In "Personal Best", track-and-field athletes Chris Cahill and Tory Skinner start dating. There's only one person (a swimmer named Denny Stiles) who highlights their sexuality, but as an observation; not as a denouncement. And every other character in the movie treats this lesbian relationship as something normal, which must've been quite unusual for a mainstream movie in 1982. That being said, there's nothing special about the plot as a whole. In fact, seeing the team members (mainly Chris) get injured feels repetitive. I'm sure that was done on purpose to highlight how tough this kind of career can be, but you can do that without presenting scenes that are so similar. It's a shame that this movie was overshadowed by "Chariots of Fire" (released around the same time), because I think this one does a much better job when it comes to the intense moments. Whether the characters are competing, training, or even armwrestling for fun, their physical effort is perceptible in every scene, thanks to director Robert Towne and the 5-person editing team.

 

6/10