Olympic hockey comes to the big screen as the United States faces off against its nemesis in a solid but predictable sports film.
By: Jim Boyle
Pop quiz: What country did the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team defeat in the gold medal game?
The answer to this question is usually overlooked when talking about that historic team, and it’s no different in Miracle, a dramatization of one of the ultimate underdog victories.
Few moments in sports actually transcend the game itself and become a part of the American fabric. Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier is arguably number one, but right behind it is the U.S. ice hockey team defeating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. It was never a question of if a movie would be made about the event, but when.
Unfortunately, Miracle suffers from not only being a true story, but a true story that everybody knows. Granted, there may be younger viewers who weren’t yet born, but the film is so cliché and obvious they could probably figure it out anyway.
With an ending already predetermined, it’s up to director Gavin O’Connor and writer Eric Guggenheim to make the journey worth taking. They set the stage with a montage of landmark events, good and bad, that occurred in the 1970s, including Watergate and the invention of Pong. We are next introduced to Herb Brooks, who is given the unenviable job of not only coaching a bunch of amateur hockey players, but getting them to beat the juggernaut that is the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Kurt Russell plays the legendary coach Brooks, who died last August in a car accident, as a no-nonsense guy who will do whatever it takes to get his team fired up. As with most Kurt Russell performances, it’s a satisfactory job that doesn’t blow anybody away but isn’t wince-inducing either. O’Connor does a decent job foreshadowing what Brooks is headed into, disclosing that the Soviets haven’t lost since 1960 and had beaten NHL all-stars in an exhibition match.
The tools coach Brooks has to work with are his willingness to change the U.S. style of play to focus more on team achievement, and a ragtag bunch of no-names for players to execute his complicated system.
The end credits let everybody know that most of the ex-players have become real estate agents and small-business owners, with a handful involved in front-office duties for NHL teams. It’s somewhat interesting that the person who has achieved the most success following the games is announcer Al Michaels, who voiced the immortal, "Do you believe in miracles?" and now calls the plays for Monday Night Football.
Director O’Connor actually makes a smart choice of casting the team with virtually unknown actors, not allowing familiar names to overshadow the story. The only recognizable face belongs to Eddie Cahill (as goalie Jim Craig), last seen romancing Jennifer Aniston for a few episodes of Friends.
It takes a while for the players to come together as a team. There’s some tension between players from Minnesota and Boston over some unsettled scores during the college playoffs. But, like the rest of the conflicts in Miracle, it is quickly resolved. Everybody keeps their eyes on the prize, which is not necessarily the gold medal but the defeat of the Russians. Even doubts felt by Oscar-nominated Patricia Clarkson, in the thankless role of Herb’s wife, are dissipated with a thoughtful speech and a peck on the cheek.
Gavin O’Connor wants so desperately to re-create the emotions and drama of the time. He peppers in era-appropriate scenes such as assistant coach Craig Patrick (Noah Emmerich) waiting in line for gas and television bulletins about the hostage situation in Iran. He completely overdoes it, however, when he shows a montage of the boys playing football while a speech by President Jimmy Carter lamenting the state of affairs in America serves as a voiceover. O’Connor really wants everybody to understand just how important the unexpected victory was for this country, even if he has to beat it over our heads with a sledgehammer.
The centerpiece to Miracle, of course, is the final showdown between the Soviet Union and the United States. Nobody is giving the Americans a chance, and why should they when the Russians defeated them 10 to 3 in an exhibition game three days before opening ceremonies.
Director O’Connor doesn’t break any new ground with the hockey action scenes. He includes just the right amount of bone-rattling hits, fancy skating moves and slow-motion slapshots, as if working from the Sports Movie Checklist. The only gasp-worthy sequence is the barrage of shots Craig deflects during the final 10 minutes.
The final result did produce some cheers and applause from a Saturday-night crowd, but Miracle has too many things going against it to truly re-create the feelings of triumph and unity that washed over the country following that historic night. Everything is predictable, not just the final score, but in other scenes, such as when the team finally comes together following an inspiring locker-room speech. The conflicts are phony and too easily resolved.
What we have is a solid sports movie that has no interest in challenging anybody but will make the audience feel good about one of the greatest moments in sports, a moment a thousand times more exciting in real life.
By the way, the answer to the pop quiz is Finland.
Rated PG. Contains profanity and rough sports action.