Eddie the Eagle
DVD
Review
by Kam Williams
Inspirational
Biopic Revisits Olympic Glory of Unlikely Ski Jumper
Growing
up in Cheltenham, Michael Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) would tell
anybody who would listen that he would be an Olympic athlete one day.
Although mercilessly teased by playmates and barely tolerated by his
skeptical father (Keith Allen), the boy seized on the unwavering
encouragement of the very supportive mother (Jo Hartley) who would
feed his seemingly-unreachable dream.
Despite
being extremely farsighted, born with an underwhelming physique and
betrayed by bad knees, Eddie pursued a variety of track-and-field
events over the course of his formative years. But when none of those
panned out, he eventually tried downhill skiing with hopes of
representing England in the Winter Games.
However,
after failing to achieve world-class status racing, he turned his
attention to jumping where he would have absolutely no rivals, since
his country hadn't competed in that sport since the Twenties. So, he
ventures to Germany, one of the handful of countries with the
requisite training facilities.
There,
Eddie begins his quest under the careful tutelage of Bronson Peary
(Hugh Jackman), a disgraced American jumper in need of redemption.
First, he must complete a couple of 60+ meter jumps to meet the
Olympic's minimum entry requirements.
Of course,
that proves easier said than done, for it takes not only skill but a
lot of courage to plunge headlong down a long ramp and launch
yourself into thin air. Furthermore, the key to success includes
mastering what Bronsan refers to as the "Jumper's Paradox,"
the counter-intuitive imperative to lean forward while in the air,
which is just the opposite of the natural instinct to straighten up.
Directed
by Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill), Eddie the Eagle is a heartwarming,
overcoming-the-odds adventure recounting the real-life exploits of a
lovable underdog who became a crowd favorite during the '88 Olympics
staged in Calgary. Though initially content just to participate in
the Games, Eddie becomes more ambitious the better he gets.
Ironically,
the movie makes a passing reference to the Jamaican bobsled team,
another long shot which developed a following in Calgary. Their
exploits were recounted in Cool Runnings (1993), a picture very
similar to this one in many respects.
A
sentimental tearjerker which manages to make you weep, even though
you see the manipulation coming a mile away.
Excellent (4
stars)
Rated PG-13 for smoking, partial
nudity and suggestive material
In English, German and Norwegian
with subtitles
Running time: 106 minutes
Distributor: Distributor: 20th
Century Fox Home Entertainment
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
Extras: Let the Games Begin: Soaring with Eddie the Eagle; and a
stills gallery.
To see a trailer for Eddie the
Eagle, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FWAiXll_jw
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