Miracle

I didn’t see this film until a year after it was released. I was quite impressed upon first viewing but “Miracle” has become even better for me as time goes on. It is now one of my top ten favorite sports films and the musical score is one of my overall favorites. The acting impresses me when you consider that many of the young men in the film are not actors. The story follows a similar pattern as other Disney sports films that were made after “Remember the Titans”. I like the direction of the film and the build up towards the “Miracle on Ice” was masterfully done. Some true stories are difficult to turn into a movie but this story appears to be actually quite easy due to its palpable underdog nature.

Life imitating art is what I believe to be the secret to this film’s success. In the casting of the hockey team members, director Gavin O’Connor knew that it was going to be easier to teach hockey players to act rather than the other way around. Patrick O’Brien Demsey, who plays Mike Eruzione for example, was not an actor when he was cast. He was having trouble acting in the film until he discovered that the best way to go was to be himself on screen. As you remember from the film, Eruzione is chosen to be the captain because of his leadership qualities & heart and not necessarily because of his talent. The same can be said of Demsey being cast as Eruzione. All the players acting in “Miracle” share similarities with their real life counterparts. Brooks chose his team so as to create chemistry and the casting directors on the film with O’Connor took a similar approach. I love how Buzz Schneider from the Coneheads line is played by his son Billy. Another example of life imitating art is the rehearsal and pre-production that the cast went through. Many cast members wondered why they were doing the preparations that they were doing but once filming began, it all made sense. The real-life hockey team saw their practice drills and other unusual things that Herb Brooks did become very important in the Olympics. For the scene after the Norway game where the team has to skate a grueling number of “Herbies”, O’Connor had the actors actually skate the Herbies for three filming days. They are not acting as they collapse on the ice with exhaustion. There are other miscellaneous reasons that make “Miracle” great as well such as the musical score. The intensity and power of the musical score increases as the film progresses. We have many victories in the film and the score is quite powerful during those moments but the ultimate power of the orchestra is saved for only after time expires in the big game at the end of the movie. The cinematography during the hockey games is noteworthy because of the many camera angles and fast moving shots. The design of “Miracle” is decent for the 1980’s. The clothes, sets and hairstyles do remind me of life when I was a little boy. The first shot inside Madison Square Garden is very 1980’s for me because I remember watching hockey games from that era. As alluded to earlier, I like the acting in this film. Kurt Russell’s performance is so good as he embodies Herb Brooks. Russell in real life is for the most part very different from his performance in this movie. I liked seeing Noah Emmerich from "The Truman Show" in the film and he did a good job of playing Craig Patrick as a normal coach assisting an abnormal coach. This film introduced me to Eddie Cahill, who played Jim Craig. I like him as an actor. Al Michaels re-records most of his play-by-play for the hockey games in the Olympics and that adds a lot of realism to those scenes. “Miracle” is like “Remember the Titans” on ice. Unlike the story of that film however, “Miracle” portrays a much more well-known sports event.

“The Miracle on Ice” is only miraculous when it is placed in the context of what was happening in the world at the time. The 1970’s were a tough 10 years due to Watergate, Vietnam and other events. Their depiction in the opening credit sequence of this film is paramount to the movie’s overall feel. Throughout the film, world events are mentioned that call back to the opening of the film such as the invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran hostage crisis. In order to be inspired by the victory of the US Hockey Team, we must feel the pessimism of the time. The opening scenes with Herb Brooks are great moments of exposition and character establishment. We understand that Herb wants to coach things differently. He is established well as the protagonist and as an underdog just like his team. The introductory scenes with the players as they arrive for tryouts is a great set of shots. They seem like regular boys but we can feel that they will become heroes by the end of the film. I feel that exposition is handled very well throughout the film and the acting is a big part of this. The scene with Doc and Craig waiting for gas establishes facts such as this is not the usual coaching style of Herb but that he has a reason for what he does. Throughout the months leading up to the Olympics, the real life team called Herb’s motivational sayings: “Brooksisms”. I like how many of them are quoted throughout the film. There is a good use of montage throughout the film. My favorite two are in the middle of the film when the team is struggling and when the team is getting better. The “Herbies” sequence after the Norway game is very memorable. The scene is a little cliché in this genre but it becomes unique because of its intensity. It effectively captures the emotions of the real life event. I like how the crowd as the file out is wondering what is going on. The scene has a good use of the musical score and I enjoy the silent conflict between Herb and Craig. I enjoy the scene where the team watches tape of the Russian team, especially OC’s line: “They’re Russians. They get shot if they smile.” Herb points out in this scene to his team and to the audience once again what his plan is: to beat the Russians by using their own style. The Christmas scene is very good at relieving tension and adding a little lightheartedness. We need to be familiar with the last player cut for dramatic story purposes. Cox has been somewhat of a dominant character in the film up to this point and that was intentional. Herb as a player on the 1960 US team was cut just like Cox so it is dramatic for him as well as for everyone else. His teammates should be happy they are not cut but they still display sadness for Cox. I love the shot of the Twin Towers with Star Spangled Banner accompaniment because it dates the film before 9/11 and adds the patriotism needed for the final scenes of the whole movie. The age difference between the Soviet team and the US team is apparent.

The movie takes on feelings of anxiousness once we get to Lake Placid. I love the transition from the empty ice arena to the middle of the Sweden game because of the fast moving pan that ends abruptly on Herb. The use of “Bugler's Dream” is perfect because it really makes you feel like you’re watching the Olympics for the rest of film. Music cues are used well during the games at the Olympics and especially during the big game against the Soviets. The shots & scenes leading up to the team’s arrival on the ice in the big game are so well crafted and edited. The team members prepare silently in their own ways. Herb’s speech is a lot like the real speech that was given. I enjoy the telegraphs on the wall and the classic shot of a team walking together, in this case, towards the ice. I am so glad that they recreated the important plays and goals of this game. The Johnson goal at the end of the first period feels so life-saving that some viewers might question the accuracy of its portrayal. Mark Johnson however did score in the real-life game with one second left in the period. Not much happened in the real life second period and so some drama needed to be manufactured from the lone Soviet goal. I love the use of sound or rather the disappearance of sound during the opening faceoff of the third period. Eruzione's goal was the last of the game with ten minutes left but the climax of the story must be the end of the game. The build up that happens during the remaining minutes of the game is very powerful because of the music and acting. This gives us a great climax. The conditioning that the team worked on pays off as they hold on to their lead. The best part of the movie in my opinion is the sound transition from present-day Al Michaels to his actual 1980 play-by-play. The actual call is one of the most famous parts of the story and gives the movie its title so it needed to be used in this movie. The famous Sports Illustrated cover photo is recreated with OC celebrating in the foreground with his hands in the air and the rest of his team celebrating by the boards in the background. I love how just like in real life, Herb walks out to be alone after winning the game. A story problem that the filmmakers faced is that in real life after the unimaginable upset against the Soviets, the US team still had to play Finland to win the gold metal. The Finland game was also dramatic but it could not overshadow the "miracle". The way the gold medal game was portrayed was well done. The whole epilogue is very good as it brings a wonderful film to a close. The end credit sequence is great because it serves as a curtain call. I like the use of Aerosmith.

For the remainder of this review, I am going to speak as a Canadian. We have our own "Miracle on Ice" called the 1972 Summit Series: eight games between Canadian NHL stars and the Soviet Union. Many of the Russian players in 1980 played in 1972 against Team Canada and Ken Dryden (the other commentator in this movie) played goalie for Canada. Each team had won three games leading into Game 8 in Moscow with Game 3 ending in a tie. Canada came from behind in the third period of Game 8 and won with seconds left thanks to Paul Henderson's goal. In "Miracle", the Soviets are depicted as a team that hasn't lost a game in 20 years but what many Americans don't know is that the Canadians won a contest against Russia eight years prior and on Russian ice. Having said that, the US 1980 Olympic team were huge underdogs when compared to the 1972 Canadian NHL stars. This movie ends with Herb Brooks saying, "A few years later, the U.S. began using professional athletes at the Games - Dream Teams. I always found that term ironic because now that we have Dream Teams, we seldom ever get to dream." While that may be true for American Olympic Basketball, Olympic Hockey is where anything can happen despite the presence of NHL stars. We Canadians for example dreamed and believed during the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. It was not an easy road to victory and Sidney Crosby's overtime goal to win the gold medal was proof that dreams come true. I want Dream Teams to continue in the Winter Olympics.

"Miracle" has become even more important for me after Canada's hockey win in the 2010 Olympics. I feel similar emotions as I watch both this movie and that game. I like how Mark Johnson was the coach of the US woman’s hockey team in the 2010 Vancouver games. As a Canadian, hockey is important in my life and that is why I am a fan of the Mighty Ducks Trilogy and “Miracle”. I am happy that the Lake Placid scenes and other moments in “Miracle” were shot in BC. The adaptation of this true story is very faithful and the direction that was taken makes the film successful. The music is powerful and the acting is believable. I am glad that Disney made this film because the true story fits nicely alongside the other Disney sports movies released in that decade.

4.5 Stars