Miracle (2004)

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Sports aren't really my thing, but every once in a while I enjoy watching a sports movie. This one in particular is a great one despite following Disney's formula almost to the letter. Often, it's not the ideas in a movie that make the difference, but their execution, and that couldn't be more true here. MIRACLE is the story of how the USA came from behind to defeat the USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics. I already knew how things would end, but for me that didn't matter. It was great to see fantastic performances from the entire cast and the development of a diverse group of individuals into a cohesive team under the leadership and guidance of Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell). It gets off to a bit of a slow start, but once the focus shifts from team-building to the excitement of playing hockey things really took off. The only thing that kind of drags the film down is a subplot involving a conflict between Herb Brooks and his wife (Patricia Clarkson), but mainly for pacing reasons. I still thought it added depth to Herb's character overall. I should also give props to the soaring musical score which effectively sell the emotional highs. When all is said and done, this is a great film that speaks to America's strength in times of adversity. I'm not one to buy the myth of American exceptionalism hook, line and sinker, but I do acknowledge that we need inspiration from time to time and this film definitely delivers it. Highly recommended for sports fans, or people who like inspirational films.

You don't need to be a hockey fan to enjoy this movie. You just need to be an American!!The movie of course is based on a true story and it does a very good job of portraying the struggles these young men and coaches went through to win the gold medal when nobody thought that was possible. Great movie for adults, kids, and anyone who can appreciate a good story! I honestly wish there were more movies like this that show the struggles and the triumphs. And then follows thru with telling us what these men are doing these days.Excellent all the way around!

Kurt Russell gave an absolute towering performance as the U.S. hockey team coach in charge of getting his team to defeat an excellent Soviet team in the Olympics in this 2004 film.The picture reminded me greatly of the 1988 basketball film where Gene Hackman was also quite a stickler.Though the Russell character of Herb Brooks did ultimately have a heart, he drove his players. His making of players repeat certain items for hours on end was memorable.The picture has a back drop of events occurring in our nation from the turbulent times of the late '60s and '70s. The hockey contest between the U.S. and the USSR became one of a political nature due to the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.Patricia Clarkson plays Russell's wife. She is understanding and when push comes to shove, she stands by her man.

The movie Miracle is by far one of the greatest sports movies I have seen to this day. I can watch this movie over and over and, even though I already know the outcome of the movie, I am inspired every time I see it. Being based off of a true story, a coach gathers a bunch of young college hockey players and puts together a team to take to the Olympics and face the professional Russian team. Despite the U.S team being young and inexperienced, their coach pushes them to another level allowing them to make a statement in the game. Their coach believes that it is more important for the U.S. Hockey team members to believe in themselves, and believe that as a team they can compete with some of the best hockey players in the world. The coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell), a former Olympic hockey player of the 1960 U.S. gold medal team, was cut by his team as a player so he returned to his love of hockey by coming back as a coach. Putting a bunch of young college kids together who were once rivals created a great challenge for everyone because they had to come together as one to take on the so-called, "Invincible Russians". The movie Miracle shows the entire story of the teams' struggles and battles and what they had to overcome to achieve a goal they were all "hungry" for. This game turned into something more than just winning the gold medal, it made a statement during the rough times our country was going through. This game was during the cold war and it provided our country a boost of morale at just the right time when everyone so desperately needed it. The movie Miracle marks an incredible part of our history by showing those who are not even familiar with the sport of hockey the importance of always trying to be the best you can be and always believe that you can do anything. Even though it is a long movie (approximately 135 minutes), it captures all of the great moments of the game; allowing you to understand everything going on and keep you on your toes. By showing all of the hard work and dedication the team has for each other and for others, it is a movie that can relate to anyone who has a background in sports. This movie is very inspiring to anyone who sees it and experiences all of the struggles the Olympic team of college kids go through together. The movie captures all of the dedication of the team members and showcases the incredible amount of conditioning Herb Brooks, their coach, puts them through to excel as hockey players. The coach wants the team to get out of their comfort zone and be the most conditioned team there is in hockey. The coach tells the team "they may beat us 9 out of 10 times, but not tonight," inspiring the team to give it their best effort. An example of this is when they show a scene when his team loses and they stay after their game to do what is now in hockey arenas all across the country as the "Herbys"; skating down the ice, stopping and starting on every line when the whistle is blown. This truly captures a moment when the team finally comes together as one and shows all of their hard work. The acting in this movie is incredible and the great shots they capture are truly amazing. I highly suggest to anyone who loves good, inspirational movies that they see the movie, Miracle. The movie tells a great story and allows it to be understood very easily. It shows the evolution of a young team shown as underdogs come to the ice and make a statement, rather than just playing a game. If you love to watch movies that have a great upset in them and that give you goose bumps from the thrilling action, this is the movie for you. Miracle is still one of the greatest sport movies out there today. It does not really focus just on the sport itself, but rather the hard work and effort it takes to overcome an obstacle and achieve success by believing that you can do anything. With the U.S beating the Russians, they sent a message to everyone that with hard work and a winning attitude, "Miracles" do happen.