Bring home ‘American Flyers’ on Blu-ray

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

The 1985 film American Flyers is a fun and sentimental journey through the Rocky Mountains. In one of his first major starring roles, Kevin Costner delivers an outstanding performance opposite David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, and Alexandra Paul.

Marcus Sommers (Costner) is a past bicycle-racing hero but has not raced in years. He is now a sports doctor working alongside his partner Dr. Conrad (John Amos). When his brother David (Grant) comes to town the story goes from a sports film to a sibling-bonding story.

Their father had died from an inherited disease and now David wants to find out if he has the gene. While the two brothers swipe jabs at each other and David undergoes tests, they decide to enter the Hell of the West bicycle race that Marcus had won years earlier. Marcus’ girlfriend Sarah (Chong) comes along to drive the van and along the way David meets Becky (Paul) who ends up joining the team. Now the foursome takes on the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains in a grueling and physically challenging race.

The camaraderie between racers is non-existent. Marcus’ old teammate Muzzin (Luca Bercovici) is on an opposing team now and there is a lot of animosity between the two. Yet Marcus challenges his brother to keep going and keep peddling and not to let the other racers get in his head. As the two continue to advance in the race, their relationship grows. David and Marcus discover their brotherhood is strong but there is a cruel twist of fate in store for the Sommers family.

The race named “Hell of the West” is grueling both physically and mentally, but for the Sommers brothers, their bond is what keeps them going. And with the help of Sarah and Becky, the foursome confronts challenges on and off the road.

This is an interesting and entertaining film and definitely a keeper. The photography and scenery is outstanding and it is fun to see Costner when he was starting out. Of course, he was in the 1983 film The Big Chill however fans of that movie know all his scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Someday it would be nice if the studio released those scenes.

Listen for the addictive title song. American Flyers is rated PG-13 however it is suitable for most viewers. This 2022 release from Warner Archive is a brand new 1080p HD Master making it visually stunning. It can purchased at the Warner Archive Amazon Store or online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays® are sold.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association, was a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club, and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.