MovieChat Forums > Cool Runnings (1993) Discussion > A JAMAICAN'S opinion of this movie

A JAMAICAN'S opinion of this movie

posted 15 years ago by redtape2
82 replies | jump to latest

I'm not sure why no one has posted this yet, but there were two things which struck me as blatantly obvious and I was not able to ignore them, so they ended up helping to ruin the movie for me. Both of them involved stereotypes of Jamaicans which I keep seeing in movies; and they annoy the hell out of me and a couple other Jamaicans.

The first one is the fake accents, which are driving me CRAZY. Now this takes a small amount of time to get to you since the first couple of times it comes off as amusing, and then afterward, when you begin to notice that Jamaicans who are portrayed in every movie acts like this, it borders on INSULTING. For example, after being on the earth for nearly 20 years I'm yet to hear an actual Jamaican saying "mon" after every sentence, unless they're mocking Hollywood's interpretation of Jamaican patois. Why does Hollywood never use Jamaican actors since American actors obviously can't imitate Jamaican patois well??? Hell, forget about the patois! They can't even get the accent itself right. So, this ends up where whenever I travel to the United States people keep asking me why I don't talk like they do in movies, and then telling me that I'm not Jamaican...

The second most annoying thing is how the Jamaican way of life, people and culture are portrayed on screen and thus, in this movie. We're portrayed as dirt poor and dirty Rastafarians even though our country is majority Christian, and we keep ourselves clean. We always live on the beach in shacks, even though most people don't live near the coast. I've even had people in the United States ask me if I live in a tree...Too many people, and not one of them were joking... Our women are always overweight and on their way to the market in long skirts...We have no sources of technology and everything is backward even though a large percentage of the population own cell phones for example...

Oh these are only a few, but what I'm really trying to say is that I hated this movie because of the stereotypes reinforced. Admit it. You'd feel like this too if your country kept being portrayed like this, and it seems a number of people from certain countries believe nothing else but what they see on television.

[–] amlee-holman 15 years ago

As frustrating as it may be, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. It is rare to see any culture portrayed accurately in film.

Across the United States all Minnesotans sound exactly like the characters in Fargo (even though Fargo is in North Dakota.) And around the world, all Americans are cowboys.

Such is life.

[–] AnotherSchmoe 14 years ago

"As frustrating as it may be, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. It is rare to see any culture portrayed accurately in film.

Across the United States all Minnesotans sound exactly like the characters in Fargo (even though Fargo is in North Dakota.) And around the world, all Americans are cowboys."

I actually have a bunch of relatives who have lived in Minnesota their entire lives (not in St. Paul or Minneapolis though, smaller towns), they all sound almost exactly like the people in "Fargo". There is usually some truth behind most stereotypes. Obviously it doesn't apply to every single person in a given location, but there is usually truth to them.

[–] ilon 12 years ago

"There is usually some truth behind most stereotypes."

If "some" means a little town or region applied to a whole country...

Stereotype is a product made by big companies.

[–] Hamsterman11 8 years ago

And around the world, all Americans are cowboys. '

Yeah no. No. and NO.

It's probably true for all of the smaller states that they aren't potrayed accurately.

[–] Petey_138 15 years ago

1-2-3-4

That's just how it goes,

In;
-Finland we got polarbears walking the streets
-All Swedes are gay
-Every French wears a baret & all smoke & drink wine & are snobs & have a baguette in their bikes' basket
-Every German is a Nazi
-Every Spanish & Italian is a gigolo
-Every Norvegian either fishes or drills oil
-Every Mexican wears a sombrero & plays a guitar & make those high pitched noises while singing

etc. etc. etc.

We live in a world of stereotypes

[–] stefa898 15 years ago

Actually I think the "All Swedes are gay" is more of a finnish joke. I don't think any other country thinks like that. Otherwise everything is spot on. :)

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] just-ruthie 15 years ago

Lol, the Finns have themselves polar bears walking the streets? :p

[–] welshy023 14 years ago

Another one to add
- Every Australian talks with that sh!tty twang.
Most guys here actually sound like Sam Worthington, not like some try-hard british, high-pitched nasal tone.

My Movie Ratings:
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=32978565

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] axellennox 12 years ago

In Movies: Everywhere in Turkey is desert and Turks drives camels.

In Fact: 30 years of age, I've never seen a camel or a desert in my life, nowhere in my country.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=5844404

[–] wj-n3 11 years ago

I have literally never heard any of those stereotypes before. Finland has a LOT of growing up to do.

[–] djvalis 11 years ago

all those are pretty much on the money except you missed out on Jews and Asian.

[–] tatooedyouth 15 years ago

This should sum it up. Its a movie and movies are FICTION even the ones based on true stories. Every nationality/creed/race etc are stereotyped in movies, Mainly because the writers don't know thier material along with the publics general ignorance of other cultures.

It happens to all cultures in almost every movie.
Not just Jamaicans,all cultures and as a matter of fact the culture that is the most stereotyped is American.

[–] cocopuffs809 15 years ago

Okay, you would think being a state of USA, citizens would know people in Hawaii do not live in grass shacks and huts...but some don't. Its life. Be proud of where you come from. Represent. teach others, instead of sheding away if they don't know any better.

[–] very_strange1 15 years ago

I think part of the reason that Jamaica and Jamaicans were portrayed the way they were in this movie is to emphasize the fact that a Jamaican bobsled team is so outlandish. It is making the scope (between Jamaica and a winter olympic sport....between the beach and snow/ice) that much broader and more drastic by exaggerating the Jamaican way of life. Although, I didn't feel that they were portrayed as dirty...or even poor. I got a more 'laid back' feeling.
It did bug me that the 3 main Jamaican characters were all portrayed by dudes from New York. That kind of thing always bugs me. (It happens in many different movies set all over the world!) I am SURE there are plenty of Jamaican actors that could have done justice to these roles.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 15 years ago

I saw this flick years ago when it was previewed and it was disappointing then. I would have dearly loved to see the REAL story of the team and not a phony sitcom trash fest. To this day I have nothing but disgust for this slop or anything like it. I am not Jamaican, but am someone who enjoys factual story telling based on real stories.

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.

[–] stealthMONKEY 15 years ago

It's a family film Yodzingie, not The Deer Hunter.

[–] monkeys_are_too_blue 15 years ago

Yeah... Americans are gun-toting neo-Nazi hicks. (aMURRRkans) Filmmakers love sterotypes: they make their jobs easier.

[–] MissDerbyDoll 15 years ago

"We have no sources of technology and everything is backward even though a large percentage of the population own cell phones for example... "
It was set in 1988.. I dont think anyone had a cell phone in 1988.

"Mother is the name for God on the hearts and lips of children"

[–] nutsberryfarm 14 years ago

those big block ones were around. rare.

I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"

[–] chanel_anjelique 15 years ago

i agree with the person who said they didn't get the feeling they were dirty or poor, i felt more that they were laid back. I do agree with alot of points you've made, and not being Jamaican myself, but having visited there ...it is kinda crazy how much they exaggerated everything.

♫ = LIFE

[–] AngryScotsman 15 years ago

I agree that it is just what Hollywood does. I am Scottish but I don't have red hair, eat haggis, roam about the highlands, wear kilts everyday or sound like Groundskeeper Wullie but that's our stereotype.

Entertaining? Yes. Annoying? Yes.

Let me tell you about the old country Jim. The songs,ahhh the songs...They'd melt your face.