The Runner Stumbles Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

The Runner Stumbles Blu-ray Movie Review

A moviemaking mess

The Runner Stumbles is a dramatic-thriller inspired by a true story. The film stars Dick Van Dyke and Kathleen Quinlan. The feature is executive produced by Melvin Simon (Porky's, Wolf Lake). Based upon a true story, the film explores the trial of a priest accused of murdering a nun.

Father Brian Rivard (Dick Van Dyke) is a priest who has moved to a small community for his service to God to continue. Father Rivard was banished from his previous position for holding some views that a few in the community found as controversial and unorthodox. It isn't long before the priest meets the young nun, Sister Rita (Kathleen Quinlan).

The pair quickly become enamored with one another and begin spending a lot of time side by side. The town begins to gossip and wonder if a romance is brewing between priest and nun: could it be that there is a romantic longing between the heavenly pair? As the story unfolds, the mystery deepens: murder at the heart of a inspired-by-a-true-story case.

The film is far from an unearthed classic. For starters, the casting was not ideal. There is no question that Dick Van Dyke was miscast in the lead role. The actor is so utterly charming and delightful that having him in a role where audiences are supposed to wonder if he is a murderer seems a bit silly. A more impressive casting choice was made for Kathleen Quinlan, who is impressive as the sweet natured nun with affection for the priest. Quinlan did a commendable job in the production. (While Dick Van Dyke simply did the best he could given the material that was given to him.)

Cue the scary music.

The cinematography by László Kovács (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces) is less impressive than one would expect. The photography is average-at-best. There is nothing remarkable about the way the production looks. The film never sparkles or shines. An unexpected miss from László Kovács.

The music score by Ernest Gold (On the Beach, Exodus) fares a little better than some of the other elements of the production. The music is lighthearted and breezy during the playful parts of the production. The score never quite manages to become as menacing or suspenseful as some might expect given the plot-line but when the score needs to soar with a breezy quality, the score succeeds.

Edited by Pembroke J. Herring (Out of Africa, Groundhog Day), The Runner Stumbles is certainly a cohesive cut. The film is never a bore to sit through (or a challenge). The cut of the film seems to flow naturally. Unfortunately, the editing cannot make up for the weak story.

Based on a play by Milan Stitt (Long Shadows, The Gentleman Bandit), the screenplay was written by the original story author. The script is a mess. Unfortunately, the script is overly dramatic and full of poor dialogue. There are many elements that also seem dated. An unfortunately underwhelming screenplay.

Not even the direction of the great Stanley Kramer (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World) can save The Runner Stumbles. It seems Kramer “stumbled” somewhat by choosing to make this story in to a film. While the film is certainly “watchable” (and not an outright disaster) it is so dated and poorly-written that even the occasional glimmers of a Kramer film are not enough to save it. The Runner Stumbles should have gotten a different title: it's prophetic. It stumbles, indeed.

The Runner Stumbles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Runner Stumbles features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1 widescreen. The film was shot in 35mm. The scan looks decidedly outdated and like it could have used a brand new restoration. The transfer is average (at best). The scan has weak and murky looking color reproduction.

There is a often hazy look to the video. Grain also looks uneven and the scan appears to have had some DNR on the image as well. The scan is soft and unimpressive. There is nothing remarkable about this video presentation and it could have fared significantly better had some restoration work been done. I also noticed some brief compression artifacts.

The Runner Stumbles Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS HD Master Audio mono. The audio track is decidedly underwhelming. The audio sounds thin, scruffy, and muffled. The track lacks the kind of clear fidelity one would hope to find on a Blu-ray release. The audio is never as crisp or clear as is ideal for the presentation to shine. The track was clearly not taken from a high-quality source (nor was any good restoration work done to the audio track). This is disappointing. The weak audio quality fits the equally weak video quality like a glove.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

The Runner Stumbles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by film historian and critic Peter Tonguette

The Blu-ray from Kino Lorber also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Not as a Stranger (HD, 3:14), On the Beach (SD, 4:46), Inherit the Wind (SD, 4:06), Judgment at Nuremberg (SD, 3:02), True Confessions (SD, 2:16), and The Rosary Murders (SD, 2:18).

The Runner Stumbles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Runner Stumbles stumbles to its conclusion (pun intended). The film is a mess in many respects. Dick Van Dyke was miscast. Though the film is modestly entertaining in some parts, the whole isn't anywhere near as cohesive as it should be. The screenplay is a total bust. The Blu-ray isn't much to write home about either. The release features an archaic looking video-transfer and weak audio. A missed opportunity.