of the movie is the climactic marathon footage, which features lots of genuine location work in Massachusetts and what appears to be real marathon clips spliced in with Woodward's run. As someone who has run marathons, the filming here is far more realistic and believable than the earlier training sessions where Woodward barely sweats; the filmmakers show how simultaneously painful yet exhilarating the experience can be. SEE HOW SHE RUNS is hardly a classic and definitely shows its anachronistic seventies roots, but as a testament to the problems and joys of those who want to train for endurance, it's not a bad try. 6/10