By David Weiner
2:00 PM PDT, July 27, 2012
The 2012 Summer Olympics are finally here, and we've rounded up five rousing Olympic flicks to get you into the competitive spirit. Disclaimer: Not every film on this list takes place during the summer Olympics (and Munich was intentionally left off the list, since it focuses more on the consequences of the tragic terrorist act at the '72 games than the athletes in their element), but they all remain just as inspirational and entertaining. Let the games begin!
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Five Rousing Olympic Flicks
Warner Bros.
The 2012 Summer Olympics are finally here, and we've rounded up five rousing Olympic flicks to get you into the competitive spirit. Disclaimer: Not every film on this list takes place during the summer Olympics (and Munich was intentionally left off the list, since it focuses more on the consequences of the tragic terrorist act at the '72 games than the athletes in their element), but they all remain just as inspirational and entertaining. Let the games begin!
Chariots of Fire
Warner Bros.
The surprise Best Picture Oscar winner of 1982 stars Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Ian Holm and John Gielgud in this true tale of British sprinters Harold Abrahams (played by Cross) and Eric Liddell (played by Charleson), two very different men competing in the 1924 Olympics for very different reasons. Lidell, a devout Scottish missionary, runs for God, while Abrahams, the son of a wealthy Jewish man, runs to prove his place in upper crust Cambridge society. And, of course, that score by Vangelis forever changed the way we look at slow-motion running…
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Miracle
Disney
In the inspiring true story behind one of the greatest moments in sports history, Kurt Russell plays determined coach Herb Brooks, the man who led the underdog U.S. hockey team to victory against the heavily favored, practically undefeated Soviet Union during the 1980 Winter Olympics. The 2004 film has all the elements for the perfect feel-good Olympic tale – tension, rivalry, excitement and teamwork in a true David vs. Goliath moment that came to be known as "the miracle on ice."
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Without Limits
Warner Bros.
Billy Crudup gives the performance of his career as Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine in this thoughtful, methodical and inspirational 1998 biopic produced by Tom Cruise. Cut down in his prime by a tragic car crash, "Pre" was blunt, cocky, charismatic and a rock star in the running world. Coached by the University of Oregon's (and Nike co-founder) Bill Bowerman (a Yoda-like Donald Sutherland), Pre ran one of the more memorable races at the Munich Olympics and was strongly favored to win at the Montreal Games in 1976, but never got the chance, dying at age 24 the year before.
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Cool Runnings
Disney
Three words tell the entire story: Jamaican Bobsled team… The true tale here from the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary was just ripe for the picking as an inspirational Hollywood comedy. In the 1993 film, John Candy played the team's coach opposite Doug E. Doug, Malik Youba, Leon Robinson and Rawle D. Lewis as the four athletes picked to prove to the world that they could compete with the best -- despite being completely out of their element.
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The Cutting Edge
MGM
A guilty pleasure on this list to say the least, this early '90s fan-favorite romantic comedy stars Moira Kelly and D.B. Sweeney respectively as a spoiled, perfectionist figure skater and a washed-up hockey player who are paired up for the Olympic finals. With each hoping to get another shot at Olympic glory, can they get over each other's egos, find love and win the gold over the Soviets? Of course they can. The film is set at the 1992 Winter Olympic Games, in Albertville, France.
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