Eddie the Eagle

They don't come any more crowd-pleasing and feel-good than this quintessential underdog fable about the trials and tribulations of heroic failure Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, who became an accidental ski-jumping record holder at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Eddie's journey to world fame was all the more remarkable owing to the lack of support from his snooty fellow Team GB members and the exasperated British sporting establishment. A terrific triumph-over-adversity tale told with deft assurance, energetic visuals and sharp observation, director Dexter Fletcher's rousing heart-warmer has you rooting for the lovable loser from frame one. Hugh Jackman is ace as Eddie's alcoholic trainer and fallen champion but it's Taron Egerton in the title role that gives this disarming biopic mass appeal. Capturing Eddie's signature pout, wide-eyed personality, sweet naivety and permanently positive attitude, Egerton's performance is utterly beguiling.