Eddie the Eagle

Year: 2016
Genre: Sports Movie
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Stars: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Jo Hartley, Keith Allen, Tim McInnerny, Edvin Endre, Iris Berben, Rune Temte, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Walken
Production: Marv Films

So many movies have injected liberal amounts of post-modernist snark as of late. If done right the snark translates to layers and layers of humor and meta-humor that rewards repeated viewings. Deadpool (2016) certainly comes to mind as the strongest recent example. If done wrong however, it becomes an unbearable echo chamber of self-congratulatory wink-winks and nudge-nudges (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015) anyone?). Eddie the Eagle is not a snarky movie. It's unabashedly sincere and tenacious in its embrace of the inspiring no matter how corny.

The real Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards

Eddie the Eagle is based on the true story of Eddie Edwards (Egerton) an amateur skier who represented Great Britain during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. Known early on for his tenacity, the movie represents him as a naive young man with a penchant for clumsiness. Failing every attempt to be qualified as a downhill skier, Eddie makes his way to Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany to learn and master the Olympic sport of ski jumping. While there, he's openly ridiculed by all for his lack of talent, finance and balance. Taking notice of Eddie's near suicidal commitment however, is former Olympic team washout Bronson Peary (Jackman), who takes him under his wing and trains him for success on the slopes.

Your ability to outright love Eddie the Eagle is predicated on your ability to absorb cliche. This film is an inspirational sports movie that knowingly borrows elements from other movies right down to the stuffy official who undermines Eddie's attempts to qualify (McInnerny). Yes there are training montages set to catchy 80's tunes, yes there's the obligatory hard to please parent (Allen) and yes there's the inspirational moment, right before the climax, where our hero gets encouragement from an unexpected source. What makes this movie special is it runs at these cliches head-on; as if they're not story elements directly lifted from Rocky (1976), Ski Patrol (1990) and Hot Dog...The Movie (1984). Much like Eddie himself, the movie doesn't care if it wins records; it's just happy to be on-screen warming your heart and making you laugh. One can't help but admire such enthusiasm.

I'm hungover and don't care who knows it!

Of course if you're too cynical for a feel good sports movie you can at least appreciate the stellar cast rounded out by Taron Egerton. The man is destined for stardom providing the same underdog sensitivity he brought to Kingsman's (2014) Eggsy only with a deft sense of comedic timing. Jackman isn't at his best but boy does he seem to be having a lot of fun playing the permanently drunk Peary. He refers his flask as his "jacket," and has a chemistry with Egerton that borders on brotherly. Jo Hartley and Keith Allen are polar opposites as Eddie's parents and provide much of the humor in their back and forths. You can tell they both mean well yet Hartley is constantly undermining Allen's pragmatic approach to Eddie's struggles. She's the dreamer, he's the realist; both wear their characters well.

All those who still thing Rudy was better?

Eddie carries with him a lunchbox filled with all the medals he's won throughout the years. Most of those medals consist of broken, thick-framed glasses with insanely thick lenses. Those who scoff at the state of sport today and make a stink about how competition is being scuttled by participation trophies are missing the point. Sportsmanship is not about beating the other guy, it's about achieving your personal best. This movie wears that theme firmly on its sleeve and it's truly a joy to see something that doesn't resort to self-reference to get it's point across. While not a masterpiece in the purest sense, Eddie the Eagle firmly places itself as this generation's Rudy (1993).

Final Grade: C+