These may not be the twenty greatest films ever made, but they are my favourites. I started with 35 of the movies I love the most for various reasons, and had a tough time narrowing the list down to just 20 films. Even harder was putting them into some sort of order. It's an eclectic list - as those of you who know me well know, I like a broad range of films - but, all in all, the twenty films that have made the most impact on me over the years.
#19 - Cool Runnings (1993)
Stars: Leon, Doug. E Doug, Rawle. D Lewis, John Candy
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer(s): Lynn Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow & Michael Goldberg
Year: 1993
The Story: Based on a true story, Cool Runnings chronicles the rise of the Jamaican national bobsled team, from it's inception to an unlikely debut effort at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Led by two sprinters, Derice Bannock (Leon) and Junior Bevil (Lewis) with a wise-cracking pushcart driver, Sanka Coffie (Doug) and mentored by Irv Blitzer (Candy), a washed up bobsled champion, caught cheating at the 1972 Olympics, and living in Jamaica as a mostly-failed bookie.
Watch if if...: You like sport, underdogs, classic Disney films and want a good laugh!
Why I Love It: Because it's funny, inspiration and unflinchingly positive (even when things get rough) and in amongst having a great time laughing at the antics of the hugely unlikely Jamaican bobsled team - you have to keep stopping to remind yourself that this is based on a true story, that there really were a group of men from Jamaica who competed in bobsledding at the Olympics - you are treated to a bit of an Olympic history lesson.
The Miracle on Ice, this is not, but it is a wonderful story of perseverance, of beating the odds. The underlying message here is that despite being viewed as outsiders and given no chance at making actual Olympic competition, they have as much right to be there as anyone else, including the traditonal super powers.
Then there are the hilarious one-liners that permeate the film - "Do you want to kiss my lucky egg?" - and will have you rolling in the aisles. Most of these come from Sanka, but director Jon Turteltaub does a solid job balancing laughter with more poignant moments, and you can't help but cheer want to cheer when Jamaica qualifies and although their shot at an unlikely, the film does it's job in showing that the Jamaicans, rank outsiders, had a victory of sorts in simply getting to the Olympics, and, eventually, earning the respect of their competitors.
It's easy to get caught up in this film - trust me, I have, and always do - and that's perhaps why it stands out so prominently amongst the crop of mid-1990's Disney films. And that's saying something, because some great films were produced in that time. Sadly, they don't make them quite like this anymore!!
Stars: Leon, Doug. E Doug, Rawle. D Lewis, John Candy
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer(s): Lynn Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow & Michael Goldberg
Year: 1993
The Story: Based on a true story, Cool Runnings chronicles the rise of the Jamaican national bobsled team, from it's inception to an unlikely debut effort at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Led by two sprinters, Derice Bannock (Leon) and Junior Bevil (Lewis) with a wise-cracking pushcart driver, Sanka Coffie (Doug) and mentored by Irv Blitzer (Candy), a washed up bobsled champion, caught cheating at the 1972 Olympics, and living in Jamaica as a mostly-failed bookie.
Watch if if...: You like sport, underdogs, classic Disney films and want a good laugh!
Why I Love It: Because it's funny, inspiration and unflinchingly positive (even when things get rough) and in amongst having a great time laughing at the antics of the hugely unlikely Jamaican bobsled team - you have to keep stopping to remind yourself that this is based on a true story, that there really were a group of men from Jamaica who competed in bobsledding at the Olympics - you are treated to a bit of an Olympic history lesson.
The Miracle on Ice, this is not, but it is a wonderful story of perseverance, of beating the odds. The underlying message here is that despite being viewed as outsiders and given no chance at making actual Olympic competition, they have as much right to be there as anyone else, including the traditonal super powers.
Then there are the hilarious one-liners that permeate the film - "Do you want to kiss my lucky egg?" - and will have you rolling in the aisles. Most of these come from Sanka, but director Jon Turteltaub does a solid job balancing laughter with more poignant moments, and you can't help but cheer want to cheer when Jamaica qualifies and although their shot at an unlikely, the film does it's job in showing that the Jamaicans, rank outsiders, had a victory of sorts in simply getting to the Olympics, and, eventually, earning the respect of their competitors.
It's easy to get caught up in this film - trust me, I have, and always do - and that's perhaps why it stands out so prominently amongst the crop of mid-1990's Disney films. And that's saying something, because some great films were produced in that time. Sadly, they don't make them quite like this anymore!!
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