|
|
| Miracle |
 |
Opening Date: Feb 06, 2004
Rated: PG (for language and some rough sports action)
Length: 135 minutes
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
|
| | | Grade: A- |
(Review by Sean Conover)
mir·a·cle n. An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God: “Miracles are spontaneous, they cannot be summoned, but come of themselves” (Katherine Anne Porter).
Speak to anyone about the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team win over the Russians, and invariably they will mention the word “miracle.” The term has become synonymous with the event, ever since Al Michaels uttered the phrase “do you believe in miracles?” at the conclusion of the game. It’s a miracle (or travesty, I can’t decide which) that it took over twenty years for a worthwhile film to be made about what many believe to be the greatest moment ever in American sports.
However, in watching the story for Disney’s “Miracle,” I thought that the event was not so much a miracle as it was a predestined event. Being “based” on the true story, we know how it ends up, but it’s behind the story of the team that is what makes the film enjoyable to watch.
The story unfolds as Herb Brooks (played wonderfully by Kurt Russell) is being considered as the new head coach for the United State’s Olympic Hockey team. He presents a new idea, fusing Soviet conditioning with a Canadian style of play, knowing that this will give them at least a shot at the gold medal over the USSR. Once he is (barely) picked as head coach, he picks a group of players that he knows have the heart and drive to win the medal. By directing the group and teaching them that they need to be conditioned in order to keep up with the Soviets, he also gets them to believe in themselves and realize that they are representing more than just individuals, they are a team representing their country. Oh, and they can win the Gold.
As Herb Brooks, Russell camouflages himself in the role, and he becomes the Minnesotan, complete with a believable accent. Grinding out his college and amateur players and infusing a spirit of pride into their lives, he brought out a new level of athlete. Brooks will be remembered for coaching one of the greatest teams ever, and Russell pays fitting tribute to the man.
The team, made up of relative newcomers (with the exception of Robbie McLanahan, played by Nathan West), come together brilliantly, and exudes that typical hockey persona: simple minded and skilled athletes who show an uncanny ability on the ice to score goals. The friction between the players, and ultimately the camaraderie, are believable and add to the mystique of the team that came together under the guidance of Brooks.
The action on the ice is kept cold and hard, and you feel every bone-rattling check into the boards. The skating is fast and quick, and the shots on goal furious. There is no down time, as the film centralizes on all of the game’s action and scoring.
However, any time you add the word “based” to the sentence “on a true story,” it seems to infer that there is something not entirely true. While I personally don’t know the full story, the idea keeps presenting itself throughout the film that Herb Brooks knew they had a shot at winning the gold from the outset, if he could get the right team together. Of course, in the end they do win the Gold Medal, but does that mean the event, as it was described, was a miracle? Was it really “inexplicable by the laws of nature?”
No, instead, the real “Miracle” of the story was that of the unifying and uplifting of a country’s psyche, and the fact that throughout history, everyone will always have faith in the underdog, no matter what the odds. While improbable a feat it was, Brooks was the spark that brought together the right team at the right time to produce extraordinary results. This film captures that moment and the miracle of sport in all its glory, and makes us all believe in miracles. | |
| PRIVACY | AFFILIATES |
