Eddie the Eagle (2016)
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A determined British skier overcomes official rejection and personal hurdles to pursue his dream of competing in the Winter Olympics.
The story
From a young age, Michael "Eddie" Edwards harbours Olympic aspirations. When his efforts to compete in the Summer Games fail, he tries out skiing in the Winter Games. Although skilled at the sport, he is rejected by British Olympic officials for being uncouth. Realising he could make the team as a ski jumper, a sport which the United Kingdom has not participated in for six decades, Eddie decamps to a training facility in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany. Eddie self-trains, and after completing the hill on his first try, he injures himself on his first attempt at a slope.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Michael "Eddie" Edwards seeks to compete in the Winter Olympics but is rejected by British officials for being uncouth. He moves to West Germany to train as a ski jumper, a sport the UK hasn't entered in 60 years. After injuring himself, he is taken on by former American jumper Bronson Peary. Together, they use unorthodox methods to help Eddie qualify for the 1988 Calgary Games. Despite official attempts to block him, Eddie earns a spot on the team. In Calgary, he is mocked by rivals and ends up finishing last in the 70m jump, earning the nickname "Eddie the Eagle" for his enthusiastic celebration. Encouraged by his idol Matti Nykänen, Eddie attempts a 90-metre jump. He finishes last again but receives recognition from the Olympic Committee. Warren Sharp reconciles with Bronson, and Eddie returns home a national hero.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States; Germany
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Dexter Fletcher
- Writers
- Sean Macaulay · screenplay; Simon Kelton · screenplay; Simon Kelton · story
- Cast and characters
- Taron Egerton · Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards; Hugh Jackman · Bronson Peary; Christopher Walken · Warren Sharp; Iris Berben · Petra; Mark Benton · Richmond, a BOA official; Keith Allen · Terry Edwards, Eddie's father; Jo Hartley · Janette Edwards, Eddie's mother; Ania Sowinski · Carrie
- Genres
- biographical; sports; comedy-drama
- Themes
- perseverance; determination; underdog story
- Tone and mood
- inspirational; sentimental; humorous
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; sports; based on actual events
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 54 score on Metacritic. Audiences gave it an average grade of "A" on CinemaScore.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · review count: 199; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Empire Award · Best British Film · 2017 · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was first screened at the Butt-Numb-A-Thon in Austin, Texas.; The character of Bronson Peary was confirmed as fictional by the real Eddie Edwards.; The film grossed $12.8 million in the UK, making it the highest grossing British film released in the UK in 2016.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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