unch y ▁sex ▁add ict , ▁and ▁Jimmy ▁Mac El roy , ▁an ▁equally ▁tal ented ▁but ▁shelter ed ▁and ▁eff em inate ▁sk ater , ▁tie ▁for ▁gold . ▁From ▁the ▁start , ▁the ▁two ▁sk aters ▁are ▁clearly ▁polar ▁oppos ites ▁with ▁different ▁background s ; ▁Ch azz ▁grew ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Detroit ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁self - t aught ▁sk ater , ▁while ▁Jimmy ▁was ▁adopted ▁by ▁Dar ren ▁Mac El roy , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁man ▁who ▁adopt s ▁children ▁showing ▁stup end ous ▁athlet ic ▁ability . ▁ ▁While ▁standing ▁on ▁the ▁awards ▁pod ium ▁after ▁both ▁sk aters ▁t ying ▁for ▁gold , ▁the ▁two ▁have ▁an ▁argument ▁that ▁es cal ates ▁into ▁a ▁fight ▁and ▁ends ▁with ▁the ▁World ▁Games ▁mas cot ▁being ▁accident ally ▁set ▁on ▁fire . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁National ▁Figure ▁Sk ating ▁Association ▁stri ps ▁both ▁men ▁of ▁their ▁med als ▁and ▁b ans ▁them ▁from ▁men ' s ▁singles ▁competition ▁for ▁life . ▁Dar ren ▁immediately ▁dis own s ▁Jimmy ▁and ▁leaves ▁him ▁str and ed ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁road . ▁ ▁Three ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁years ▁later , ▁both ▁men ▁have ▁grud ging ly ▁taken ▁on ▁alternative ▁occup ations : ▁Jimmy ▁is ▁working ▁at ▁a ▁winter ▁sport ing ▁goods ▁store ▁but ▁he ▁gets ▁dem oted ▁to ▁stock room ▁duty ▁when ▁he ▁ref uses ▁to ▁listen ▁to ▁a ▁little ▁girl ▁when ▁she ▁tells ▁him ▁her ▁sk ating ▁boot ▁has ▁been ▁tied ▁too ▁tight ly