Boasted as the “Greatest Moment in Sports History” Miracle retells the story of the 1980 USA Hockey Team that took on the world and won just when the United States needed something to believe in.
In a time when the US was experiencing long gas lines, high interest rates, a hostage crisis, no summer games the psyche was fractured and Herb Brooks’ US Hockey team shocked the world and revived a nation as they defeated the juggernaut Soviet Union hockey team and went on to win the Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics.
It was very important that these bits of history were known as the movie went on so the audience was able to understand just why this was such an important moment and it was done in brilliant fashion. A lengthy montage of images takes the audience back to 1980 in the beginning of the film and is carried throughout.
But it wasn’t just the images that brought the emotion to this film, as the cast took on the burden of these important roles and managed to grab your heart and take you along this emotional ride.
Kurt Russell plays the role of the memorable coach Herb Brooks, who it is important to mention past away shortly after filming began on Miracle, but his legend lives on in Russell’s performance.
Russell invokes such passion and shows just how much this moment meant to the US and puts a lump in your throat consistently throughout.
Now to the supporting cast.
Patricia Clarkson adds the softness necessary to Russell’s character as she played Patti Brooks, Herb’s wife, and Noah Emmerich, playing Craig Patrick the assistant coach for the team, is the balancing factor to Brooks’ tenacity giving the team an outlet and someone to talk to once things got rough.
But the guiding force is the characters that make up the team. Most of them are virtual unknowns except for Eddie Cahill, who you may remember as Rachel’s young assistant and love interest from “Friends”, who plays the role of Jim Craig.
Craig was the goalie that played the game of his life against the Russians that year and Cahill performs at the top of his game.
Authenticity was carried out throughout the film, from the game time to Al Michaels’ famous call of the game and his memorable quote, “Do you believe in miracles?”
Miracle is a movie that everyone will enjoy as you don’t need to be a hockey fan to understand that what this team accomplished was amazing just as this recreation of the moment.
