Customer Reviews

Miracle

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I got my son this DVD for his birthday; he's a 12 year old hockey player and anything having to do with hockey is exciting enough for him. The movie was exciting enough for me as well as it brought back memories of an exciting event in US sports history. I'm not sure it was "the greatest moment in sport history" as the cover of the DVD claims, but it was pretty darn good. I remember it well as do most sports fans who witnessed it live or on tape delay. The "miracle" of course is the US/Soviet hockey game in the semi-final round of the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. A popular trivia question since then has been, "Who did the US defeat in the Gold Medal hockey game of the 1980 Olympics?" Surprizingly, most people get it wrong since, after besting the Soviets, the US still had to go out and beat the Finns. The Finns get shorted in this movie as well but that can be forgiven since the title of the movie refers to the one game in particular. The strength of the movie is the focus through the eyes of the coach, the late Herb Brooks. Through his drive and determination, we see the forging of a team that is able to go beyond itself. The players are well represented but not over done as was the story of Jim Craig and his dad in the actual coverage in 1980. That wasn't their fault, however. That was the fault of a media that felt there had to be a human interest story to every event; a human interst story of their own chosing. "Miracle", by and large, escapes that mistake which is rare for Hollywood and even rarer for Buena Vista Productions. The build-up for THE GAME is steady and methodic as, I presume, was the coaching of Herb Brooks. The excitement and enthusiasm is enthralling even though we all know the eventual result.

I would have rated this a 4.5 if possible. I stopped short of giving it a "5" mainly because I'd recently seen "Mystic River" and felt there's a level of excellence that this movie just doesn't quite achieve. I also wondered what the point was of including portions of President Carter's "Malaise" speech; historical perspective on just how desperate the country was for anything good? See the movie with your kids. As will most Disney productions, this is a movie the whole family (even Mom) can enjoy.

"Miracles" starring Kurt Russell is riveting. I saw the original game and although I am not a huge hockey fan, this movie kept me on the edge of my seat. (Even though I KNEW how it would turn out.)

Kurt Russell is brilliant in this movie in such an understated way. He has the accent and mannerisms of Brooks down pat!

The truth was that the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team was so bad (in comparison to the Soviets who were so good because they had professional players) - that none of the other coaches really wanted to take the job. Brooks had something to prove at the Olympics, however.

And yes, this is a "feel-good" movie. It shows our country during a time when everyone banded together to pull for a team that seemingly didn't have a chance. Our country had been enemies with the Soviet Union for 30+ years at that time and we were very angry that the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan. This was MORE than about a hockey game! It was about national pride.

What I liked so much was that it wasn't some story that shows superhuman odds. Rather, it showed incredibly hard work and the adage that Brooks stated to his team, that basically the Soviets were a better team; they could play the Soviets 10 games and the Soviets would certainly win 9 out of the 10 games; but the USA only needed to win ONE GAME against them. This is the story of that one game and the immense dedicatation that led them there.

The first hockey games I ever watched were during the 1980 Winter Olympics and I know I was not alone in that respect. It took a while to understand what a blue line had to do with icing the puck and I have never gotten past the idea of what basketball would be like if it was played the same way as hockey (you are allowed to follow the guy with the puck/ball). But I remember watching the games the U.S. Hockey Team played against the Soviet Union and Finland. How big was the miracle that Al Michaels proclaimed during the final seconds of the semi-final match against the Soviets? Well, when "Sports Illustrated" came out the next week there was no need for a headline or caption on the cover photo of the U.S. team celebrating.

Knowing what is going to happen in "Miracle" is important because if we did not know that this team is going to win the gold medal then we might suspect the means that coach Herb Brooks (Kirk Russell) is using to achieve that end. Brooks is haunted by the 1960 Winter Olympics, when he was cut from the U.S. team a week before it won the gold medal. It was also the last year the Americans beat the Soviets on the ice and Brooks knows how to pull off the upset against the best hockey team on the planet. All it will take is a team that he handpicks playing the way he wants them to play.

The best part of this film is watching how Brooks does exactly that and then becomes basically a spectator and cheerleader when his team goes out and wins the gold medal. Director Gavin O'Connor hits a bulls eye with the casting of Russell, who should get serious Oscar consideration for his performance. The hard driven coach who puts his sport before his wife and family is something of a cliché, but what matters here is how Brooks' determination and intelligence comes through as he molds his team.

The production also scores because they went out and got hockey players to act instead of trying to fake us out the other way around. The only real professional actor on the team is Eddie Cahill, but he plays goalie Jim Craig. You can put anybody you want behind a mask in goal on the ice (former Edmonton Oilers' goalie Bill Ranford in fact) and because Craig was such high maintenance and high profile he was the one role where you needed to up the acting level. But Michael Mantenuto as Jack O'Callahan, Patrick O'Brien Dempsey as Mike Eruzione, Nathan West as Rob McLanahan, Eric Peter-Kaiser as Mark Johnson, and the other 15 players on the team are playing exactly what they are: hockey players brought together to create a team.

One thing I was surprised about in the film was that there is never an explicitly stated reason why Eruzione was picked as the team captain. Yet in the context of the film I was right in thinking that I knew exactly what Eruzione was going to do that was going to make him stand out as first among his teammates. (You will know what I am talking about when the moment comes).

The fidelity to recreating the moments we remember from the 1980 Olympics was quite impressive. You can check out the added features on this two-disc DVD set to see direct comparisons of the television footage from the actual games with the movie's re-creations as well as the techniques used to give you a dynamic feeling of being on the ice. Of course getting Al Michaels to "call" the games again was a necessity and it is not surprising that they worked in the original version of his famous line that gives the movie its title. You can re-create history but you cannot really improve on it, although this 2004 film does a nice job of trying to accomplish that particular feat. I just wonder if those who know nothing about what happened at Lake Placid in 1980 can appreciate that as much as those of us who do.

I'm not a big fan of spectator sports. A group of guys batting, kicking and/or hitting a ball around a field doesn't do much for me, usually. But one time when guys, pucks and sticks made me cheer, as I sat riveted to my TV screen, was during the 1980 Olympic "Miracle."

1979-1980 were not good years for the United States. Militant Iranians took US citizens hostage in our embassy in Teheran, the USSR invaded Afghanistan, the Cold War was at below zero temperatures, and at home gas prices were sky high, as were interest rates. The film is set in the context of this period, which makes it even more exciting. Americans really needed something to cheer about.

In the summer of 1980, newly hired US Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks took a group of boys, average age 21, worked them 'til they dropped for seven months, taught them new strategies, made them into a cohesive team, and miraculously led them to unbelievable victory. They beat the pants off the unbeatable champion Soviet hockey team in what has been called the "Miracle on Ice." In a super surprise win, the underdog US team, which had played poorly against the much older Russian veterans a few weeks before at Madison Square Garden, made all the right moves to score success, 4 to 3. The team then went on to win Olympic Gold! The Cold War may be long over, but remembering the moment still feels sweet. The look on the Soviet coach's face alone is worth the price of the rental. And now the "moment" and more can be relived - seen on the big screen, with accurate details and superb characterizations, in director Gavin O'Connor's and screenwriter Eric Guggenheim's "Miracle."

Kurt Russell is superb as coach Brooks. He has the Minnesota accent down pat, chews gum like Brooks - 500 chews per minute...and even looks like him. Actual ice hockey players were cast as teammates in O'Connor's quest to make this an authentic sports film. The last 30 minutes of footage are devoted to the US - Soviet match. But the movie is as much a character study as it is a film about Olympic sport. And Russell's understated, intense performance is compelling. Patricia Clarkson is excellent as Brooks' wife Patty, as is Noah Emmerich as assistant coach Craig Patrick.

The movie is dedicated to Herb Brooks, who was tragically killed in an auto accident over a year ago. He is portrayed as a complex man who was totally dedicated to his sport and his team, to the detriment, at times, of his family life. This is a wonderful film to see with the entire family. You don't have to be a hockey fan to remember February 22, 1980.
JANA

In a period when so many Americans are distraught over the daily news, "Miracle" truly lives up to its name. Kurt Russell plays Herb Brooks, the no-nonsense coach who handpicked two-dozen hockey players and trained them in an amazingly short period of time - just in time to beat the highly successful Russians. In 1980, the Cold War was strong and there was never a better time than to have a little known American hockey team beat the 'big, bad' Russians in a small American town called Lake Placid. Everything about this film is brilliant, from the detailed styles of hair and dress to the subtle Minnesota accents. Few films can present a story with a known ending and succeed with such tension and fanfare. This is a classic film and one that everyone should see. This is one collectible where the extra features are all welcome and without fluff.

This is a great movie for the entire family. While watching I got to explain certain aspects of modern history to my kids and remember where I was when Carter took office, when the hostages were taken and when the Cold War dictated Olympic boycotts.

Kurt Russell does a great job with the Minnesota accent. And, come to think of it, the hockey players put on their appropriate Northern and Bostonian accents as well, adding to the credibility of this retelling.

It's a feel good film without being sappy. Highly recommend.

Miracle is a stunning sport movie. Even though you know what is going to happen it's still exciting and makes you nervous. The acting is great, and it will make you feel good at the end.

4.5 stars. Did not expect a lot from this film but was wonderfully surprised at how good it is. The technical aspects - photography, sound, editing - are excellent and the hockey game sequences are phenomenal. Kurt Russell (loved him in "Escape from New York") is superb but the hockey players are astonishingly good. And only one of them is a true actor, all the rest are hockey players in real life.

This film is funny, sad, touching and exciting. Even though I know who won, it was still thrilling to watch. Only negative was a speech by Jimmy Carter during a very touching scene, which may have been satire since I cannot imagine anyone taking Jimmy Carter seriously.

Last year the feel-good film was "Seabiscuit", this year "Miracle". If Hollywood gave us one film a year like these two, how lucky we'd be.

Kurt Russell was superb as Herb Brooks. I never realized what a intelligent and amazing man Herb Brooks was until I watched this movie. I didn't get to see the original Olympic win against the Russian hockey team in Salt Lake, I think I was like 2 or something, but this movie really captured that special moment. This movie will bring a tear to your eye, even way before the ending. The DVD special features are great too! It shows how they casted the actors who portrayed the players, it has a round table discussion with Kurt Russell and some of the original guys, footage of Herb Brooks, outtakes and other little treats. It's amazing at what the players went through and what the actors went through! Awesome sound, awesome filming!!!!! Enjoy!

Although I wasn't born when this happened, this movie made me feel like I experienced the real thing. It's a wonderful, true story, that has made one of my favorite movies ever. I love it!! If you love hockey as much as I do and you haven't seen this yet, what are you waiting for!