Faster-Higher-Stronger is a line probably considered when test-marketing new superheroes or rollercoasters but it’s also the Olympic motto. The Olympics bring out top athletes from around the world to compete over a short period in numerous events, ones that outside of the games, are often overlooked by the world at large. But when nationalism is at play, you get people going mad for the pommel horse or stepping up to support a discus thrower. Some sports aren’t at every Olympics (for example, softball), so for athletes who only get a chance every four years, maybe, to try and bring home a medal – emotions run high. It brings out the best and worst in humanity. Every Olympics you get the highs and the lows, which is why events from the games have often been used for films.
Most films centering on the Olympics and Olympic athletes, regardless of whether they’re a drama or a comedy, are filled with themes of hope and inspiration. There is one notable exception, “I, Tonya.” That film uses the background of abuse and the inequity in sports, like most things in life, which favour’s those who fit into the established mold, both in physicality (body type) and background (money), to create sympathy for a character (Tonya Harding) previously deemed unsympathetic by history for actions she was party to leading up to the Olympic Games. It is an outlier amongst Olympic films because it lacks a triumph of either the games themselves or spirit. It is a tragedy despite being a comedy. Most sports films follow a bit of a formula where there is one big loss to overcome before the final win. The events depicted in “I, Tonya” and in Tonya Harding’s life can be summed up as the culmination of the big loss, but the film itself and its telling, allowing the world to see her through this lens is her final win, because by changing the lens of the story as previously told, she finally gets to stop being a two-dimensional villain in many retellings.
One of the most well-known Olympic films is “Chariots of Fire”, which won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The Olympics at the center of “Chariots of Fire” was the 1924 Paris Olympics, so it is fitting to speak on this film as the Olympics takes place in Paris 100 years later. One only needs to hear a hint of Vangelis’ synthetic theme to be transported to scenes of euphoric running. This film follows the usual sports movie formula, with moments of loss or setbacks before the leads triumph. It also introduces something I love about sports and the Olympics. While nationalism and competition are a big part of the Olympic Games, you also see great sportsmanship, with people celebrating each other’s achievements regardless of their country and supporting them when they stumble. This film has a scene of support across competitor lines, one typical both of this genre and the games.
There are plenty of other dramas, like “The Boys in the Boat,” “Miracle,” or “Race.” But when I think of films that truly feel like they represent the spirit of the Olympic Games it is not in the drama films, not even “Chariots of Fire” with its Vangelis score, that I think of, it is the comedy films. I think of the can-do, will-do, attitude Olympic athletes have to have, to chase the improbable, and for some sports in some places, the impossible dream. I think of “Cool Runnings” and “Eddie the Eagle.” They’re inspiring despite not being about teams/athletes who win. In fact, a rule was made to ensure no athlete like Eddie the Eagle would be eligible to compete in future games. However, his story remains inspiring and he was even a torchbearer at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Both “Cool Runnings” and “Eddie the Eagle” are set around the events of the 1988 Calgary Olympics which is a funny little nugget. But with how many events and stories, and yes, drama, at every Olympics, there could easily be more films set at those games. The same goes for any games.
I was a short-track speed skater in Canada as a child so, that was the sport I followed every event and drama during the games. I remember when Steven Bradbury was at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and, while he was excited to be there and compete, his main goal besides having one last good Olympic Games, was to drum up business for his custom speedskating boots. He ended up winning a Gold Medal in the 1000m. He wasn’t favoured to win, or even medal, but that’s the thing with sports, anything can happen, and anyone can have a great day or an off day and you have to run your own race, otherwise you’ve lost before you’ve even started. And that’s what you can take from the Olympics and these Olympic films.
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