Memorable Winter Sports Movies
Over the years there have been many films that have centered on the athlete's drive to compete and become the very best at their chosen winter sport. And while there are many films that have also showcased the struggle and glory of competition, WatchMojo.com has selected its top favorite winter sports movies of the past few decades. Among these stand-out classics that capture the the spirit of subzero degree athleticism are 'Cool Runnings' starring the late John Candy, 'The Cutting Edge,' Will Farrell's 'Blades of Glory,' 'The Mighty Ducks,' 'Miracle' and 'Downhill Racer.'
VIDEO SCRIPT
Memorable Winter Sports Movies
They are heartfelt and enjoyable tributes to athleticism. Welcome to Watchmojo.com and today we’ll be taking a look at Cinema’s most memorable winter sports movies.
When it comes to celebrating athleticism, the first film that instantly comes to mind is 1993’s Cool Runnings, a heartfelt comedy loosely-based on the true story of Jamaica’s bobsledding debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Not only is the film a sports classic, but also hailed as one of the best performances starring the late John Candy, in which he played the role of former-champion Irv Blitzer, a disgraced double-gold American Bobsled medalist who was once disqualified for cheating, and later asked to help four unsuccessful Jamaican athletes become the nations first bobsled team.
The film is memorable for its laughs and inspirational message of giving your best against unlikely odds. It is also fondly known for its iconic ending in which the team walked their bobsled to the finish line to take their place as respected athletes.
Figure Skating is another winter sport that few films have been able to properly capture on film. The standout picture in this category is 1992’s romantic-comedy “The Cutting Edge”, the fictional last-resort pairing of a figure skater and hockey player, played by Moira Kelly and D.B Sweeny respectively. The film invested us in their rocky relationship on and off of the ice as athletic partners, and their need to build an absolute trust in order to perform the difficult “Pamchenko Twist” that would lead them to Olympic Glory.
Interestingly, there is another similar, yet memorable offbeat figure skating classic. 2007’s satirical comedy “Blades of Glory”, starring Will Farrell and Jon Heder follows a similar premise to The Cutting Edge, however it tells the story of two single-division male skaters who exploit a loophole in order to compete an international competition as a skating pair. And few could forget their climatic execution of “The Lion Lotus Maneuver” that would take them to the top.
Hockey is another central winter sport and among the many inspirational classics centering on the sport is 1992’s “The Mighty Ducks”, starring Emilio Estevez. In the film, he played the role of Gordon Bombay, a man forced to coach a local peewee hockey team as a form of community service. Along the way he manages to show a ragtag team of young athletes that with enough support and team spirit that they could make it to the finals, and in turn they convince him to pursue his own dream of playing in the minor leagues.
Similarly, the autobiographical film ‘Miracle” starring Kurt Russell had an equal amount of heart. It recounted the true exploits of the USA men’s hockey team and their journey to gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The film is memorable for its in dramatic look at the process involved in coaching an Olympic team, and the pride Coach Herb Brookes felt as a result of their triumph.
A final winter sports classic that deserves to be seen is the 1969 ski racing drama, “Downhill Racer” starring Robert Redford and Gene Hackman. Unlike the other inspirational films mentioned, Downhill Racer explores the reckless nature of athleticism, and the friction that can exist between an athlete and his coach due to blind ambition. The film is a memorable classic for its gritty and intense Alpine racing scenes and its thrilling climax.
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