Welcome |
|
The Olympics will be in full swing by the time this article is posted. So that means I am wearing my Olympic pin vest and my Olympic Hat from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
I also have an Olympic banner hanging from my cubicle and I decorated my child's daycare this summer in Olympic motif. I guess you can say I love the Olympics. I guess when you were raised in Athens, Greece you have a tendency you become consumed with the Olympics. The school I attended in Athens was called ACS and we always have a mini Olympics at the end of the school year. You had to participate to finish out the year. I was pretty much a tomboy so this was right up my alley. Here are the sports I competed in: Broad jump, shot putt, 4X40 relay, high jump, 100 meter dash and javelin. It seems like a lot but the teachers challenged us to try every sport. They could care less about whether you were a girl or a boy. They just wanted medals. I had four sister and we could all run like the wind. Our medals are hanging in my parent's house in the bar. Some have gone missing over the years, but at last count there were some forty medals still hanging in the bar.
I have personally gone to two Olympics and worked the Atlanta games. I had a blast. I recommend that if you have a chance watch at least one day of the 3200 viewing hours. Attending another Olympics was one of the things I had on my bucket list.
So, if you are one of those people that wish the Olympics were already over, I am going to give you a list of movies to watch that have Olympic themes. You know I love my lists. A lot of these movies you should have already seen, but hey re-visit them again and see them now that you are a little older and wiser.
I cracked up when I saw COOL RUNNING on Peachtree TV the other day. I guess they didn't have much of a Beijing Budget to get something like THE CUTTING EDGE with D.B. Sweeney or ICE CASTLES with Robby Benson. They had to run a show about the Jamaican Bobsled team during the summer 
Tragic |
|
Olympics. There several delightful films about the summer Olympics if only they had looked further. There is RUNNING BRAVE (another Robby Benson movie) that they could have selected instead. This picture was based on a true story and it is actually worth watching. Just don't let a young sinewy Robby Benson in hot pants scare you. This is how we looked in 1983 and Robby Benson was fine in the day!
So why talk about the Olympics, because the opening ceremonies have become such an art form and most are made better than most movies that are being produced. Besides, it's four hours of great entertainment, it's free and you get to watch it in your pajamas. So far I have learned that the Chinese invented paper, printing blocks and the kite. That was way before the Guggenheim Bible.
I'm an hour into the show and I'm already drowsy and I have brain freeze from drinking my Mango Fruitisa too fast. My child is in bed, Asta is on the bed next to me licking herself. We all should be so lucky. Ha. Ha
I'm one of those weird writers that have to be inspired before I can sit down to write. It's Friday night and I'm watching the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony and it is really spectacular. Deadline for our articles are on Sunday, So, I only have 72 hours to finish an article that I was just recently was inspired to write.
John E Moo is the artistic director of the ceremonies and his budget was unlimited. $400 billion, so the sky literally was the limit. I didn't make it all the way through the entire ceremonies but I will have to catch it on YouTube.
One of the best movies about Olympics life is CHARIOTS OF FIRE. The music alone is something to witness. This is a movie about true diversity. Not, they crap they try to say we practice at the office. It's about some British guys, a Christians guy and a Jewish guy that participate in track and field. But it's mainly about determination, honor and reaching your dream. This is the kind of movie that you need 
My hometown |
|
to watch when it's raining outside and there is nowhere to go. The film is set in 1924 Summer Olympics. It shows how far an athlete will go to achieve their goal. But, it is also a test of faith, belief and integrity. Plus, let's not forget about the four Oscars it won!
Before I mentioned all the events that I competed in, most of those sports are the comprised of the pentathlon. The name of our next movie, PENTATHLON is about a Gold medal winner that is trying to escape his crazy coach. Pen = five in Greek and athlon= loosely translated = events. If you even sat down and read about the origin of Greek sports you know that the pentathlon is one of the most respected because these are the five events that effected Athens and their youth.
For all you Jared Leto fans, I am not going to forget about PREFONTAINE. I am not a Leto fan myself so I missed this one. But I heard that Leto is pretty good in this. Another true story about Steve Prefontaine, a long distance runner who has hopes of Olympic dreams. This is supposed to be one of the most tragic sports star in America history. Now, this sounds like a movie that will definitely have to wait for a thunderstorm before I watch it. It's the Summer Olympics people! I don't want to watch tragic. Also see WITHOUT LIMITS. Another movie about Steve Prefontaine that stars Billy Crudup, Donald Sutherland and Monica Potter.
Oh sidebar! I had to make a decision to watch Michael Phelps or go to the movies. Well, the Olympics come around every four years and a great babysitter...... I choose the movies.
You can also go see ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER OR MUNICH, but my family lived through this tragic time in Olympic history and watching these two movies only brings me to tear. I am the youngest of four girls, so when my oldest three sister got to go to the Holy Land I had to stay behind. Without going into gory details, my sister and the rest of the PYOC church group where held hostage in Israel for about a week. It was 
Gone too soon |
|
spooky to be in Athens and all the American kids over thirteen years of age were missing. I watched Munich a couple of years ago in the privacy of my own home. I sat there a cried for hours. Then I called my sister up and asked her why wasn't I told about everything that happened. " Because you were too young." I left it at that and sent the movie back and reminded myself that this would not go into my permanent collection. Okay, let's move on to something a little more cherrier.
BLADES OF GLORY, now this is a movie about working together for a cause. I went to see this money because my girlfriend Liz loves Will Ferrell and I kind of dig Jon Heder. Do I really have to explain what this movie is about. WILL FERRELL that is all you need to know. Go see it. It's stupid but hey, it's Will Ferrell.
I can't mention Olympic films without mentioning THE JESSE OWENS STORY. Levar Burton ( ROOTS )in the 70's was unstoppable. THE JESSE OWENS STORY was in the 80's, then Star Trek and Reading Rainbow. Hey don't laugh Levar Burton is training and teaching the youth of America and that is not easy task. The youth of America are a mother. Most are just sitting at home right now hacking into some government computer or planning to get drunk in Scotland, thank- you North Springs High School you losers. I hope your parents nail you all to the wall. Kudos to the rest of the team that a least got to stay in Scotland at the Edinburgh one more day.
I can' close without saying goodbye to Bernie Mac. When something looks easy or quick in Hollywood it usually isn't. Bernie Mac did bother. He just didn't spring onto the scene. He worked years at his craft and he watched a lot of pretty boys past him up and get shows. But Bernie Mac was the man and prevailed. His show won a Peabody and he was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. And believe me man, that ain't easy. We love you man!
 email this column to a friend
|
| Wilder Napalm |
Every other Tuesday
An explosive perspective on movies and how they shape my everyday life.
|
| Monica Wilder |
Monica is a freelance writer and playwright living in Atlanta.She is raising her daughter to appreciate life and movies. She is currently working on a book.
|
| Contact |
If you have a comment, question, or suggestion, you can send a message to Monica Wilder by clicking here.
|
|
