Dave’s passion for cycling is highlighted, especially the scene where he drafts behind a speeding semi-truck, a scene that represents his desire to move faster and further than his surroundings.

The central conflict is the social divide between the local residents ("Cutters") and the privileged university students.

The relationship between Dave and his father (Paul Dooley), who cannot understand his son's obsession with Italian culture, forms the emotional core of the film.