Synopsis
When Dr. Marcus Sommers realizes that he and his troubled, estranged brother David may be prone a fatal brain disease that runs in their family, he decides to make peace with his sibling, and invites him on a trip to the Rockies. There, the brothers bond over their shared enthusiasm for cycling and decide to enter a grueling bike race through the mountains. However, Marcus' health soon begins to fail, and David must compete without his brother at his side.
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Cast
- Kevin CostnerMarcus Sommers
- David Marshall GrantDavid
- Rae Dawn ChongSarah
- Alexandra PaulBecky
- Jennifer GreyLeslie
- John AmosDr. Conrad
- Janice RuleMrs. Sommers
- Luca BercoviciMuzzin
- Robert TownsendJerome
Recommendations
- 70
Time Out
Badham and scriptwriter Steve Tesich keep the syrup and scenery flowing along nicely. - 63
Chicago Sun-Times
American Flyers is shaky at the core, because it tries to tap-dance around its own central issues. - 60
Empire
Not only do the pair have to prepare for the upcoming race, but, hey, they also have to deal with a hysterical mother, a dying father, and the knowledge that one brother is destined for the same fate as pops. Not quite as sickly as it sounds, with a fair few hints of the onscreen magnetism to come. - 60
Newsweek
American Flyers is too accomplished not to wring tears, but you may want to kick and scream before you succumb. [09 Sep 1985, p.90] - 50
TV Guide Magazine
Disjointed and underdeveloped. John Badham's direction is equally uninspired, though the climactic race, shot on location during the Coors International Bicycle Classic, is filmed with an abundance of breathtaking helicopter shots that capture the beautiful scenery. - 50
Variety
American Flyers is most entertaining when it rolls along unencumbered by big statements. Unfortunately, overblown production just pumps hot air in too many directions and comes up limp. - 50
Chicago Tribune
Though the racing action scenes are initially satisfying, one soon tires of the mountain scenery. And the obvious-from-the-start ending robs the race of whatever dramatic tension it ordinarily might have possessed. - 50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Predictable and maudlin. [14 Oct 1985]
