The uplifting sports biopic genre has a lot of murky waters to wade through to win the hearts of the viewer. There’s the fact that it’s a genre that’s been done countless times before. At this point, if you don’t know the story, there’s a 99 percent chance you will know the outcome. Most of them end in an uplifting manner, in which the result is a positive one for those involved.
Rent or Buy Hard MilesIt doesn’t matter if it’s a movie about football, baseball, or, in this case, cycling. All true story-inspired projects steer toward the same goal to ensure the audience is left with elevated spirits. And it’s up to the cast and crew to ensure that all the typical beats are covered, but there must be more to make the audience appreciate the movie. Hard Miles hits all the obvious notes, but it’s the work of those involved that make this a cheerful watch.
The movie tells the true story of a prison social worker and avid cyclist named Greg Townsend (Matthew Modine), as he plans for his upcoming bike ride from Denver, Colorado to the Grand Canyon. It’s a 762-mile ride, and one he’s done numerous times prior. But he wants to change things up this year. As his correctional school faces funding issues, he decides to take a group of students, all young men, with him on the journey. For all of them, it’s their first time participating in such an endeavor. And none of them have the proper equipment, nor do they even want to consider doing it.
But Townsend wants to use this opportunity to have the juveniles experience something that is greater than themselves. He wants them to see that there’s more to the world than to what they’ve been exposed. And while life is tough, there are tougher things out there that they can overcome if they put their heart and soul into it.
Directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna, who co-wrote the screenplay with Christian Sander, Hard Miles covers familiar ground. But it’s Hanna’s direction and the liveliness of the characters that make the story work. Modine truly embodies the determined, sometimes selfish man who initially wants to accomplish this trip for himself. But as the miles add up, the relationship he develops with the young men grows stronger.
There are a few detours along the way, such as Townsend reliving key moments from his past that were traumatic and being informed of his father’s failing health. We get some glimpses into what life was like for Townsend before his current life, but it doesn’t have the same impact as the relationships he is building with his students. All four come from troubled pasts as well, and it’s something they feel they can’t outrun. The movie does show that some still struggle with overcoming what got them in trouble in the first place.
Hard Miles works on an aesthetic level as well, with its beautiful scenery of all the destinations visited. Hanna also has a sure-hand style, too, showcasing some smooth, unbroken sequences that give the viewer a sense of being in the moment.
One could easily pick apart the movie’s cliches, but it’s the heart and dedication to telling the story that makes Hard Miles a worthy biopic. It’s not overly sentimental or mawkish in any regard. It just comes off as natural. And in a moment when you need something to lift your spirits, it’s an easy one to put on and fill your heart with joy that there is still good in the world.
Hard Miles is currently available for rent and purchase on digital platforms.
