In Movies: 'Cool Runnings' and the celebration of Failure

AVClub.com, one of my regular reads for mostly TV reviews, has an interesting article on 'Cool Running,' which was, incidentally, John Candy's last movie and one of Disney's most successful at that time (1993). From the article, what makes the movie so unique:

Cool Runnings employs failure not as a plot device, but as an ethos. The main character is Derice Bannock (Leon), a sprinter whose dreams of Olympic gold are shattered during the qualifying race when another competitor, Junior Bevil (Rawle D. Lewis), falls off the starting block, tripping Bannock and a third runner, the inexplicably named Yul Brenner (Malik Yoba). That’s right: Cool Runnings literally opens with the protagonist falling on his face. And the moment is played completely straight, not for laughs.

I imagine that most people have seen this by now, but if you want a feelgood movie that doesn't feel empty in point either, check out Cool Runnings!