Eddie the Eagle

Michael Edwards, better known as Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, was a charismatic British folk-hero that most Americans will never have heard of. This plasterer from a blue collar family ignited the U.K. public's imagination when, in this real shaggy-dog story and without any real experience, in 1988 he finagled his way into the British Olympic Team to become the country's only Ski Jump Competitor. He came in last, of course, but thanks to the blanket media coverage at the time his spectacular endeavor made him the crowd's favorite and the people's man of the hour.

This real story is now the basis for a (vaguely) based on true events new movie that has taken a few liberties with some of the facts leading up to the Games, thus making it one of the most enjoyable crowd pleaser feel good sports movie for quite some time.

Eddie (a wonderful Taron Egerton) has been obsessed with competing in the Olympic Games ever since he was a kid and his less-than-patient father was always collecting him from the bus stop where young Eddie was running away and "off to join the team." When he grew up, he did actually learn how to ski race, but he was never quite good enough to be selected by the rather snooty, class-conscious British Team managers, who never wanted to accept him. When Eddie therefore hit on the idea of becoming a ski jumper instead, he assumed that he would be automatically be chosen, as Britain hadn't had anyone compete in that event for the past 30 years.

However, the British Authorities suddenly introduced a minimum standard jump for qualification so that they could refuse Eddie. Crestfallen, but still determined to participate, he took himself off to the Olympic Ski Jump Training Camp in Germany to try to meet the new requirements. As he practiced he was the laughing stock of all the experienced athletes -- including Bronson Peary, a one-time American champion who had, for some reason, given up ski-jumping and replaced it with drinking whisky for breakfast.

Peary (a very relaxed Hugh Jackman) is eventually persuaded to lay the bottle aside and help train Eddie. He does so because he believes in supporting the underdog -- plus, he is worried if he doesn't, Eddie may just kill himself while attempting one of the more dangerous jumps.

Directed by British actor-turned-director Dexter Fletcher, from a script by two newbie writers Simon Kelton and Sean Macaulay, this highly entertaining movie has some impressive photography that takes you down the high slopes along with Eddie, plus a great '80s soundtrack boasting a few Hall & Oates tracks.

The filmmakers make it nigh on impossible not to want this obsessed and fearless and extremely likable eccentric to beat the odds. As we are reminded more than once here, it's the taking part, and not the winning, that counts.