Hard Miles
Director R.J. Daniel Hanna’s spirited cycling story is certain to leave audiences riding high.
Father Nature: Jahking Guillory, Damien Diaz, Matthew Modine, Jackson Kelly, and Zachary T. Robbins
Image courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment
The State of Colorado abruptly closed Rite of Passage’s Ridge View Academy, a charter high school for at-risk youth, in 2021. Over the course of 20 years, the youth services facility served 8,000 young men, providing a structure for positive youth development and an opportunity for a brighter future. The young men who completed their high school diploma or GED went on to professional lives as doctors, lawyers, bankers, and more. Though the campus now sits dormant, Rite of Passage continues its mission, providing specialised care to Colorado youth. Highlighting a major chapter in the organisation’s 40-year history, Hard Miles takes inspiration from decades of stories and students to tell the true story of Ridge View’s cycling team and staff member Greg Townsend.
Faced with putting his plans for a solo cycling tour from Denver to the Grand Canyon on hold, Greg Townsend (Matthew Modine) embarks on the nearly 1,000-mile journey (762 to be exact), bringing a ragtag crew of boys along for the ride. Emblematic of Townsend’s no-nonsense practical advice, the welding workshop where the boys build the frames they’ll ride, is adorned with signs that read, “If you’re going through hell, keep going” and “This machine has no brain, use your own.” It’s the type of advice the young men will need to equip as they break away from the confines of campus and into a landscape of undiscovered emotional territory. Surrounded by mighty mountains and expansive plains, the group battles everything from heatstroke to chafing. In the freedom of the open air, their bicycles become a symbol of empowerment, challenging each of the young men to test their mettle and discover what they are truly capable of.
From Modine’s powerful opening monologue, the film proves an advocate for disadvantaged youth and the trials and tribulations they face. Filled with compassion and tough love, Hard Miles is that rare film that allows its male characters to actively address trauma — in this case through challenge and nature therapy. The best inspirational sports movies are not about winning the game or reaching the finish line, but the transformative journey along the way, coupled with the ability to believe and the courage to try. Director R.J. Daniel Hanna and co-writer Christian Sander craft a thoughtful, triumphant ride, leaving behind the message that there’s enough space for all of us to thrive. Modine is backed by a fantastic ensemble cast including Cynthia Kaye McWilliams as the caring social worker Haddie and industry veterans Sean Astin and Leslie Baker Smith in featured supporting roles. The real-life Townsend and his cycling team body doubled as themselves in the film and the bikes the young actors ride were actually crafted by Ridgeview students.
Where the film ends, the story continues. In celebration of Rite of Passage's 40th anniversary, the organisation has announced ‘Tour de Youth’, a cross-country bike ride celebrating their unique approach to experiential learning and efforts to connect adolescents to the natural world. Led by the real Greg Townsend, the Tour de Youth will embark on a 3,000-mile adventure, with kids, staff, and alumni from Rite of Passage programs venturing across the country from California to Washington D.C. Along the way the peloton will stop to see the historic and scenic sights of the United States.
CHAD KENNERK
Cast: Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Leslie David Baker, Jackson Kelly, Jahking Guillory, Damien Diaz, Zachary T. Robbins.
Dir R.J. Daniel Hanna, Pro Christian Sander, Screenplay R.J. Daniel Hanna, Christian Sander, Ph Mack Fisher, Pro Des Susannah Lowber, Ed Evan Schrodek, Music Andrew Brick Johnson, Costumes Claire Mildred, Sound Nathan Ruyle.
Pensé Productions-Blue Fox Entertainment (US)/Munro Film (UK).
108 mins. USA. 2023. US Rel: 19 April 2024. UK Rel: 31 May 2024. Cert. PG-13.
