EDDIE THE EAGLE: An Adorable Underdog Of A Movie

I have been following the production of Eddie The Eagle for a very long time it seems. I’m a great devotee of director Dexter Fletcher (Sunshine On Leith is excellent), I love a good sports movie, even better, I love a British underdog sports movie. Of course, if you know me or are familiar with me at all you’ll know I also absolutely adore Taron Egerton. I know what you’re thinking, there’s no way I could be objective about this movie.

Au contraire, I have no bones about pulling apart a film when I’m disappointed. But, delightfully, neither of us have to worry about that because Eddie The Eagle is a solid piece of filmmaking, and pretty damn inspirational to boot.

A Version of Reality

Since the beginnings of the Eddie The Eagle production Fletcher and Egerton have been clear that what happens in the film isn’t exactly what happened to the real Michael ‘Eddie The Eagle’ Edwards. For those of you unfamiliar with the story let me break it down for you. Eddie was a downhill skier-turned-ski-jumper who took part in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, he basically got through because there were no other Brits to compete with him. While he didn’t win any medals, his courage and enthusiasm was an inspiration to many. I was only six when Eddie shot to fame, and spent much of my childhood wondering why everyone was so enthused about someone who didn’t win. I grew up and got it, eventually.

That courage and enthusiasm is exactly what Eddie The Eagle is about, although certain liberties have been taken with the truth. In reality, Eddie actually ended up sleeping in cars and barns, he travelled to many different places, and was actually living in Finland when he found out he was going to the Olympics. Also, and most importantly, his coach Bronson Peary (played in the film by Hugh Jackman) didn’t exist. Eddie had many coaches and learnt most of his trade by picking up tips on the circuit.

Eddie’s road to success was actually quite long and fractured and beyond any reasonable film production. So I can understand why writers Simon Kelton and Sean Macaulay simplified it, and then redesigned Eddie’s narrative with a ‘buddy story’ in mind. It was an inspired idea. With Peary at his side we are exposed to so much more of Eddie’s personality then we would were he doing this alone.

More than that, Eddie’s effect on Peary is palpable. In the way that he inspired so many people so Eddie inspires Peary. (I also like the fact that Peary appears as a sort of guardian angel to this fictionalised Eddie.) Importantly though, this simplification of events and the invention of Peary doesn’t get in the way of Eddie’s real story, and that’s damn good writing.

The Adorable Mr. Egerton

There are lots of aspects to the making of Eddie The Eagle that make it a splendid film, but none more so than Taron Egerton. Eddie Edwards was kind of an odd looking bloke in his day, it would have been easy for Egerton to go overboard with prosthetics. Eddie also had a lot of character to the way he moved and the way he acted, once again it would have been easy for Egerton to lean on these comedic quirks. But perhaps Egerton’s finest quality is that he doesn’t do what’s easy, he does what is challenging. The result is an Eddie who is unusual, perhaps, but a thoroughly engaging and charming man.

More than that, Egerton’s ability to really get inside of his characters and act from the inside out means that the Eddie he constructs feels very real. He is complex, he is both sensitive and courageous, a loser and a fighter. So engaged are you, that every time Eddie is knocked down you feel his pain, and you are duly astounded every time he gets back up. Eddie The Eagle, while a great film, owes an enormous debt of gratitude to Taron Egerton. Without him this wouldn’t be half the film it is, and Eddie wouldn’t be seen as the incredible man Egerton shows him to be.

On Technicalities

It’s always the giveaway of a great film when you forget about simple things like narrative structure, soundtrack and cinematography till the end of the review. And why? Because if a film does these things right you don’t even notice. The plethora of British acting talent in supporting roles is fantastic. Especially Tim McInnerny as the head of the Olympic Committee and Jo Hartley and Keith Allen as Eddie’s parents. Of course, Hugh Jackman is terrific, as always. As Peary he’s bolshie but emotional, and ultimately a great bouncing board for Eddie’s personality.

The script is brilliant. Maybe it’s not totally true but its devotion to Eddie’s personality and drive, and its methodical plotting through each jump and event, along with its sense of humour, is just perfect. Dexter Fletcher is a great director, he knows how to tell a story and he is unafraid of getting emotional. Which is key, because the emotion is such an important part of this story, and if it was handled badly and made crass or cheesy that would have just ruined the whole thing.

The 80s soundtrack is superb, it actually feels like you’re watching Mannequin or The Secret Of My Success, which is fine by me. The production also did some great things with the cinematography and editing when it came to shooting the jumps. The only sticking point for me is that the special effects on the jumps are pretty poor, and they do nothing but remind you that it isn’t actually Egerton jumping. But that’s my only complaint.

Conclusion

Eddie The Eagle is a superb film. Eddie was and continues to be a courageous and inspirational man, and his story should have been told much sooner than this. Fletcher, Felton, Macaulay, Jackman and most importantly, Egerton, have done a tremendous job in creating this version of him. He was a man who struggled and pushed for something he believed in, and when people knocked him down, he pushed even harder. For that I think we can all be incredibly proud of him.

Watch this movie, because not only is it a lovely bit of filmmaking but you’ll be shocked at what is possible. You may even ask yourself what’s been stopping you from pursuing your own goals. Eddie, try as he might, never again qualified for the Olympics (because of the ‘Eddie the Eagle Rule‘ introduced in 1990), but that doesn’t matter. The film teaches us that it’s not about the succeeding, the important thing is the trying. Never trying at all, that’s the real failure.

Have you seen Eddie The Eagle? What did you think?

Eddie The Eagle is out in cinemas across the US and UK. For the release dates in your country see here.