Top 5 Olympic Movies

The 2024 Summer Olympics open this week in Paris. Sports are a natural storytelling medium that brings, as Jim McKay said, “…the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.” In that spirit, Showbiz Hobo takes a look at the Top 5 Olympic movies of all time!

5. EDDIE THE EAGLE (2015)

Edie the Eagle tells the true life story of Michael Edwards, a British ski jumper who attended the 1986 Olympic Games in Calgary, simply because no other Brit was able to sign up for it. In his time, given the ironic nickname “Eddie the Eagle”, Eddie was derided for his lack of ability which attracted an undo media attention as a result. "Eddie the Eagle" takes the story of a man who annoyed most of the sporting community and turns him into a loveable character that the audience can get behind.

Eddie the Eagle also takes one of the most handsome young actors in Hollywood and turns him into an extraordinary dweeb. Taron Egerton plays it for the laughs and it works.

Egerton is joined in this movie by an all-star cast that includes Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken, both playing fictional characters.

Eddie The Eagle is a feel-good tale of a guy who everybody hated who still gets to live out his dream, if only for a moment.

4. MIRACLE (2004)

This unabashed example of Americana will have even the most agnostic Yankee screaming "USA! USA!". Miracle tells the story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team. The team, dubbed "the miracle on ice", was composed of semi-pro and college-level players that went on to defeat the hardened professional Soviet hockey team.

Miracle features an ensemble cast for the players, but most of the heavy lifting is done by Kurt Russell who plays coach Herb Brooks. Russell drives the action which creates the arch of the whole movie. Heading into the final game, Russell gives a speech that blows the doors off:

The movie also does a remarkable job of putting the viewer into the socio-political environment that the characters lived in via news clips and montages placed throughout the film. Miracle depicts a sombre downtrodden America in the post-Vietnam, but pre-Reagan era. For all the patriotic jingoism of Miracle, the movie was shot entirely in Canada with a ton of Canadians filling supporting roles.

3. I, TONYA (2017)

I, Tonya, tells an admittedly unreliable “true” story of the life of figure-skater Tonya Harding and her involvement in the 1994 assault on Nancy Kerrigan. I, Tonya distinguishes itself from other Olympic-centric movies in that it is not a story of perseverance and justice, instead, it is a descent into a black hole of jealousy, greed and ruthlessness in the pursuit of Olympic gold.

Featuring an unconventional narrative and award-winning performances from both Margo Robbie and Allyson Janning, I, Tonya is an excellent depiction of a bizarre time in the world of Olympic figure skating. Although Robbie is the star, it's Allyson Janning in her role as Tonya's mother, LaVonna, who steals the show.

With an ambitious scale, a meagre $11 million budget, and just a little over 3 months to shoot, I, Tonya would have been a challenge to pull off. Hats off to the crew, they made a great period movie, with not a lot of cash.I, Tonya is a terrific movie that is uncompromising in its darkness and depravity. It is sure to send a shiver up the spine of anybody who participated in sports seriously as a child.

2. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

Chariots of Fire is the inspiring story of Harold Abrams and Eric Liddel, two British runners who overcame prejudice and classism to become the top runners in the country and the world at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. While the plot is compelling, Chariots of Fire is best remembered for its stylistic choices, namely the use of slow motion for the race scenes. After Chariots, no movie about athletics would ever be the same.

Chariots was revolutionary for its electronic score by Vangelis. His composition featured exclusively electronic instruments and the soundtrack he composed for Chariots of Fire kicked the door open for other movies to use exclusively electronic music in their scores.

Chariots of Fire is a unique movie that might not translate so well to an audience in the 2020s but it is still a masterpiece.

1. COOL RUNNINGS

This true story turned inspiring flick tells the story of the first Jamaican bobsled team and their quest to represent their country at the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary. The movie features a heartwarming, fish-out-of-water story. The movie takes a few historical liberties but remains true to the spirit of the story. In real life, the Jamaicans received far more material help and encouragement from their competitors. Unfortunately, their performance was far from record-breaking.

The film is also the last movie featuring John Candy that was released in his lifetime. It should be noted that some sardonic moments notwithstanding, Candy plays the straight man. In a cast full of characters that all play comedic beats, Candy sticks to the drama. He was a terrific actor, and who knows what he would have done had he not left us so soon. Every member of the team has an arch and a moment to shine. The audience is provided with an emotional hook into every one of them.

Cool Runnings is a warm-hearted, easily accessible story of a group of men who dared to blaze a path for themselves and BE themselves while doing it. This movie is easy watching for whatever season or occasion.

Also....horray another Canadian film!!!!!!!

---HONORABLE MENTION---

ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER (1999)

One Day in September isn’t in our top 5 for a few reasons. First, it is a documentary. Second, it doesn’t tell the story of a group of athletes aiming for Olympic gold. Instead, it tells the story of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

The doc offers a minute-by-minute account of the taking of the hostages and the botched response by the German authorities. With never-before-seen interviews with players that were on the ground, including one of the surviving terrorists from Black September. It is a chilling and hard-hitting look at one of the greatest tragedies in the history of sport.