History Trivia / BreakingAway

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/PJSoles originally hoped to get the role of the French student Dave meets at the end of the movie, as she spoke fluent French in real life. When someone else was cast, she got the part of Suzy, one of the members of Katharine's sorority.

* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Creator/PeterYates called this one of his three favorite movies of his that he directed (along with ''Film/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle'' and ''Film/TheDresser'').

* RecycledTheSeries: The film was adapted into a 1980–81 series on Creator/{{ABC}}. Barbara Barrie, Creator/JackieEarleHaley, and John Ashton all reprised their film roles, with [[Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries Shaun Cassidy]] taking over the role of Dave and Creator/VincentGardenia playing his father Ray. Barrie was nominated for an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward, thereby receiving both an Oscar and Emmy nomination for playing the same character.

* CastTheRunnerUp: P.J. Soles originally hoped to get the role of the French student Dave meets at the end of the movie, as she spoke fluent French in real life. When someone else was cast, she got the part of Suzy, one of the members of Katharine's sorority.

* DawsonCasting: Played straight with Dennis Christopher, Creator/DennisQuaid, and Creator/DanielStern, who were 23, 21 , and 24, respectively, playing 19 years old. Inverted with Creator/JackieEarleHaley, who was only 17.

* EnforcedMethodActing: When Katharine slaps Dave in the face after he tells her the truth about who he is, Robyn Douglass (according to WordOfGod) accidentally slapped Dennis Christopher for real, and the look on his face is genuine.
* IronyAsSheIsCast: Dennis Christopher actually is an Italian-American (his real name was Dennis Corelli).
* RecycledTheSeries: The film was adapted into a 1980–81 series on Creator/{{ABC}}. Barbara Barrie, Creator/JackieEarleHaley, and John Ashton all reprised their film roles, with [[Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries Shaun Cassidy]] taking over the role of Dave and Creator/VincentGardenia playing his father Ray. Barrie was nominated for an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward, thereby receiving both an Oscar and Emmy nom for playing the same character.

** Creator/PaulDooley and Dennis Christopher also played father and son in ''[[Film/AWedding1978 A Wedding]]''.

* CastTheRunnerUp: PJ Soles originally wanted to play the role of the French student Dave meets at the end of the movie, as she spoke fluent French in real life. When someone else was cast, she got the part of Suzy, one of the members of Katharine's sorority.

* RecycledTheSeries: The film was adapted into a 1980-81 series on Creator/{{ABC}}. Barbara Barrie, Creator/JackieEarleHaley, and John Ashton all reprised their film roles, with [[Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries Shaun Cassidy]] taking over the role of Dave. Barrie was nominated for an Emmy Award, thereby receiving both an Oscar and Emmy nom for playing the same character.

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* DawsonCasting: Played straight with Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, and Daniel Stern, who were 23, 21 , and 24, respectively, playing 19 years old. Inverted with Jackie Earle Haley, who was only 17.

* ThoseTwoActors: Creator/PaulDooley and Dennis Christopher also played father and son in ''[[Film/AWedding1978 A Wedding]]''.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: A&P, the grocery chain Evelyn mentions a couple of times in the movie, went bankrupt and closed down in 2015.

* ThoseTwoActors: Paul Dooley and Dennis Christopher also played father and son in ''[[Film/AWedding1978 A Wedding]]''.

* ThoseTwoActors: Paul Dooley and Dennis Christopher also played father and son in ''Film/AWedding''.

* InspirationForTheWork: The film was inspired by a short story Denny Aaberg had published in a 1974 ''Surfer Magazine'' entitled "No Pants Mance", and the lives of a group of friends who used to surf with Aaberg and Milius including Lance Carson.

* RealLifeRelative: William Katt's mother Barbara Hale has a small role.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/TomBerenger auditioned for the part of Jack Barlowe.
** Creator/JeffBridges turned down the role of Matt.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: The role of the "Enforcer" was loosely based on longtime Malibu icon and waterman Ray Kunze, who looked out for Creator/JohnMilus and Dennis Aaberg in the late 1950s.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $11 million. Box office, $4.5 million.

* RecycledTheSeries: The film was adapted into a 1980-81 series on Creator/{{ABC}}. Barbara Barrie, Jackie Earle Haley, and John Ashton all reprised their film roles, with [[Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries Shaun Cassidy]] taking over the role of Dave. Barrie was nominated for an Emmy Award, thereby receiving both an Oscar and Emmy nom for playing the same character.
* WriteWhatYouKnow: Writer Steven Tesich was a graduate of Indiana University, and knew a bicycle champion whom he based Dave on.

* RecycledTheSeries: The film was adapted into a 1980-81 series on Creator/{{ABC}}. Barbara Barrie, Jackie Earle Haley, and John Ashton all reprised their film roles, with {{Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries Shaun Cassidy}} taking over the role of Dave. Barrie was nominated for an Emmy Award, thereby receiving both an Oscar and Emmy nom for playing the same character.

* RecycledTheSeries: The film was adapted into a 1980-81 series on Creator/{{ABC}}. Barbara Barrie, Jackie Earle Haley, and John Ashton all reprised their film roles, with {{HardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries Shaun Cassidy}} taking over the role of Dave. Barrie was nominated for an Emmy Award, thereby receiving both an Oscar and Emmy nom for playing the same character.

* RecycledTheSeries: The film was adapted into a 1980-81 series on Creator/{{ABC}}. Barbara Barrie, Jackie Earle Haley, and John Ashton all reprised their film roles; Barrie was nominated for an Emmy Award, thereby receiving both an Oscar and Emmy nom for playing the same character.

* EnforcedMethodActing: When Katharine slaps Dave in the face after he tells her the truth about who he is, Robyn Douglass (according to WordOfGod) accidentally slapped Dennis Christopher for real, and the look on his face is genuine.