Based on a true story, Hudson's wonderfully acted “Fire” tells a tale of two dedicated competitors, observing the personal motivations behind each individual's quest for victory. Charleson and Cross are excellent, but so is the supporting cast, including Ian Holm (as a track coach), and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as harrumphing Cambridge snobs. With an indelible synthesizer score by Vangelis, dynamic race sequences, and a rousing, triumphant climax lifting it above the shoulders of similar films, “Fire” picked up the Best Picture Oscar in 1981.
