Mabuse

I was on my way here to post this when i saw the "bad script, great film" thread. I almost posted it there but I'm really talking about something a bit different.

I think Cool Runnings is an awful film. It is an adaptation of the true story of Jamaica's bobsled team and their participation in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, a compelling, exciting, inspiring, quirky, and funny story. The filmmakers adaptation fails in almost every respect. It's slapstick instead of quirky, melodramatic instead of authentic, a completely inaccurate account of what actually happened, and it mischaracterizes the manner in which the team was greeted by the bobsled community and the press.

But in spite of all this I like the film and a great many others do as well. My only explanation for this is that the underlying story is SO GOOD that even when adapted poorly (extremely poorly) the outcome is compelling. The Jamaican bobsled story is inspiring, odd, exciting, fun, it just has everything. It's the ultimate underdog story.

I propose that it should be made into a film again. This time with an eye toward telling a more honest version of events. In the years since making Cool Runnings Disney has made several more serious sports films like Miracle. Something more along those lines could be a fantastic film.

Solid Snake

I dunno. Not even Kevin Coster can save a film about black people doing things. Or even Hispanic people doing things. White people don't typically give a damn about black characters doing something. Now... if you make that white character be the lead and the grand brain behind it all and give them wholesome white people values helping out the negroes from Jamaica in a way that totally grabs the heartstrings of generic gringo... you might make bank w/ it.

I guess... make it like that film w/ Bullock that "got" her the Oscar

hanshotfirst1138

What exactly would Kevin Costner improve?

Mike86

It's not a great film but it features John Candy in one of his final roles and he happens to be one of my all time favorite comedic actors. I don't see a reason it'd be remade as I don't think it did that we'll in the first place.

Mabuse

Read this story Snake and you will see that there was a great white leader behind the Jamaican bobsled story. http://en.espn.co.uk/olympic-sports/...ry/280229.html So they could go with that angle.

I also have no doubt that Hollywood does have a problem with predominately black casts, but that didn't stop Cool Runnings from being a hit. In fact that plays to my point. The Jamaican bobsled story is SO GOOD that it even transcends race. Anyone and everyone can sympathize with such a great underdog story.

Like Rudy. Even people that don't like football are brought to tears by Rudy. I fucking hate Notre Dame and still love that film. A Jamaican bobsled film made right could be better than Rudy.

I love this quote:That could be such a winning moment on film. 8x more people showed up than usually show up and they're not even showing up to see a victory. They just love the story. The hook is so strong.

Mabuse

It made $154 million dollars off of a $14 million budget. Not only was it a hit, it has had legs. My mother in law teaches 8th grade and every year she shows it on the last day of school and she says kids absolutely love it. She says that at this point the kids are so young that none of them have seen it before and they all love it. I showed it to my 4 and 7 year olds and they liked it in spite of never seeing a bobsled race.

Brack

Please, if you're going to use an example of a story that's so good, don't mention Rudy. No one on the team turned in their jerseys for Rudy, and no one was chanting his name. Probably the hokiest sports movie of all time.

Mabuse

My point is it's a sports movie that everyone loves because it's first and foremost an underdog movie. Like Rocky. It's not a boxing movie it's an underdog movie. People love underdog movies.

Brack

Rudy's not even an underdog movie. It's the ultimate fantasy about heart trumping talent, and only to be a walk on player. That's why people liked it. That, and it's film score.

Shazam

I knew one of the extras in one of the very last scenes.

E Unit

This is the correct answer. And I like the movie the way it is. A little too goofy but it was kind hearted and sincere. Any remake pursued would try and turn this into something overdramatic and Michael Bay-ish. So no, it doesn't need to be remade. We need a blu ray of this one. I tend to watch it all the way through every time it's on Showtime or whatever channel it pops up on.

Decker

Maybe a movie about Native American people doing things?

Mabuse

I wouldn't want it to be done that way either. Something like Miracle, the Miracle on Ice movie, would be good.

Whiskey Warfield

After years of waiting, I've finally found something sigworthy. Thank you, Snake.

Bluelitespecial

This thread got me thinking why can't Hollywood make good sports movies anymore? There hasn't been one worth seeing since the 90s.

Drexl

hanshotfirst1138

Which inevitably leads to a movie about web-footed people doing things ?