Miracle (Widescreen Edition)

"Miracle" captures this spirit down to the smallest nuance; in a day and age when you are as likely to read about athletes in the police blotter as the sports page, it is refreshing to watch people play for the pure joy of sport and love of the game. The ability to capture this love of the game was made possible by the fact that every single one of the actors portraying a hockey player was first and foremost an actual hockey player. That's not to say they can't act, but they sought out the opportunity because they have scored Eruzione's game winning goal a thousand times on a rink or pond or even on asphalt and they wanted an opportunity to tap into a little bit of that magic. They didn't audition for "Miracle", they tried out for it, and once they had the job, they went to training camp to prepare for filming. This attention to detail comes through in spades; I know hockey, but you don't have to be an expert to realize these guys are in great shape and have been on the receiving end of a check more than once.

In contrast to these raw and unseasoned actors stands Kurt Russell, a Hollywood veteran (and admittedly a very big hockey fan). His portrayal of Herb Brooks is dead on; from the voice and mannerisms down to the single minded determination to beat the best team in the world. Moreover, his punishing conditioning regimen and mind-bending schemes are accurately portrayed without bogging down in details that would likely bore even dedicated fans. The supporting cast is likewise strong, and wisely limited in large part to just Brooks' wife and assistants. This focus mirrors the way Brooks lived the game and minimizes distractions.

So the film has real hockey players and fine actors in all the key roles but the most daunting task for the director still remained: how to portray a game where the outcome is know when the NHL hasn't found an entirely effective view for live games. The answer was to use as many ice level shots as possible, which serves a twofold purpose. The first is that it is much easier to follow the puck when it is the focus of the shot, and at the same time, when a hit or injury is the key part of the scene, the puck isn't a distraction. The other reason this approach is successful is because this player's eye view of the ice injects a sense of urgency that makes victory seem in doubt even when it is a known factor. A corollary to this approach is in the narrative of the game with the Soviets; the director wisely chose not to reinvent the wheel and used Al Michael's definitive call, which includes key commentary from Ken Dryden which can be informative for the non-hockey fan.

In the end, what this all adds up to is the perfect encapsulation of the joy I referenced above. The cold hard fact is that we are unlikely to ever see such joy in sport again, as professionals have come to dominate Olympic team sports and high schoolers join the pro ranks as soon as they graduate and middle schoolers go to strength and conditioning camps under relentless pressure from their parents. What "Miracle" portrays is a joy born of a love of competition, a love of sport and a love of teammates that has become all too rare. That's not to say that this movie only portrays sunshine and roses, but the ultimate goal transcended any one individual. Some of the best scenes in the movie have nothing to do with hockey, but rather the camaraderie that comes from sharing simple things with good friends.

Superb in its portrayal of perhaps the greatest sporting event of all time in every aspect - from acting to wardrobe to the game on the ice, "Miracle" is an absolute joy to watch. It wisely frames the geo-political import of the game and then sets it aside, focusing instead on the beauty of sport and the satisfaction of hard earned accomplishments.

Jake Mohlman.


MIRACLE--Just when America needed one the most   February 15, 2004
Erik North (San Gabriel, CA USA)
39 out of 47 found this review helpful

MIRACLE takes us back to a triumphant moment in American history just when Americans needed one--the miraculous win by the U.S. Olympic hockey squad over the vaunted team from the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. Framed by the traumas of Vietnam and Watergate that had settled onto our country like a malaise, the film ratchets up things even further by giving us glimpses of the Iranian hostage ordeal and the December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets.

Stepping into the fray is Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell), a veteran hockey coach who as a player came within one step of joining the 1960 U.S. Olympic hockey squad that handed the Soviets their last loss in ice hockey at Squaw Valley. As the film opens, in the summer of 1979, Brooks is given the task of putting a respectable hockey team onto the home ice in upstate New York for the Olympics. For Brooks, however, merely putting a respectable team onto the ice wasn't good enough for him. He wanted the best; and through his relentless drive and his not ingratiating himself to his players, he prodded them to put out nothing short of the best they had in them. The result was that miraculous 4-3 win over the Soviets in the first medal-round game that a few days after that propelled them to a Gold medal via a win over Finland.

Russell, never the showiest of actors but nevertheless one of the best, gives a superb performance as Brooks (who was killed in an auto crash shortly after filming was completed), a man who dedicated himself to putting a winning team into the history books and succeeded. As had been the case in THE THING, EXECUTIVE DECISION, TOMBSTONE, and BREAKDOWN, Russell shows us his professionalism by not necessarily being Mr. Nice Guy, but a man who strives to achieve the extraordinary in his players. Patricia Clarkson is good as his wife (in a too brief role), and Noah Emmerich does a good job as Brooks' assistant.

The gut-wrenching game between the U.S. and the Soviets is recreated in vivid detail with all the hard hits and chants of "USA! USA!" rumbling throughout. But MIRACLE is, thankfully, not about American jingoism and arrogance. It is about achieving the impossible, which is exactly what all Olympic games are supposed to be about. It is an incredible piece, well worth seeing more than once.


Best Sports Movie Ever   May 14, 2004
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I have to admit, I am laughing out loud at the people that gave this film a bad rating. Not because they didn't like it for whatever reason. Not everyone is expedted to like everything. But if you notice, when they try to say why it wasn't good, they go off on a tangent on something else. They try to deflect from the film itself by making the strangest, most out place comments about a movie. This isn't just about hockey.

One person said: "Too slow for children.". Someone else said: "Herb Brooks was mean". Nahhh, really? Herb, mean?

I don't even think these people should be allowed to have computers. Scary stuff.

Number one, who cares if it's "too slow for children" Put them to bed and get over yourself. Number two, Herb Brooks WAS mean, but in case you missed it every player he ever coached had IMMENSE respect for him because he didn't coach that way to fuel an ego, he did it because it was his style and it worked time and time again. Herb Brooks was a very interesting and complex person and this movie did a nice job of illustrating that.

This film is very close to accurate (only the O'Callhan hit on McClanahn in their first practice was not a factual event in an attempt to further insinuate the hatred between some of the players on the team. The Minnesota and Boston players had quite the rivalry.) and the WAY it was filmed is very impressive.

You really get to see the relationships between the players and the coach develop. You also get great insight inside the personality of Herb Brooks.

This movie is an exact historical chronological layout of Team USA's run for Olympic gold medal. One that they never supposedly had a chance at.

I think the real test of this film is, the game and the story is so amazing you half expect to go into the theater expecting to be let down because we all know the result. It can't be as good as the real thing, right? This film comes as close as you can imagine. People were standing up in theaters cheering and no one moved from their seat when it was over. That speaks volumes.

The speech Herb gives in the locker room before the game against the Soviets I have read before, and to see it be depicted on film is very moving. I don't cry at films, but I did at this one.

I also saw it 3 times and it was great on all 3 trips.

The one thing I said walking out of the theater was "you don't even have to like hockey to appreciate this".

That's exactly why it's a great film. Only the people who missed the point see it as one dimensional.

Superb.

It's Kurt Russell's best role to boot.

Also, this movie had the players from that team in awe of how accurate it was. It's been blessed up and down many times over by the members of the team.

Check it out.


A bruise on the leg is a hell of long way from the heart..   November 29, 2004
kevo (Michigan, USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

When watching this movie all I could think about was how amazing this was, to defeat the Soviet's in a game the Soviets dominated for twenty years. Here we have the underdogs of USA vs. the best team in the world hands down; not to mention that USA was just a bunch of college kids that have never played with each other before only against each other. Not only did the kids from team USA have to beat the Soviets and every other team in the Olympics but they also had to become united. Of course it's not that hard to become united, but with a bunch of rival college kids playing as a whole it was. Team USA had to put aside their differences and become a team more importantly to become a family.

I think it was Mark Johnson who said, "We're a family" as they were leaving for the Olympic Games in lake placid. And that's exactly what they had become. When you are on a hockey team you become so close to the guys you are with it's amazing. The best feeling in the world is being in that locker room with those guys and knowing when you step on that ice they are right with you. It's a bond no one can ever take from you. The movie depicted this so well that I was floored when watching how close every player was with each other. If you notice the way they acted when the players first practiced: O.C and Rob got into a fight over what had happened in the past. Later in the movie you notice the camaraderie especially on Christmas when the team goes to the doc's house for a team party.

Kurt Russell also did an outstanding job playing the part of Herb Brooks. From the way he talked right down to the style of coach he was. It was amazing to see the way Herb coached from the inside of the locker room. All I knew was what was said about him in the past. Now we went inside of Herb Brooks and really understood him as not just the coach that beat the Soviets but as a man and his passion for the game.

The other interesting part of the movie was that all the players actually had to work very hard to imitate the plays. Every game is almost the mirror image of what really happened. The directors and players broke down every move and goal and worked on it endlessly to make the perfect miracle on ice.

The way the players on Team USA showed their emotions made me really believe I was watching the real miracle. From the way loved the game to playing the game with all their heart. Herb Brooks told Rob Mclanahan in the game vs. Sweden that "a bruise on the leg is a hell of a long way from the heart" and this changed the attitude of not just Rob but they rest of team USA.

"Do you believe in Miracles?" If not then you have never seen this spectacular movie.


Great moments are born from great opportunity.   March 16, 2005
Molly (State College, PA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I love hockey, and being 20 years old, I had only heard the story of the 1980 US Hockey Team through my parents and I finally saw clips of the game itself on ESPN. The "Miracle on Ice" is considered to be the greatest sports moment of all time.

I purchased Miracle on a whim, because I love sports movies. I watched it that evening, and found myself in the arena, cheering the USA to victory over Russia. And, thank goodness I knew the conclusion, or I may have had a heart attack. :)

This movie stirs your emotions and gives you faith in the United States. I would loved to have seen that game firsthand. When you hear Al Michaels make the famous, "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" call, and see the guys celebrating, it's euphoric.

Disney and Gavin O'Conner made an amazing film. The two-disc set, packed full of special features, takes you inside the making of the movie, and also gives the actual players' perspectives on the experience of playing for Herb Brooks during the 1980 Olympics.

Do you believe in miracles?

After this movie, you will.