Cool Runnings

Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. The story is loosely based on the real-life journey of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics. The movie follows a group of friends from Jamaica who decide to form a bobsleigh team, even though they have never seen snow before! They are coached by a former Olympian, played by John Candy, and led by a fast sprinter named Derice Bannock, played by Leon.

The film was originally planned as a serious sports story, but it became a fun and funny adventure. The actors worked hard to bring this story to life, filming in places like Kingston, Discovery Bay, and even Calgary in Canada, where they could find snow. Cool Runnings was one of the last movies John Candy made before he passed away.

When the movie was released in theaters in the United States on October 1, 1993, people loved it. Critics praised the humor and the talented cast, including Doug E. Doug and Malik Yoba. The film was very successful, earning over $154 million around the world. One of the most memorable parts of the movie is its theme song, a lively cover of "I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff, which became a big hit and is still enjoyed by many today.

Plot

In 1987, a Jamaican sprinter named Derice Bannock wanted to race in the Summer Olympics but was stopped when another runner fell and blocked his way. A leader told him to wait four years or try a different sport. Derice saw a photo of his late father with a former bobsled champion named Irving Blitzer. He decided to form a bobsled team to compete in the Winter Olympics.

Derice and his friend Sanka found Blitzer, who agreed to coach them. They gathered a team, but had trouble getting money. Finally, one teammate sold his car to pay for the trip. In Calgary, they practiced hard but faced teasing from other teams. After many efforts, they qualified for the Olympics. On their first race, they finished last, but kept improving. In their final run, their bobsled broke, but they carried it to the finish line. They returned to Jamaica as heroes and came back to the Winter Olympics four years later.

Cast

The film features many talented actors. Leon Robinson plays Derice Bannock, a fast runner and the main driver of the Jamaican bobsled team. Doug E. Doug acts as Sanka Coffie, who brings humor to the story. Rawle D. Lewis is Junior Bevil, a quiet and smart young man who gives up big opportunities to chase his dream. Malik Yoba is Yul Brenner, a strong man who at first doesn’t get along with Junior but later becomes his friend. John Candy stars as Irving Blitzer, a former Olympic bobsled champion who helps train the team. The cast also includes many other great actors who bring the story to life.

Production

The movie Cool Runnings had some changes before it was made. At first, it was going to be a serious sports story, but it changed into a fun comedy. Different directors were considered to lead the film before Jon Turteltaub was chosen. Turteltaub wanted the actors to speak with real Jamaican accents, but some people thought it would be hard for American viewers to understand.

Leon, one of the actors, had been waiting for this role for a long time. Another actor, Doug, learned about the movie years before it was made. The actor who played one of the bobsledders, Rawle D. Lewis, was not well-known and was hired to help other actors with their accents before becoming part of the team himself. The filming happened in Calgary and Jamaica, using real footage from the 1988 Olympics.

Music

A soundtrack album with 11 songs was released by Sony in 1993 on cassette and CD.

In some European countries, the album had an extra song called "Rise Above It" by Lock Stock and Barrel.

Charts

Reception

Box office

Cool Runnings started at number 3 in movie theaters in the United States, earning $7,046,648 in its first weekend. The next weekend, it moved up to second place, earning $9,568,699. The film made $68,856,263 in the United States and Canada and $86,000,000 in other countries, for a total of $154,856,263 worldwide. It was especially popular in Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Critical response

Cool Runnings got good reviews from critics. One reviewer called it "a sweet-natured, high-spirited comedy" that is fun for all ages and celebrates good sportsmanship. Another reviewer described it as "wholesome, engaging, frequently hilarious, and ultimately inspirational." The film has a rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 60% on Metacritic. Audiences gave it an A grade.

Accolades

American Film Institute recognition

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated
• AFI's 10 Top 10 – Nominated

Historical differences

Competition

Jamaica was not allowed to join the competition on time, but after some people asked for them to be allowed, they were let back in.

In the movie, it looks like Jamaica might have won a medal and set a new record, but in real life, they had a hard time. They ended up near the bottom of the list of teams.

Crash

In the movie, the team crashes because of problems with their bobsled. But in real life, the crash happened because the driver went too fast and made a turn too high, which made the sled tip over.

The real crash was shown in the movie but changed a lot. No one got hurt. The team went very fast and their helmets scraped against the wall for a long distance before they stopped. In the movie, the team carries the sled to the finish line and everyone claps a lot, but in real life, they just walked next to it and got only a few claps.

Home media

The film became available on VHS and LaserDisc on November 11, 1994, thanks to Walt Disney Home Video in the United States. Later, on August 24, 1999, it was released on DVD in the United States for Region 1 viewers. In the United Kingdom, VHS copies arrived on September 1, 2000, and DVD copies followed on January 22, 2001 for Region 2. A special Blu-ray version came out on March 28, 2017, and the film could be streamed on Disney+ starting January 1, 2020.