Film-Rezensionen: Eddie the Eagle (2016) (Englisch)

Eddie the Eagle

The elder ones will remember: At the winter Olympics in Calgary/ Canada a ski-jumper named Eddie the Eagle went down in the annals of sport. Eddie, whose real name was Michael Edwards, stayed in our memory as a somewhat clumsy sportsman with a fuzzy moustache, entering the competion for Great Britain, a country not known as a downright ski-jump nation. Audiences were more worried about his health or laughed at him rather than took him seriously as an athlete. Dexter Fletcher now sets this picture straight in a comedy movie that finally succeeds in what Michal Edwards never achieved then: it takes him seriously!

This is the first time in a long row that we see an entertaining movie, that appeals in an intelligent, charming and touching way to the heart and soul, but as well offers some spectacular jump and schuss scenes. Especially, these scenes show very clearly what the „clown“ „Eddie“ Edwards was capable of accomplishing. No matter how true to the facts the movie is, how much of the real Miachael Edwars is shown, the ski-jumper Eddie was a fact and so was his story.

In spite of not being very sporty (at least not enough to ever become a champion in any competition), we see the portrait of an outsider, who desires nothing more than to take part in the Olympics. But what drives him almost more is to prove everybody wrong – to prove them wrong and show the world what he is capable of doing.

So far the movie uses the cliché of an underdog with a never-say-die attitude who reaches his aim in the end. But there is definitely more to it. Other than in most stories winning is not the target, but to take part as Pierre de Coubertin stated: „The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part.“ But this still is not the essence, the most important thing in sport – and thus in life – is to do the best you can in whatever you do, just as Coubertin’s quote continues: „The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well“. Then the result is only secondary. That’s what the Finnish superstar Matti Nykänen tells Eddie in a keyscene of the movie. He puts himself and Eddie on the same level, although their sports skills are worlds apart. But they both share the same ambition – if not obsession – and that makes them more alike than anyone would suspect in the beginning. Passion is what lets people excel themselves, in life as well as in sports, and helps them to accomplish things which would make any „reasonable“ person cringe – like for example go down a 70 or 90 meter jump.

One of the merits of the movie is that it sets an obsession into a positive context. This is to be praised in these days since so many people out there are obsessed with religious or pseudo-religious missions, terrorizing the world, delivering fear, horror and death.

The other highlight of the movie is its brilliant cast:

Taron Egerton – still in good memory from „Kingsman – The Secret Service“ – shines as the naive Eddie who starts out in childlike innocence to conquer the world and reach his almost impossible goal. Taron shows us how Eddie almost loses his innocence when he gets carried away by the cheering crowds, not realizing that they still don’t take him seriously as an athlete. Luckily, the first thing his coach Bronson Peary taught him, was to land properly…

Hugh Jackman delivers an excellent performance as well and provides the (fictional) character of Bronson Peary with a profound depth, saving him from being too one-sided. Peary is an outsider too and is haunted by his past. His ski-jump skills are the complete opposite of Eddie’s, but in spite of his outstanding skills and talents he was kicked out of the US jump team, because he wasn’t able to follow the strict regiment of his coach Warren Sharp (a living legend in this field of sport). Peary failed because he obviously didn’t deliver his best in the eyes of his coach by just depending on his talents. He ended up driving a snowcat and looking after the slopes, disenchanted and cynical, a problemdrinker without perspective. Reluctantly, he starts taking care of Eddie, at first just to show the young smart-ass sports collegues around what ski-jumping is all about. But the more Eddie learns, Peary finds some answers for himself. In the end he and his likewise „loved and despised godfather“ Sharp get together again in an already legendary scene between Jackman and Christopher Walken.

In the end it’s negligible (at least for the Eddie in the movie) if he was able to continue his sports career. He was successful once and achieved more than the lapidary and notorious 15 minutes of fame that everybody is entitled to have. No, he accomplished the great task which the German poet Hoelderlin praises, knowing that „once I lived like the gods, and nothing more is needed“!

Anyone who yearns for something different than the usual battle of material in all the  blockbuster flicks should see this movie and discover that the real super heroes may not always look cool or crack a line. The important thing in life are not the wisecracks but ardent and passionate deeds.

Oh, and last but not least: The soundrack is great too!

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Script: Sean Macaulay, Simon Kelton

Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Iris Berben, Rune Temte, and Christopher Walken in a cameo