Print this article E-mail this article More articles by this author

Rating: Country: USA Release Date: February 6, 2004

"Do you believe in miracles?" The most heralded line from the 1980 Winter Olympics rang through the theater and no one moved. The original audio, spoken by long-time Monday Night Football commentator Al Michaels, was untouched and edited to a newly shot celebration of actors-turned-hockey players. It was the quote every American probably remembers from 1980; were they alive and aware of what it meant to the nation. And it was the quote that topped the movie and made it wonderful.

Last night I was treated to an advance screening of "Miracle" – the new Kurt Russell/Disney vehicle that's based on the US Olympic Hockey team that stunned the world when they beat the unbeatable-Russians and eventually won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The movie is based on the true story, although I don't know how much was true and what might have been exaggerated.

Time and time again you hear stories about how this game meant much more to America than the gold medal, and this movie made no issue of ignoring that idea. It begins with a montage of US/World history flowing through the 1970s. We see footage and hear audio clips of all the historical, and cultural, events that shaped that time period. Wars, riots, pop culture, everything is rapped up into a five minute nutshell, that leads us to Fort Collins, CO in 1979, where Herb Brooks (Russell) is being interviewed for the head coach position of the 1980 Olympic Hockey team.

Brooks stated that for the US team to be successful and win, we had to re-write the book of how hockey was played. He wanted to usher in a new style, a hybrid of the way Russia and Canada played hockey. His answers to the questions asked in the interview were stunning to the committee and it didn't seem he, or the US, had a chance. The 1964, 68, 72, and 76 gold medal Russian team had strung together a ton of consecutive victories and were the favorites to win it all again in 80.

Coach Brooks was finally named the coach and assembled a group of talented young hockey players. These kids weren't stars, but they fit roles, each one a perfect fit for the position Brooks was looking for. No one gave this US team of amateurs a chance. But the team trained, conditioned, fought, gelled, competed, they became a family, and ultimately they shocked the world

Kurt Russell who turns in a truly inspiring performance headlines "Miracle". There were times that I knew I wasn't looking at Russell, but at Brooks himself. The rest of the cast is loaded with no-name actors and a few semi-seasoned vets. Eddie Cahill, Nathan West, Kenneth Mitchell and Michael Mantenuto all did a great job and should be seen in more movies in the near future. Patricia Clarkson and Noah Emmerich both outstanding jobs both in complimenting and antagonizing Russell's Brooks.

The acting wasn't over the top, but was just enough to make you feel like you knew the players. You felt every emotion the players felt, every hit they took on the ice, getting sick while conditioning, scoring goals, sitting out a game, and getting chewed out by the coach. The crowd sat in near complete silence throughout the entire movie, almost making sure they didn't miss anything said. And though "Miracle" was a serious story, there were a few times when the entire theater was laughing.

There were a few things that I saw in the movie that I wasn't happy about. There were a few continuity mistakes. The crew did a great job of making you think this was set in 1980, but there were many times (mainly in the crowds of the games) when you would see people with present day haircuts and clothes. Another thing I wasn't pleased with was the near-cliché of the assistant coach questioning the head coach's antics, but understanding the lesson just 5 seconds after the fact.

Overall, "Miracle" ranks up there with "Hoosiers", "Rudy", and even "Rocky" (with glaring resemblance to "Rocky IV"). The camera angles and cinematography were very nicely done with nothing too extravagant.

Time and time again you hear stories about how this game meant much more to America than just the gold medal, and this movie made no issue of ignoring that idea. If you want a great feel good movie to go and see, check out "Miracle" when it opens February 6. It made me want to coach again; it's something that I continue to dream about. Maybe it's a dream I should follow.

Overall Rating: A