This engaging film was, less than predictably, a success in British cinemas. Fundamentally, it's about four teenagers in Indiana who are for various reasons uncertain of their futures after they leave high school. But the development and the film's treatment make it far more entertaining than the basic material might suggest. In addition, a largely unfamiliar but accomplished cast make it the more convincing. Foremost among the players are Barbara Barrie (deservedly nominated for an Oscar) and Paul Dooley as the bewildered parents of Dennis Christopher, as a youngster who yearns to be an Italian bicycle racing champion and speaks in pidgin Italian to boot. Dennis Quaid makes an early impression, while Peter Yates' direction and the film itself were also nominated for Academy Awards, although in the end its only major Oscar was for Steve Tesich's screenplay.