The First Olympics: Athens 1896

On a whim I looked to see how much the VHS of this movie now cost. Last time I looked it was $200. I was estatic to see that there was now a DVD version of this movie out! This has been a family favorite for years. My grandparents own it and everytime my family got to their house us kids would watch the whole thing no matter what time we got to there. This is a great movie and shows how different the Olympics are now from that first time over 100 years ago.

This two-part TV movie centers on the creation of the modern games, and how the first U.S. team -- made up of a motley crew of mostly Ivy League athletes -- fared. Although generally accurate, it's told with both heart and humor as adversaries become life-long friends and miscommunications about things such as the weight of the discus result in a much stronger U.S. team than expected.

A few athletes from other countries are included, in both heroic and comic light. You also see the Olympic Committee working behind the scenes, such as trying to drum up an audience for the mostly unpublicized event. All in all, it's a interesting and appealing look at a landmark in sports history told by veteran actors and up-and-coming performers at the beginning of their careers.

I saw this movie 17 years ago and till now i can still remember the passion, commitment, struggle and glory that the team achieved during the first olympic.The movie is worth watching.

The First Olympics: Athens 1896

Released just in time for the '08 Olympics!

Please, DVD it !!!! I remember seeing this movie in high school, and thought it depicted the times well.