The pageantry of the winter and summer Olympic Games have given us some of the most memorable global moments in history. It’s no surprise that Hollywood came knocking and took some true life stories for major motion pictures. Some of stories are done in quick turnaround (the Jamaican bobsled team) and others are a great way for generations to connect in conversation (miracle on ice) starting with, “I remember when this happened!”
Here, in no particular order, are my Five Favorite “Winter Olympic Movies”
“Cool Runnings” 1993
Feel the rhythm! Feel the ride! Get on up! It’s Bobsled time. This movie combines some of my favorite movie making ingredients. John Candy gives a great performance as Irv Blitzer – a disgraced former Olympic coach. The ultimate underdog story with a country who doesn’t have any snow, competing in the winter Olympics! And a cast of relatively unknowns who share chemistry and comedy.
This movie is great. It holds up 25 years later and will make you a fan of bobsledding by the halfway point. It might even get a tear out of your eye at the climactic ending that blends real news coverage from the event with the actors in the movie. This is a MUST see!
“I, Tonya” 2017
I will be the first to admit, this movie deals a lot with the Olympics but doesn’t feature much actual time at the Olympics. It doesn’t matter though, because this high energy bio pic about Tonya Harding and her desire to be the best is as engrossing as it is tongue-in-cheek. A great example of how desire and hard work can give ANYONE a chance at figure skating glory. It’s also a cautionary tale about how far people will go to edge out a more talented competitor. Oh yeah, phenomenal soundtrack as well!
“Miracle” 2004
This is a movie for multiple generations to watch together. Have your grandmother tell you about when she watched this live. Let the kiddos experience a piece of sports history that is still brought up whenever you have a conversation about Olympic hockey. The story revolves around the 1980 Winter Olympics and how team America prepared, played and ultimately (censored for your enjoyment) against the heavily favorited Soviet team. Kurt Russel knocks it out of the park portraying real life coach Herb Brooks. This one will get you cheering USA! USA! USA!
“The Cutting Edge” 1992
A fish out of water story with a former hockey player joining a couples figure skating team because his female partner has pushed everyone else out the door! This is, at its core, a romantic comedy paired with an Olympic story. This one was a staple in our household. A figure skating version of Dirty Dancing (especially with the stunt at the end) – boy and girl, different sides of the track united for the Pamchenko! If you ever talk figure skating with me, I will quote this moving. Specifically, the line “Toe pick.”
“Eddie the Eagle” 2016
Another real life story of a young man who wanted to compete in the Olympics…but had no talent or skill. Eddie was a guy who tried downhill skiing and just wasn’t talented enough or from the right family so the UK Olympic committee sent him away over and over again. Any good underdog story will feature a moment when the underdog finds a loophole. This movie has a great little loophole and even invites Mr. Wolverine himself Hugh Jackman to be the disgraced coach. Lot’s of disgraced Olympic contenders and coaches in these flicks.
