One of the most interesting aspects of the new sports drama Eddie the Eagle is that the film both follows the traditions of uplifting sports films while candidly rejecting them. In many sports movies about individuals, the hero trains for months — if not years — for a big event. There are roadblocks along the way but the hero is able to overcome them and makes it to the final battle. Last year, Creedwas a tremendous example of that formula’s success.
Eddie the Eagle doesn’t follow that formula.
Eddie Edwards, played here nicely by the underrated Taron Egerton, didn’t want to be a ski jumper when he was growing up in England. He simply wanted to be an Olympian. Despite the fact that he wasn’t coordinated and his father derided him by saying “you...