Review – Chariots of Fire

They’re athletes (track stars, no less). They’re establishment English (okay, Eric Liddell was Scottish, but the movie makes little of the distinction). I should hate this, but I don’t. The story follows two members of Britain’s 1924 Olympics team: Liddell (Ian Charleson) and Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross). While Liddell struggles with conflicts between his faith and the requirements of competition, Abrahams runs afoul of the athletics establishment when he bends strict amateurs-only rules by hiring a professional coach. But a simple plot summary doesn’t do justice to the character development and subtle touches that make this worth a look. Buy the disc