Cool Runnings

Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub and written by Michael Barrie and Murray Freedman. The film is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team's debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The film's protagonist, Derice Bannock (Leon Robinson), is a skilled sprinter from Jamaica who had his sights set on competing in the Olympic Games. However, on the day of the event, a mishap causes Derice to be disqualified, and his Olympic dreams are shattered. Desperate to find a new way to represent Jamaica and prove his abilities, Derice turns to his coach, Irv Blitzer (John Candy). Blitzer is a former Olympic coach who was kicked out of the games for making a poor prediction. He is now working at a ski resort in Utah, drinking his days away. When Derice approaches him, Blitzer agrees to help him put together a bobsled team from Jamaica. Blitzer takes Derice to meet his team: Sanka Coffie (Rawle D. Lewis), Junior Bevil (Malcolm Gets), and Devon Butler (Doug E. Doug). Sanka, Junior, and Devon are also from Jamaica and are all friends of Derice's. They are not as experienced in the world of bobsled as they could be, but they are determined to learn and make a splash at the Olympics. The team is initially hesitant to accept Blitzer's coaching, but as he starts teaching them the basics of bobsled racing, they begin to gel and show promise. The team faces numerous obstacles, including the harsh winter weather, the lack of funding, and their own self-doubt. However, with Blitzer's guidance and Derice's drive, they begin to improve rapidly and gain confidence in their abilities. They learn to adapt to the icy conditions and develop their driving skills, and the team starts to show some real potential. As the team prepares for the Olympic Games in Calgary, they face criticism and skepticism from the Jamaican government and from some of the other teams in the competition. Some people see their participation as a joke and doubt that they can succeed. However, the team proves their critics wrong with each and every passing day and soon find themselves competing in the Olympic Games alongside some of the world's best bobsled teams. On the day of the Games, the Jamaican bobsled team is ready to take the track by storm. They are the first team with African and Caribbean ancestry to compete at the Winter Olympics, and they are determined to make a statement. The team is a sensation in the media, with reporters from around the world covering their every move. Despite some initial technical issues, the team manages to stay together and maintain their speed. They go through the course smoothly and gain an impressive second place spot. The team is then awarded the honor of third-place overall by the judges. In the end, though it's third place, the Jamaican bobsled team achieves its mission of competing in the Winter Olympics and inspiring their nation. They may not return home as Olympic champions, but they have earned a hard-won third-place finish and an equal amount of global respect for making history. By overcoming the odds and refusing to accept failure as an option, Derice, Sanka, Junior, Devon, and the rest of the team prove to all that anything is truly possible with determination and perseverance.