American Anthem (1986) Reviews

• Wonderful movie

  heidi4chris20052005-02-12

  I personally thought this movie had integrity and strength throughout from beginning to end. It showed the battles young people have to face to live up to not only others expectations of them but their own expectations of themselves. Some tasks are harder than others and its normally because either you don't feel your good enough or you don't feel others see you as good enough. If you give up you never find out if you really did have it in you to succeed. This movie did an awesome job of representing that. The gymnasts in the movie were excellent, the acting was top notch. The fact that they did film the movie in an old run down building and still made it into a wonderful experience is amazing. I would love to see more movies just like this to show to my own kids. It shows them to never give up on your dreams. That is why I loved this movie.

• One of the most memorable films of my youth

  Wendyhj2012-04-05

  I didn't get to see this film until a year after it was in the theaters, one of my first experiences of seeing a movie on VHS (my parents didn't have cable or a VHS player). I was working as a camp counselor at a summer camp for the mentally disabled with a few weeks of youth summer camp in a small town east of Seattle the summer between my junior and senior years in high school. It was an important formative experience of my youth. I watched this movie so many times in the decade following, and I had the theme song on cassette, (I can still hear it in my head "Two hearts beat as one together" 25 years later). It it is viewed in the cultural light of 1986, and you are still young at heart, are a fan of competitive gymnastics, and can remember what young passionate love is like, you should enjoy this movie. Makes me want to watch it again!

• This was my favorite movie for YEARS

  BeccaSanders2006-07-30

  I have to give it a 10. I had a life size poster of Mitch Gaylord on the back of my door from 85-92! There was no crush that could match my crush on Mitch. I would have seen any movie that he was in, gymnastics or not. Shoot, he was the reason I watched the Olympics back then. American Anthem is a great movie. It had good characters and you were really pulling for them. Granted, I was a kid when I saw it... but as far as 80s movies go... this one belongs in the ranks of Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles. I borrowed the video from a friend and remember keeping it for years. She came and got it a few days before I left for college!! I haven't seen since, but I'd buy the DVD if there were one!

• I LIKE THE MOVIE

  Edgard-62000-05-17

  I dont know why they rated the movie with 3.7, I think this movie is a GYMNASTIC CLASSIC, I really loved it. I don´t agree with other people that didn´t like it, I remembered when i first saw it, i was like 12 years old and I totally loved the movie and the actress, that is really hot. Well, if you like GYMNASTICS you can´t miss this great movie.

• Oh, Mitch Gaylord, come to me!

  chefscout2000-06-30

  There's really not much better than the high concept films of the '80s, and this one has it all. Ever notice how in these films, everyone in the ENTIRE TOWN seems centered around whatever miraculous achievement the star is involved in? In this case, it's a whole group of friends, a whole family and a WHOLE TOWN focused on gymnastics! This movie made me want to rush out and become a gymnast, though I think that may be tempered by the fact that my teeny-bopper mind wanted to fall into the awaiting arms of Mitch Gaylord. Granted, Mystic Pizza made me want to work in a restaurant and North Shore made me want to...uh...go to Hawaii and make fun of people, but as a film rooted in its conception of gymnasts, nothing's better than the would-be star who fails and fails until he finally gets it right. Hoo-yeah.