Movies watched when we are younger hold a special place in
our hearts. Even if we learn those movies are not masterpieces as we grow
older, nostalgia still holds sway on our perceptions. Should we try to generate
the same love for these movies in our children that we have? Some classics will
always stand the test of time, but what is the right age to introduce kids to
some of those films? Who knew two sports stories extremely loosely based on
true life events could be made from the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Cool Runnings starring Leon, only one name on his IMBD page,
Doug E, Doug, John Candy and directed by Jon Turteltaub. The movie tells the
story of how a group of Jamaican sprinters formed a bobsled team and competed
in the 1988 Winter Olympics. The movie is heavily fictionalized from the true
life events, but if you can get over this fact the story it tells is funny and
uplifting. The one thing I realized re-watching was how stereotyped some of the
Jamaican characters were in the film. Not the best thing to introduce children
too, but I think the uplifting nature of the story outweighs the negatives.
Common sense media has an age rating for Cool Runnings of 8
plus. There is nothing in the movie which would prevent me from letting my four
year old watch the movie, besides the stereotyping. There is no sex, no bad
language, and one bar fight were no blood is shown. I honestly couldn’t
remember if this movie was rated G or PG before doing research. It is rated PG,
but the bar fight is probably the only reason it got pushed to this rating. I
think my four year old is probably still too young to be intrigued by the
story, but it still should catch my eleven year olds interest.
The story is simple enough. Derice Bannock’s dream is to
make it to the Olympics. He is an accomplished sprinter and tries to qualify
for the summer games in Seoul in 1988. A stumble by another sprinter during the
100 meter finale causes him to trip and fall and lose his chance at competing. He
decides to try and become an Olympic bobsledder and enlists the help of his
friend, Sanka, a pushcart driver, and a disgraced American coach, Irv, to make
his dream become a reality. Perseverance and determination drive Derice to
achieve his goal. He will not stop until he becomes an Olympian. He’s not a
perfect character though, he must realize emulating the best does not equal
success. You also have to be true to yourself to fully succeed. Derice and the
other teammates must bond together and become a team accomplish their goals. Even
though they don’t accomplish the ultimate goal of getting a medal, they compete
to the best of their ability and finish with their heads held high.
The film, even with its uplifting story, is not a cinematic
masterpiece. In fact watching it again made me realize how poorly the movie is
put together. The story at certain points doesn’t seem to flow very well. The
interaction of John Candy’s character with his former teammate stick out in
particular. He runs into him by chance, then out of the blue asks him to meet
him for lunch. Then at lunch he asks to buy a bobsled from him. The whole point
of the exchange is so Irv can buy a sled for his team. This needed to be in the
movie, but it shouldn’t have taken two scenes. Both scenes have so much wasted
dialogue and strange interaction it seems like the screenwriter or director was
floundering at this point in the movie. Anyone younger isn’t going to notice
the tonal inconsistencies these scenes have, but as someone coming back and
watching again they stood out. The movie doesn’t hold up extremely well going
back to watch again, but it is still an endearing story, and the comedy, though
silly, still had me chuckling.
The comedy should hold up for a younger crowd. It is mostly
slapstick and physical comedy, with Doug E. Doug providing most of the comic
relief. John Candy was always a comedic force in any movie he was in. This was
more of a subdued role for him, but he still had a few moments, and he is
probably the best actor in the movie. Without him turning in a good performance
the movie would have been ridiculous overall. He gives it believability and
credibility, even if most of the story isn’t based on the actual account. I
think kids would be able to pick up on this if Candy didn’t anchor the movie.
I still really enjoy Cool Runnings, but I have to admit it
is probably more for nostalgia than the movie being good. The message is still
uplifting and the comedy still lands, but the strange pacing and scene setup
detracts from the movie. This shouldn’t affect younger kid’s enjoyment and
anyone 6 or over can enjoy the film. I think once someone gets past 15 or 16
they aren’t going to enjoy the movie as much when watching it for the first
time. They need to have some childlike innocence and optimism to look past some
of the cheesy tone the movie has.
When was the first time you watched Cool Runnings? When was
the last time you watched it, and do you think it holds up? If you are a parent
now have you introduced your kids to the movie? Comment and let me know.
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