COOL RUNNINGS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 5.3
Date Released: 10/1/93 Running Length: 1:38 Rated: PG (Occasional crude language)
Starring: John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba Director: Jon Turteltaub Producer: Dawn Steel Screenplay: Lynn Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow, and Michael Goldberg Music: Hans Zimmer Released by Walt Disney Pictures
A bobsledding team from Jamaica? Well, as the old cliche puts it, truth is stranger than fiction. Except this film tries to fictionalize the truth, changing the story into one of mediocrity with no twists or surprises worth mentioning. What could have given a fresh look at an unusual sport proves instead to be a forgettable movie-going experience.
After having his chances of qualifying for Jamaica's 1988 Olympic track team dashed because of a freak accident, Derice Bannock (Leon) goes in search of another sport to put him in the world's spotlight. He chooses bobsledding, because ex-United States gold medal winner Irv Blitzer (John Candy) is living on the island. After recruiting his best friend Sanka Coffie (Doug E. Doug) as one of the team, and Irv as their coach, Derice looks for the other two members of the foursome. His choices are restricted to the only others who have interest - Junior Bevil (Rawle D. Lewis), a gregarious young man with a self-esteem problem, and Yul Brenner (Malik Yoba), a malcontent who looks like boxing might be more his style.
I'm not going to get into all the liberties that COOL RUNNINGS has taken with Olympic history--those are left to some other review of this film--but suffice it to say that little of reality remains. Hollywood has changed just about everything except the skeletal facts in order to make the movie more appealing and enjoyable to the average viewer, who would rather see triumph and sentiment instead of a less-palatable genuine account.
Sports formula pictures have spanned just about every sport but, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first one about bobsledding. In the time-honored tradition of the genre, we are presented with the underdogs as heros, shown a few routine hiccups along their path to the "big event", then given a resolution designed to get the audience clapping and cheering.
Often, it's the way these movies are handled that makes them successful, since originality is obviously at a premium. Pacing, chemistry among the actors, credibility of dialogue, a catchy score, and likability of the characters gain added importance. COOL RUNNINGS is marginally successful in all of these areas. There's nothing here to tax the mind, but the goal of feather-light entertainment is certainly met.
John Candy, whose physique seems to expand with every new role, has a better grasp of Coach Irv Blitzer than he has had on any part in a few years. I have always believed Candy to be at his best when he chooses light drama with a comic edge over straight comedy. That describes ONLY THE LONELY, PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES, and just about every other memorable movie he's been in. It also describes COOL RUNNINGS and, while this motion picture is far from a landmark, few could complain about Candy's performance.
The other four principals are equally effective, each striving to get the most out of a hackneyed role. All are better-suited to humorous situations than self-contemplation, so it's no surprise that the comedy scenes work much better than the dramatic ones. The action sequences, as the bobsleds whiz along the ice, are ably executed.
It's hard to knock a movie as inoffensive as COOL RUNNINGS, a project that's as enjoyable as it is vacuous. It's a family film that should be approached with appropriate expectations. There's nothing special here, nothing to elevate this picture above the dozens of others like it that are released every year. In many ways, it's well-suited for television--for those who have short attention spans and like to make occasional trips to the kitchen for a bite to eat without fear of missing anything. Perhaps that's the best way to watch COOL RUNNINGS--sprawled out on the couch instead of sitting in a theater seat. After all, in a season when pictures like this flare up then fade away quickly, the wait for video shouldn't be a long one.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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