I am sure that many women at home had enjoyed this TV movie. Even in France I am sure this feature was released. This is a portrait of a solid and so real woman. I would say that it is a rather feminist story, in the good way. Many female audiences, and I would also say the bulk, will feel the greatest empathy for this woman character played by a Joanne Woodward at her very best, fighting for herself and her children. OK, it may seem cheesy from time to time, but it is supposed to be shown to family audiences. Typical for TV audiences, at home, on afternoons. The last minutes are unforgettable.

This is not a movie about running. It is an excellent performance by Joanne Woodward about s lonely discontented forty year old teacher who needs to change her life. Joanne played spinsters in several movies and this one shares plot elements with them. However Joanne received a well deserved Emmy for her performance in this version of the role. Betty Quinn is a divorced teacher, mother of two girls whose husband left her for a younger woman. She dreams of far away places and talks about someday traveling when she retires and her girls are grown. One day she accepts the fact that she will never do any of the things that she dreams of and falls into a depression. To avoid despair she decides to jog and lose a few pounds. Everyone she knows laughs at her and tells her she will quit. For once she defies them and slowly begins to lengthen her runs. Running she says, "makes me feel good." As she meets and overcomes obstacles she becomes stronger and finds a new dream. This one she is determined to reach. She runs the Marathon and although she comes in long after the race has finished for the rest of the runners, she does finish and finds support from her family and friends. She has met her goal and has given her girls a role model at the same time. The movie ends with her looking forward to the future instead of dreading it. I was inspired by the movie. I also enjoyed the humor and the excellent supporting cast. Many of the final scenes were actual Marathon footage so we got to see a lot of Boston. That was a plus. I wish this movie was available now. It was one of the better Hallmark movies.

SEE HOW SHE RUNS is a decent Joanne Woodward vehicle featuring good acting but a somewhat predictable plot. Likely one of TV's first responses to the running craze of the seventies, the movie is pretty dated and simplistic in its treatment of the sport. We see Woodward going on long runs in full length jeans not once but twice, and while she winds up wearing the Nike swoosh on race day, earlier she dons some pretty funky looking shoes, including a canvas pair of flats that probably would have given anyone else massive blisters and shin splints (though she never has any such issues). Still, if you can forgive the inconsistencies, this is an okay movie on the subject of running and those who catch the fever of training for a marathon.The plot is rife with predictable roadblocks placed in the path of Woodward's desire to run, including the sketchy ex who frequently questions her abilities yet ultimately seeks reconciliation (which the script nimbly avoids in surprisingly well-played late scene), two remarkably bratty daughters who are jealous of their mother's training time away from them, and a chilling attack during a night run at the end of the second act. From her school colleagues to her landlord to her friends, not a single person initially supports her marathon aspirations, which might be dramatically interesting, but comes off as a little unrealistic. Still, Woodward is uniformly better than the material. In particular, her reactions and physical breakdown after escaping her attacker are so believable that it is a little disturbing. This scene (along with the agonizing climax) are atypically serious moments in what is otherwise a fairly lighthearted look at the process of training for a marathon.Probably the highlight of the movie is the climactic marathon footage, which features lots of genuine location work in Massachusetts and what appears to be real marathon clips spliced in with Woodward's run. As someone who has run marathons, the filming here is far more realistic and believable than the earlier training sessions where Woodward barely sweats; the filmmakers show how simultaneously painful yet exhilarating the experience can be. SEE HOW SHE RUNS is hardly a classic and definitely shows its anachronistic seventies roots, but as a testament to the problems and joys of those who want to train for endurance, it's not a bad try. 6/10

This is an outstanding film that unfortunately has been lost in the sea of Celluloid on the now defunct Lightning Video Label. Joanne Woodward is brilliant in this film and the supporting cast members back her full hearted all the way. Perhaps the best performance of her career and well deserving of the Emmy she won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama.This is a compelling drama about a strong-willed woman's desire to run in the Boston marathon. Although she initially begins her jog in the desire to take a few pounds off, she soon yearns to take it one step (after another) further. Betty Quinn (Woodward) is a 40 year old divorced school teacher with the middle age blues. Her two daughters and ex-husband dump their problems on her and she patiently copes. It isn't until Betty starts to jog that her life changes dramatically. Despite snapping dogs and would-be attackers, Betty is determined to run in the Boston marathon. But the grueling event may prove to be physically and emotionally impossible. I will admit I had some reservations about watching and reviewing this film. Why? I'm not sure. But like me, you will find yourself cheering for SEE HOW SHE RUNS!