Location: IL
Directed By Gary Ross
Produced By Brian Grazer
Written By Gregory Allen Howard
Distributed By Universal Pictures
Original Music By Mark Isham
Film Editing By Richard Chew
Cinematography By Tobias A. Schliessler
Main Cast
Sanaa Lathan as Wilma Rudolph
Alfre Woodard as Blanche Rudolph
Samuel L. Jackson as Ed Rudolph
Derek Luke as Robert Eldridge
Denzel Washington as Ed Temple
Tagline: "Life Has No Boundaries"
Synopsis: It is the 1960 Olympics in Rome where Wilma Rudolph (Lathan) is about to make history. But as she takes her position on the starting line for her first go round, waiting for the gun shot to go off, Wilma begins to play back all the events that took place in her life and the people who were there, before she made it big.
She thinks of her mother and father, Ed and Blanche Rudolph. Ed Rudolph (Jackson) is a hardworking railroad porter and handyman and his wife Blanche (Woodard) is a faithful mother and a maid for a wealthy white family. The two do everything to provide for their 22 children even when they are completely poor; like many other Americans who had lost everything during the Great Depression in the 1920s and 30s.
Wilma thinks about the countless struggles she and her family had to endure. At an early age, Wilma is very sick and can not be treated at the local hospital where she and her family live near because of racial segregation. So Wilma's mother nurses her daughter for the next several years through one illness after the other. It is soon found out ,by a doctor, that Wilma has polio, a crippling disease that makes her left leg and foot weak and deformed. Wilma and her family are also informed that Wilma could possibly never be able to walk again.
Unwilling to give up on their daughter, Ed and Blanche find a hospital where Wilma can be treated. Even though the hospital is 50 miles away from their home, Wilma is taken there twice a week for two years until she is able to walk with the support of a metal leg brace. Wilma's parents learn the psychical therapy exercises that are done with Wilma at the hospital. Soon, Wilma is able to walk normally without the leg brace and decides she wants to do something she never thought she could...become an athlete.
In high school, Wilma meets two men who would change her life forever. The first is Robert Elridge (Luke), Wilma's attractive and supportive boyfriend who becomes her husband and the father of her four children. The second is Ed Temple (Washington), the coach of Wilma's track team,"The Tigerbelles". Coach Temple is very persistent and works very hard with Wilma and the other track runners to see them go far.
As the gun shot goes off, Wilma sprints as fast as she can to make it to the finish line. She ends up winning three gold medals, the first time an American woman does. Wilma proves that even someone with a disability can overcome it and fulfill their dreams through hope and the support of good people.
What the Press would say:
Based on the amazing and inspirational true story of one of America's greatest athletes, Wilma Rudolph had it all. Talent, beauty, strength, and perseverance. Sanaa Lathan stars as Wilma Rudolph in one of the most impressive and well acted biopic performances of all-time. She embodies Wilma's life and persona beautifully making the viewer believe they are watching Wilma Rudolph on screen. Lathan not only gives one of the best performances of the year but also of her career. Also excellent in this film are Samuel L. Jackson and Alfre Woodard who play Wilma's honest and hardworking parents Ed and Blanche. They play characters who will do anything for their daughter and believe that she will overcome all her obstacles and struggles. Woodard and Jackson not only play their characters with integrity but also have a lot of chemistry on screen playing husband and wife. Derek Luke does a nice job as well playing Robert Elridge, Wilma's supportive boyfriend who soon becomes her husband and the father of her four children. Luke delivers a performance that makes the viewer feel happy for Wilma because they know she has someone in her life who loves her romantically even though she has gone through a lot in her life. Finally, Denzel Washington plays Ed Temple, Wilma's track coach. Washington gives an exceptional supporting performance that is heart felt and courageous. Washington shows range in a performance that could have been played like your typical coach performance in a sports biopic and it is not. He goes in the other direction, giving a humanization to his character. "Running Miles" is the type of film that will inspire people to fulfill their aspirations and dreams and give hope to those who are disabled and to show them that can do anything they put their minds too. Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) directs this beautiful and touching film that was written by Gregory Allen Howard (the writer for "Ali" and "Remember the Titans") who shows that a sports biopic can be meaningful, fresh, and original. "Running Miles" is a well-acted, well-directed, well-written film that should strongly be considered in these categories come awards time...
For Your Consideration
Best Picture (AMPAS) - Brian Grazer
Best Picture Drama (HFPA) - Universal Pictures
Best Ensemble (SAG) - Lathan, Woodard, Jackson, Luke and Washington
Best Directing - Gary Ross
Best Actress in a Leading Role - Sanaa Lathan
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Samuel L. Jackson
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Denzel Washington
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Alfre Woodard
Best Original Screenplay - Gregory Allen Howard
Best Original Score - Mark Isham
Best Film Editing - Richard Chew
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