Eddie the Eagle
Published September 10, 2016
Film info
- Title Eddie the Eagle
- Director Dexter Fletcher
- Year 2016
- Run time 1hr 46m
- Genres History, Drama, Comedy, Adventure
- Tagline Win or lose, always aim high
Inspired by the incredible true story, Eddie The Eagle is the feel-good British comedy of the year. Michael 'Eddie' Edwards, is the unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself - even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach, Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of a nation by making an improbable and historic jump at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 1:19 | Leg braces like Forest Gump. Run, Eddie, run. |
| 2:04 | “He’s off to the Olympics again…” |
| 4:20 | Pole vault always looks dangerous, it wouldn’t be my first choice by any stretch. |
| 11:24 | You can actually see the lightbulb flicking on in his mind. |
| 13:21 | I’m loving his impetuousness just a little bit. “Going to Germany.” Wha! |
| 19:16 | “You’re not the first ski jumper to wake up in my cupboard.” |
| 20:46 | After one jump, he’s ready for the bigger one. |
| 24:49 | My god, how many bruises must he have at this point. |
| 30:26 | It is vaguely nice to think of a community like this, that all love the same sport. |
| 32:17 | The jumping paradox. |
| 37:14 | “I think I’m ready for the 70m .” After one landing! |
| 40:18 | Why didn’t I ever realise how high these jumps were? |
| 42:56 | It must be so weird to read about yourself in a book. |
| 49:22 | A new British record! I didn’t think Eddie was any good at stuff. |
| 52:01 | “We will not have amateurs in the Olympics.” Oof. |
| 54:36 | Loving the mum. |
| 58:10 | That training looks really tough! Fun though. |
| 1:06:30 | It is hard to understand the mentality of just wanting to do it, regardless of competitiveness. |
| 1:15:44 | It’s all about the personal achievements! |
| 1:24:29 | “I don’t know what I was thinking.” Cute! |
| 1:40:01 | Best jumpers in the world. |
Thoughts
Loved this. I didn’t actually know the full story of Eddie the Eagle, only that he was an Olympic hero for NOT being very good. Post-film trivia suggests this film takes big liberties with the story, but the fundamentals are there.
You can see what they’ve added to the film - the fictional coach, the heart-warming alcohol recovery story, all the rivalries coming good in the end - basically everything that pulls at the heart strings.
I really enjoyed it. Tarun was incredible, loved the gruffness of Hugh, and Eddie’s parents made a great pair offering support and a lack of it at crucial moments.
Rating: 5 / 5
