Welcome to Five by Friday! This week we’re riding high on the Rio 2016 Olympics, so we’ve decided to celebrate by counting down our top five Olympic movies. As it turns out, there aren’t a lot of them, so this week’s Five by Five is a list we compiled together.
Join us in the comments or on your own blog–we’ve even provided a graphic for you, which you can either save to your own space or link from tinypic using the following HTML code: <a href=”http://avengingforce.com”><img src=”http://i59.tinypic.com/2d9318w.jpg”><*/a> Just remove the asterisks, and you’re all set!
5) Chariots of Fire
This classic Olympic story follows two runners representing Great Britain in the 1924 Olympics held in Paris, France. Eric Liddell is a devout Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams is an English Jew who runs to overcome anti-Semitic prejudice. For these two athletes, their convictions and beliefs are just as important to them as their commitment to their sport, and they inspire the world as representatives of Great Britain. And who doesn’t love the title track?
4) Eddie the Eagle
Released just a few months before the 2016 Rio Olympics, Eddie the Eagle is based on the true story of Michael “Eddie” Edwards and his rocky journey to compete as a ski jumper in the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary (the same Games which are featured in two of the other picks on this list). Unlike most Olympic stories, the tale of Eddie is not one of physical excellence and athleticism, but of pure, unwavering determination. He chose ski jumping not because of any particular aptitude for it, but simply because no one else from Great Britain was doing it, and so he figured he had a decent chance of making it to the Olympics with very little training. While the story does feel a tad familiar, hitting many of the same beats as gold standard Cool Runnings (which it actually acknowledges in a fun little Easter egg), it successfully captures the spirit of optimism and enthusiasm that makes that movies so enjoyable. With endearing performances from stars Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, Eddie the Eagle is a charming little movie that is a delight to watch — especially if you ever find yourself nostalgic for the inspirational sports movies of the ’90s.
3) Unbroken
Another movie based on a true story, Unbroken follows USA Olympian and athlete Louis “Louie” Zamperini. Louie was a distance runner who qualified for and competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany just prior to the start of WWII. When the US joined the war, Louis joined up and flew bombers for the Air Force. Sometime in 1943, his bomber crash landed in the ocean and he somehow survived in a raft for 47 days before being captured by the Japanese and sent to a series of prisoner of war camps. Though the Japanese try everything they can to break his spirit, Louie has the heart of an Olympian and a spirit that refuses to bend.
2) The Cutting Edge
The only film on this list not based on a true story, but the second that features the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. It’s a charming romantic comedy that forces spoiled figure skater Kate Moseley (Moira Kelly) to work with a former Hockey player, Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney), to put together a figure skating routine that can compete at the Olympic level. Kate and Doug both feel cheated out of an Olympic medal, having come close only to lose it at the last minute at the 1988 games. Kate’s such a brat that she has alienated anyone who might be a logical choice to partner with her for a pairs routine, so her coach finds Doug and convinces him to come out of retirement and try his hand at figure skating. The two of them just barely squeak into the 1992 Olympics… and of course, they fall in love along the way.
1) Cool Runnings
Is there any Olympic movie more perfect than Cool Runnings? This movie tells the true story of the Jamaican Bobsled team at the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary (the final story from this Olympics to make our list). When a top Jamaican runner fails to qualify for the summer Olympics due to an accident on the track, he organizes a crew of four to compete as Jamaica’s first bobsledding team. Facing ridicule from seemingly all angles, they persevere, and while they may not have medaled, they absolutely warmed everyone’s hearts and showed them that putting your mind to something and keeping your head held high can get you pretty damn far. John Candy as Irv Blitzer is phenomenal as well. This movie’s a must-watch for anyone who loves sports films, Olympic or not.