Legend On The Run Movie Draws From Local Talent To Tell True Story Of Distance Runner Steve Prefontaine

Mention the movie “Prefontaine” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and reactions are enthusiastic.

“Prefontaine” chronicles the life of running legend Steve Prefontaine. The Oregon native was once considered the greatest distance runner in America. Some of his closest friends live in Spokane.

The film premiered at Robert Redford’s independent film festival last week and opened in 24 cities days later. One actor raved about how “you can’t go wrong” with the story of an underdog who wins because of hard work and determination … and then loses in the end.

Those who knew Prefontaine say he fought his way to the top - without a runner’s build and with a die-hard work ethic. The combination carried him to four NCAA titles and seven national records. In the 1972 Olympics, he competed in the 5,000-meter final, but came in fourth. Three years later, preparing for another run at the Olympics, the 24-year-old died in a car crash.

“Prefontaine” reveals the runner’s aggressive, cocky and controversial ways. When filmmakers Steve James and Peter Gilbert of “Hoop Dreams” fame began this Disney project, they consulted with the Prefontaine family and close friends like Mead High School track and field coach Pat Tyson. Tyson and “Pre,” as he was known, met at the University of Oregon in the summer of 1968 when both ran track.

“I was a quiet 18-year-old and he was an energetic 17-year-old,” Tyson said. “Whenever he’d come out to the track, there’d be a huge crowd and kids lining up to get his autograph.”

Tyson said the movie truly captures his friend’s charisma on and off the track.

Most of the scenes were filmed in Seattle and Tacoma, with the University of Puget Sound passing for the U-of-O. Tyson acted as a technical adviser, and dozens of other Spokane residents also made appearances on the set. About 25 cross-country runners from Mead High School acted as competitors in track meet scenes.

Also, 14-year-old Ryan Brewer of Horizon Junior High School played the role of James Buck, Prefontaine’s best friend as a child. Brewer made an appearance at the film’s Seattle premiere last week, where he saw the movie in its entirety for the first time.

“In the beginning, you don’t like him (Prefontaine,) but by the end you have to love him,” Brewer says.

Brewer appears in about three scenes - all about Pre’s childhood. As a teenager, Prefontaine tried to compete in football, baseball, and basketball - and was told by coaches he was too small to be any good. Then he started running.

“He found something he loved and he worked as hard as he could. He struggled to the very end, but he became an awesome runner,” Brewer says about Prefontaine.

Tyson agrees and hopes the MTV generation will be as moved by the story as he was. “It was strange to see what happened in my life 25 years ago on a big screen; it was tough to watch,” says Tyson, who saw the movie in Eugene and plans to see it a couple more times.

The life of this ‘70s track icon has attracted another Hollywood production company as well. Warner Bros. will be putting out its version of the story, titled “Pre,” sometime this fall. Most of the scenes in the Warner Bros. movie, produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, were shot in Eugene and Portland.

While the story of Prefontaine’s life is captivating, that may not be enough for both films to be successful. “Prefontaine” may have the upper hand. The exposure from Sundance, along with being the first version to hit theaters, may mean larger ticket sales for the Disney film.

Tyson says “Prefontaine” is the movie that Steve’s family is backing, and that’s why he chose to act as a technical adviser.

Tyson says this about what moviegoers can expect: “They’re going to see a simple guy, growing up in the ‘60s with lots of hopes and dreams, who achieves them with hard work. Pre never got an Olympic medal for his running, and then he ended up losing the greatest race of all - life.”

What would Steve Prefontaine think of all this attention, 25 years after his fame? Tyson says with a smile, “He’d be really proud, really proud.”

If “Prefontaine” does well in limited release, the movie will be distributed to other cities, including Spokane.

MEMO: Katie Eldridge is a reporter for KXLY-TV news and a Spokane-based free-lance writer.