The five best Winter Olympics movies

Some Winter Olympic moments, real or imagined, are worth immortalizing on the big screen.

Here are five movies you should watch — maybe even instead of some of the real action in Pyeongchang.

“The Cutting Edge” (1992): This rom-com is total fantasy with a tagline of “the Ultimate Love/Skate Relationship.” It’s about a spoiled rich-kid skater played by Moira Kelly and a hockey player played by D.B. Sweeney who is forced into figure skating by an injury. Guess what? They hate each other for a lot of the movie before — surprise — they fall in love. You’ll have to see if they get the gold.

“Cool Runnings” (1993): The story of the Jamaican bobsled team personifies the Olympic spirit. As with virtually every sports movie, a lot of it is fiction. But the shell of the story is true: A Jamaican sprinter who had been disqualified from the Summer Games gathers some guys and starts a bobsled team to compete in 1988 in Calgary, Canada. John Candy was the star power.

“Miracle” (2004): The title is taken from sportscaster Al Michaels’ legendary call — “Do you believe in miracles?” — after the U.S. men’s hockey team beat the Russians in the 1980 Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. The film actually sticks pretty close to the truth, especially for Disney, which always chooses heartstrings over facts. Kurt Russell plays U.S. coach Herb Brooks in one of the few sports movies that doesn’t play for laughs.

“Eddie the Eagle” (2016): This is the real-life story of a kid with little athletic ability who finds the right sport in the right country to become an Olympian. Now, Britain spits out ski jumpers like Jamaica does bobsledders. But at the time Eddie Edwards made the team — 1988 — his Olympic dream was accomplished despite some roughing up by his countrymen. The film has Hugh Jackman in it, so that alone makes it worth watching.

“I, Tonya” (2017): This movie is still in theaters and is definitely worth a watch. The “mockumentary” showcases figure skater Tonya Harding and the kneecapping of her rival Nancy Kerrigan. It has been nominated for three Oscars, including a likely win for Allison Janney as Tonya’s mother. It’s funny, sad and, at times, violent. There are lots of bad words. It’s also basically true, but not entirely.