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10 Reasons Cool Runnings Is Every Bit As Good As You Remember It

While nostalgia may inform a certain amount of taste and affection we have for movies from our childhood, some really do stand the test of time. The Shawshank Redemption is perhaps the best example of a film that was shown over and over and over on TV in the 90s, resulting in a popularity that keeps it perennially at the top of the IMDb ratings list. Others, like Hook, show their age, and it’s more than just a few wrinkled spots (for the record, I’m still a fan, though I begrudgingly admit I am in the minority). I find it hard to go back and try to objectively evaluate something I loved as a kid. It can be tinged by nostalgia, but also by disappointment in the loss of magic or innocence, or by a cynicism that dictates if you liked something as a kid, liking it as an adult shows a lack of maturity.

[h2]4) Derice and Sanka’s friendship is deep and true[/h2]

Cool Runnings

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The whole premise of the movie is that these sprinters, inspired by a previous generation of sprinters who were recruited but never formed a bobsled team, decide to form their own team in hopes of traveling to the Olympics. So the why the hell is Sanka on the team? He’s not a sprinter. He’s a pushcart driver, the best in Jamaica, according to Sanka. But he doesn’t even drive the bobsled! No, his only reason for being on the team is out of love for his friend Derice, who was one member short of a full squad and asks Sanka for help.

They’re always checking in with each other to see if the other one is alright. They have a comfort around each other that speaks to a history they share, both as countrymen and friends. I’m a sucker for movies about friendship like Pineapple Express or The Shawshank Redemption. This one has the qualities of those types of movies even if it’s overshadowed by a semi-historical sports angle and Disney comedy.

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