‘Cool Runnings’ playing at Canada Olympic Park a full-circle moment

It will be a full-circle moment at Canada Olympic Park when 'Cool Runnings' is shown next month as a drive-in movie.

U.S. bobsleigh coach Patrick Brown has very fond memories of the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games, but he’s still not tempted to drive north from Utah to see Cool Runnings in a drive-in theatre at Canada Olympic Park.

“I’ve seen the movie enough. Every time I get on a flight, somebody’s watching it next to me,” Brown told CTV News.

Brown knows the story behind Cool Runnings well, having coached the Jamaican bobsleigh team in 1988.

“I went up to Calgary to get a job, to be a part of the games in ’88. I had an uncle that lived across the street in Bowness and went over there. The first day I got to Calgary, I ran into the team at the track and got hired that evening to take over the team,” Brown said.

Brown has coached Jamaican teams at four Olympic Games.

He’s disappointed to see the closure of Calgary’s bobsleigh track, among other Olympic facilities here.

“It’s very sad. I’ve been in seven Olympic Games and Calgary is still my favourite Olympic Games that I’ve ever been to. The people were outstanding, so polite, so helpful, just excited about having everybody there,” Brown said.

As for John Candy’s role in Cool Runnings, Brown concedes it’s loosely based on Howard Siler, who went to Jamaica to recruit athletes before handing over the team to him.

“I like to say that Tom Cruise and Clint Eastwood were busy if they were going to do mine,” Brown said.

Cool Runnings will be shown as a drive-in movie at Canada Olympic Park on Aug. 13.