Personal Best
“When you run into yourself you run into feelings you never thought you had.”
Synopsis
Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory and her coach help Chris with her training, the two women form friendship that evolves into a romantic relationship. Their intimacy, however, becomes complicated when Chris' improvement causes them to be competitors for the Olympic team.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Personal Best - TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2013-08-31
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Mariel Hemingway
Chris Cahill
Patrice Donnelly
Tory Skinner
Scott Glenn
Terry Tingloff
Kenny Moore
Denny Stites
Jim Moody
Roscoe Travis
Larry Pennell
Rick Cahill
Luana Anders
Rita Cahill
George De La Pena
Raoul
Kari G. Peyton
Penny Brill
Jodi Anderson
Nadia "Pooch" Anderson
Maren Seidler
Tanya
Martha Watson
Sheila
Emily Dole
Maureen
Pam Spencer
Jan
Deby Laplante
Trish
Mitzi McMillin
Laura
Jan Glotzer
Karen
Jan Van Reenen
Yelovitch
Release History & Theatrical Window
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
February 5, 1982
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 8, 2008
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$16M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$5.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.36x
-$10.3M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Robert Towne
- Screenplay & Story
- Robert Towne
- Original Score
- Jill Fraser, Jack Nitzsche
- Original Title
- Personal Best
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- Spanish, English
- Runtime
- 2h 4m
- Production Budget
- $16M
- Worldwide Gross
- $5.7M
- Production Studios
- Geffen Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Robert Towne
Robert Towne
Jill Fraser, Jack Nitzsche
Michael Chapman
Jacqueline Cambas, Jere Huggins, Ned Humphreys
Robert Towne, David Geffen
Department Leadership Roster
Robert Towne
Director
Robert Towne
Producer
Robert Towne
Writer
Jill Fraser
Original Music Composer
Jack Nitzsche
Original Music Composer
Michael Chapman
Director of Photography
Ron Hobbs
Production Design
Jacqueline Cambas
Editor
Jere Huggins
Editor
Ned Humphreys
Editor
Walt Mulconery
Editor
Bud S. Smith
Editor
Ron Heilman
Costume Design
Linda Henrikson
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Personal Best.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Personal Best.
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
Coming of Age
LGBTQ+
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Movies
list0
Classic Movies Collection
Copy of TMDB public list 8294149 - Classic Movies Collection
Similar Titles to Personal Best
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.5
6.1
5.9
4.9
7.0
7.7
7.0
5.2
6.5
5.7
5.1
3.2
6.2
3.0
More Like Personal Best
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Best
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Personal Best about?
Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory and her coach help Chris with her training, the two women form friendship that evolves into a romantic relationship. Their intimacy, however, becomes complicated when Chris' improvement causes them to be competitors for the Olympic team.
Who directed Personal Best?
Personal Best was directed by Robert Towne.
Who stars in Personal Best?
The principal cast of Personal Best includes Mariel Hemingway, Patrice Donnelly, Scott Glenn, Kenny Moore, Jim Moody.
When was Personal Best released and how long is it?
Personal Best was released in 1982 with a total runtime of 2h 4m.
What was the box office and production budget of Personal Best?
Personal Best had a reported production budget of $16M and grossed $5.7M at the worldwide box office (0.36 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Personal Best?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Personal Best was composed by Jill Fraser, Jack Nitzsche.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Personal Best?
Personal Best holds official age classifications: US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).