HARD MILES – A Review by John Strange
Ridgeview Academy houses youths who otherwise would be in prison. The staff works hard at rehabilitating the young men so they can return to the outside world as free men. Greg Townsend (Matthew Modine) teaches welding at the school and rides his bike in his spare time.
Greg is preparing for a 762-mile ride to the Grand Canyon when two things happen. Haddie (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) injures her ankle right before a 50-mile hike with a group of boys and the school is threatened with closure.
Skip Bowman (Leslie David Baker) informs Greg that he must delay his ride and take over the hike. Greg has an alternate option. Take the boys on his ride!
Greg has the great idea of obtaining the equipment necessary to allow the boys to do the ride by having the boys build their bikes in the welding shop. And what they can’t build, he convinces his friend Speedy (Sean Astin) to provide as he sponsors the ride on behalf of his bike shop.
The bikes are up to the hardships of the ride, but the riders are not happy to be on them. The story of how they endured and overcame the miles, sleeping in tents under the stars and eating food cooked on a campfire is the base plot of the film.
This is a film that keeps your interest and wondering what will happen next. The interactions of the boys with Greg and Haddie (who drives the equipment van) go through a lot of changes as the miles roll by under the bike’s tires. Will they make it? Will any of the boys rabbit?
The story is well-written and beautifully shot. Matthew Modine does a brilliant job as Greg. And I really enjoyed the photos of the real Greg Townsend and the boys who rode with him that were shown during the end credits.
Director: RJ Daniel Hanna
Cast: Matthew Modine, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Leslie David Baker, Sean Astin, Jahking Guillory, Jackson Kelly, Damien Diaz, Zachary T. Robbins
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for strong language, thematic content, suggestive references, and some teen drinking)
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 108 Min.
Release Date: 04/19/2024
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Sport
Movie Site: HARD MILES Official Site
Trailer: HARD MILES Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
