Miracle Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
What America needed was a miracle. What it got was a hockey game.
If you believe in yourself, anything can happen.
The story of the greatest moment in sports history.
Believe.
Their game made them winners. Their spirit made them heroes.
Do you believe in miracles?
The inspiring story of the team that transcended its sport and united a nation with a new feeling of hope. Based on the true story of one of the greatest moments in sports history, the tale captures a time and place where differences could be settled by games and a cold war could be put on ice. In 1980, the United States Ice Hockey team's coach, Herb Brooks, took a ragtag squad of college kids up against the legendary juggernaut from the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. Despite the long odds, Team USA carried the pride of a nation yearning from a distraction from world events. With the world watching the team rose to the occasion, prompting broadcaster Al Michaels' now famous question, to the millions viewing at home: Do you believe in miracles? Yes!
| Kurt Russell | Herb Brooks |
| Patricia Clarkson | Patty Brooks |
| Noah Emmerich | Craig Patrick |
| Sean McCann | Walter Bush |
| Kenneth Welsh | Doc Nagobads |
| Eddie Cahill | Jim Craig |
| Patrick O'Brien Demsey | Mike Eruzione |
| Michael Mantenuto | Jack O'Callahan |
| Nathan West | Rob McClanahan |
| Kenneth Mitchell | Ralph Cox |
| Eric Peter-Kaiser | Mark Johnson |
| Bobby Hanson | Dave Silk |
| Joseph Cure | Mike Ramsey |
| Billy Schneider | Buzz Schneider |
| Nate Miller | John 'Bah' Harrington |
| Gavin O'Connor |
7.50 out of 10 (14479 votes)
Visitor Reviews
One of My All-Time Favorite Sports Movies
posted on 23 Jul 2009I remember the 1980 US Hockey Team's victory over the Soviet Team like it was yesterday. It's just one of those things that if you were fortunate enough to see, you'll never forget. The 80's were one of the worst economic times for this country I can ever remember (I was 14 at the time) and this was indeed about a lot more than just hockey. It became what was indeed the GREATEST moment in sports that I will ever see. To re-live this moment through the film "MIRACLE" is a real treat. I know where the story is going to go. I know how it is going to end. BUT this movie manages to capture my soul and bring me in every time I see it! I have seen this movie over and over and it still gets me! (I saw it 3 times in a row on a flight to Scotland and I still got all misty-eyed). I grew up watching Kurt Russell and have always liked him. I think his portrayal of Herb Brooks is EXCELLENT and by far one of the best performances he has ever had on screen. Buy this film. Watch it over and over again. Feel the dream. BELIEVE!
It was winter of 1980, and I remember it well.
posted on 23 Jul 2009'Miracles do happen', the announcer's original broadcast is heard during the scenes recreated for this movie, 'Miracle.' Anyone who remembers what happened during those Winter Olympics in 1980 will know what this movie is about, and how it ends. However, there can be no spoilers, because this is not a movie about a hockey game, or even the sport of hockey. Nor is it about the players. It is solely about the coach, Herb Brooks, who, with his unconventional style and wisdom about the game, took these young hockey players to a level no one thought possible. In the end it didn't really matter whether they won or lost the game against the Russian. What mattered was that each of the 20 players found out what was possible inside himself.The movie begins with a montage of scenes from the period, the years, leading up to the selection of the Olympic hockey team in the summer of 1979. The cold war. The oil shortage and long gasoline lines. The disgraced President Nixon. The embattled President Carter. The Russians invading Afganistan. Then we see coach Brooks doing it his own way. A year and a half of scouting, one day of try-outs, to pick the 26 players which would eventually be cut to 20 for the competition. The DVD extras show us how much went into making the movie faithful, including a session with Brooks himself, who died in an accident right after filming was wrapped up. A very fine movie of a very inspirational journey.
Addressing some of the other comments
posted on 11 Jul 2009Some people commenting on this movie are admittedly not hockey fans, and some are not good with their history, so I am going to offer some needed insight: 1. to the guy who commented that Noah Emmerich did a poor acting job, not showing enough emotion: This is actually a fairly representative portrayal of assistant coach Craig Patrick. Hockey coaches are often more level-headed than you might expect, and Patrick was no exception. Emmerich played him pretty darn well, actually.2. Someone asked why Kurt Russell played Brooks with a polish accent. That's not a polish accent, it's a Minnesota accent - which sounds similar, especially given the number of Polish immigrants living in the upper Midwest. If you watched Fargo, you would hear a similar accent by many of those characters.3. To the guy who said this: "The only part of the film that was totally unnecessary was the typical Liberal slant that Hollywood just has to put in our faces every chance it gets. Here, they do it by quick cheap shots against Republican Presidents while airing an inspirational speech by Democrat Jimmy Carter." You, my friend, are clearly no student of history. Carter's speech was considered by many then - and now - to be a disaster. Instead of having its intended effect, it instead resulted only in causing Carter's already-low favorability rating to plummet further. And it is indeed in context; the "Malaise" speech, as it became known, fits in with the other historical elements shown at the start of the movie.4. Finally, a lot of non-hockey people complained about the lack of emotion in the characters and the acting. You would be very disappointed to find that hockey players are not over-the-top drama queens, I'm sorry to tell you. We get emotional for two things: scoring goals and winning games. At those points the movie portrayed the emotions, no? Otherwise you're not going to get a lot of drama, and the movie showed that accurately. You want drama, go interview Terrell Owens after losing a playoff game. And have fun.
This was a great movie
posted on 07 Jul 2009I saw this movie last night and I loved it. Since I born two weeks after the Olympics I did not see the original game. I did see a documentary about it on HBO and I said to myself this would be a perfect story to make into a movie. When I heard that there was a movie about it I could not wait to see it. I think that this generation knows what it is like to feel bad about ourselves, everywhere I turn there is Anti Americanism. We turn on the news and there is nothing happy (I should not say that, the mars lander was great). This movie is not about America being the best, it is about giving America hope again. This was a Miracle, hockey players from all across the country played as a unified team to beat the best team in the world. This gave America something to root for and I can relate since 9/11. I know a lot of people are saying that this movie was just America being pompous but how can it be pompous when it really happened? Is Apollo 13 pompous? Americans should not be riduculed for having national spirit.
awesome movie
posted on 17 Jun 2009in my opinion, miracle is one of the best movies ever! to you all it may not be, because your older and have seen many more movies. but miracle was a great story, and they did an awesome job filming it! they also did a wonderful job casting the hockey players, knowing that some of the hockey players weren't actors. and Kurt Russel did an excellent job playing the big role of Herb Brooks.the wonderful true story of the miracle on ice in 1980 turned in to a very exciting film in 2004. after every time i watch it i am cheerful, and thats because the ending is just so exciting and i imagine myself there 25 years ago, and how i would have felt. well, to most of you miracle might be a "good" movie. but to me, its the best damn movie ever!
Solid Hockey Movie, But...
posted on 13 Jun 2009Disney's 'Miracle' is a strong and inspirational movie about the 1980 USA Hockey Team who took on seemingly impossible odds and beat the Soviet Union in the Olympic Games. At face value, the movie executes what it needs to and little of what it doesn't, but that's a giant issue.The thing that keeps this movie from being an end-all when it comes to hockey movies is the lack of depth in a movie that, even itself, proclaims it's depth.The entire premise of the movie is the usual sports fare: Underdog team seems like it can't pull together, but ends up doing so and beating the unstoppable and evil opponent. This one is based on truth so you wont find any Mighty Duck 'knucklepucks' here. But the movie ends up preaching something that isn't there.Throughout the course of the movie the team is shown to have bonded, at first not working at all and near the end stating they're like "Family." The tough part to digest is the fact that aside from 2 or 3 scenes, there's really no moment where you see this bond. It's more like a highlight reel, going from game to game, and occasional practice drill to practice drill, until the final game against the USSR. I felt unconvinced that these boys even knew each other. There was absolutely no substance to their relationships, and that's where the movie has it's weakest spot.The hockey action is good, Disney decided to choose actors on their playing ability first, acting ability second, a decision which DOES rear it's ugly head come the few moments off the ice. Some of these kids couldn't act their way out of a crowded room but they sure can play hockey if need be.Essentially Miracle does what other hockey movies can't, but it fails at what other hockey movies have done on many levels.Convincing Hockey Action, Unconvincing Acting (aside from Kurt Russel) and Depth.That said, it's still one of the best hockey movies ever made, so it's worth checking out for any fan of the sport.7/10
Thanks, Guys
posted on 09 Jun 2009Thanks mostly to the guys that actually won the gold, but thanks as well to the actor/hockey players that made the film possible. You guys were all awesome, and it had to be hard.............Did Kurt Russel actually slap on ccm's and skate?......I need to know that! Thank you for a great movie.....to the cast, thank you.......you have no idea what it means to a guy in my generation, that was there....thank you! You guys all seem very nice........most of you you are playing somewhere. Reguardless, I wish all of you the best of luck. I'll bet you were all thinking what it might have been like to play in the olympics.....some of you may..............remember 1980.......you guys were in diapers, but I was there!......I love you all, Patrick
Proud to be an American
posted on 24 May 2009This is one of those films that reminds people of the great things that Americans can accomplish. If you have any ounce of patriotism at all, then this movie is highly recommended. At the time that the actual event occured back in 1980, Americans were going through a very tough time. (The Carter Years...thank God there was only four of them!) This was just the thing that was needed to raise hope and morality. Nobody who saw the actual event will ever forget it! Kurt Russel gives an excellent performance that should be recognized with an Oscar. The supporting cast is good as well. Overall, an enjoyable film.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 9.
Great event, good movie
posted on 14 May 2009A great movie has to be great in a number of ways, great plot, great acting, great directing, etc. This movie definitely had a great plot that will resonate with US audiences. The rest of the movie however was only good to so-so. None of the acting performances particularly stuck out as being outstanding, but none of them were bad either.Basically this movie just tells the story event by event, unfortunately this means that a lot of the characters fall by the wayside. For instance, when the final cut was made it was hard to feel bad about it because the player/character wasn't well developed.All that being said this is a good movie overall. The story is the classic scrappy little guy beats the big bad guy which is a story that is hard to have fail. It is even harder to mess up when it is a true story. Enjoy it for the feel good type movie that it is, but don't expect a miracle (except in the game of course).
Excellent trip back...
posted on 12 May 2009Kurt Russell performed brilliantly as Herb Brooks. I didn't mind the low coverage of the gold medal game cuz the game against the Soviets was 'the game'. And as Al Michaels says in the final seconds against the Soviets, that game WAS the 'Miracle'. I didn't realize just how much of the movie would be centered before the Olympics and Brooks' training techniques...that was interesting to see, especially with them starting out with him trying to get the job. Too bad Brooks missed the movie, even though he lived it. He will definitely be missed!
"Who do you play for?" "The United States of America."
posted on 08 May 2009That line alone brought tears to my eyes. Brilliant movie, tremendous attention to details, superb acting by Kurt Russell. Herb Brooks would have been proud of this film. Do you believe in miracles?!?!?!?!?!?! This movie in itself is a miracle.
Great movie, 10/10, Kurt Russell deserves an oscar
posted on 02 Apr 2009Miracle will capture the hearts of all who view it. It's much more than a sports movie. Miracle tells the true story of Herb Brooks (Russell), the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Russian squad.Kurt Russell will surely receive an Oscar nomination. He is an underrated actor who turned in the performance of a lifetime in Miracle.If you want to see acting at its best then see Russell's performance in Miracle. It's on par with the best Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson has ever offered.The action sequences are amongst the best ever filmed in a sports movie so for hockey fans you will have to wait until the 2nd half for your thrills.I am not a devoted hockey fan but I found this movie so entertaining I plan to see it again.
Miracle
posted on 29 Mar 2009Do You Believe in Miracles? "Miracle" is about the dedication and teamwork of college kids to beat the most feared hockey team in the world. The movie showcases Coach Herb Brooks unique approach to coaching and to the game of international hockey. The movie takes you from team tryouts, all the way through the teams triumph. Herb Brooks assembled a team of college kids to play the best teams in the world. Russia, the team that had defeated the NHL all stars by an embarrassing score, was undefeated for the past twenty years. No one expected the U.S. team to even make the medal rounds. When they do make it, they are seeded against the feared U.S.S.R., and the rest is history.The films director had many different intentions in making this film. First of all, he wanted people to realize that it was more than just a hockey game. People needed a lift due to the ongoing Cold War with Russia. This game was nation against nation. We needed to prove that we were a strong, united nation. Second of all, he wanted people to relive what seemed to be an impossible event. Who would have thought that a group of college kids could defeat the best team in the world? This game gave so many Americans a reason to once again believe in their country and in their ability to overcome great obstacles.From a hockey fans point of view, this film was a memorial to the greatest moment in American sports history. It marked the day that we defeated the once unbeatable team. It demonstrated that if you work hard, good things will happen and you will be rewarded for your efforts. From an American citizen point of view, this game gave people a reason to believe. This film shows that we as Americans, are dedicated to overcoming many great obstacles, despite how daunting they may be. It makes me cry to think of all these boys went through, and how much they gave to their nation. The game revived hope in most of America. This film showcased a true "miracle."
So So
posted on 27 Mar 2009While I feel that the directer did a great job keeping the suspense up in a plot that everybody knows, the movie was fair. I feel that its popularity is being fed by a need for patriotism that so many of us have been loosing because of the War in Iraq. If this was shown in any other country it would not have done nearly as well. Final Suggestion: See it in the theatre but dont expect anything else than fair.
95% based on a true story, and that's a miracle! (9/10)
posted on 23 Mar 2009I had the chance to meet goalie Jim Craig recently when he spoke for a company retreat I attended. I asked him how much of "Miracle" was accurate and how much was Hollywood. He said it was 95% accurate, right down to the dialogue, and having seen the film now, I don't doubt him. And there's little reason why it shouldn't have been that way, as the real story is certainly compelling enough to tell without embellishment.In most sports movies, even ones that are "based on true stories", there are cliches added in, like the last second touchdown pass and the come-from-behind victory against the towering undefeated opponent. Well, in "Miracle", there are indeed last second goals and come-from-behind victories and strings of incredible saves by the goalie, but all you have to do is watch the "making of" feature on the DVD where the action from the movie is shown next to the actual footage and you realize that it is exactly as it really happened. Mark Johnson really did score with 1 second left to tie the game at the end of the period, etc.I was about 10 years old when I eagerly watched the games on TV, but I couldn't remember some of the details and it was powerful to realize the real impact of what was accomplished, and how it was accomplished, which I couldn't really appreciate at that age.The filmmakers did a terrific job with this film. The story of coach Herb Brooks (very strongly played by Kurt Russell) and the teamwork that he developed among the players makes for a compelling story, and the hockey action is superbly filmed. The decision to cast hockey players and teach them to act, as opposed to casting actors and trying to teach them to skate and play hockey seems like an obvious one in retrospect, but must have been made with some hesitancy and should be applauded. The hockey looks and feels very real, and that is not easy to capture. And the acting is certainly good enough, and why wouldn't it be when the 'actors' are portraying hockey players?? Not a stretch, really.The victory at the end (it's not really a spoiler to say that, eh?) could have gone over the top with schmaltz and patriotic fireworks, but had just the right touch, capturing the kind of excitement and joy that we all felt sharing that moment.Congratulations to the makers of "Miracle" for making one of the best sports films ever, and moreso congratulations to Herb Brooks and the 1980 U.S. Hockey team for giving us the incredible story to see!
I was there
posted on 09 Mar 2009I am very proud of how this movie turned out. I was one of the three thousand extras used in the climactic U.S. vs U.S.S.R. scenes and let me tell you it was a gruelling shoot.It was during the heat wave last June, so it was 35 degrees Celsius outside and really difficult to breathe. It was marginally cooler inside but not by much. It was amazing to watch how they managed to pull off the unique feat of finally getting hockey on film properly. The camera guys, the grips and the assistant director (Pete Whyte, amazing) were all on skates. The extras were screaming almost non-stop for 12 to 15 hours at a time. I had no voice left at the end of it.But the coolest thing was this. After screaming "U.S.A." over and over for several hours, we had a moment of quiet while they were setting up a shot. Suddenly, slowly, a roar started to build, in wave after wave. We were looking around, trying to figure out what was going on, because the cameras weren't rolling. Finally, up in the rafters, we noticed that someone had hung a Canadian flag for everyone to see. The roar became deafening. Production assistants were falling over themselves trying to get up to the rafters to get it down because they were worried it would ruin the shot. Pete Whyte, in obvious awe, came over the P.A. system in a low voice and said, "That, was coool..."He seemed to realize that we were running out of energy and as brilliant directors do, he came up with a way to get us up and running again. He had someone tug the flag down and toss it onto the ice. Then he did two things. He had a poster made that he set face down on top of the Russian net. When the cameras were rolling and he wanted us to react to the final U.S. goal and go berserk, he skated behind the Russian goal and flipped the sign up. It said, "Canada Kicks Ass." He then picked up the Canadian flag and skated up and down the ice, holding onto two corners of it and let it fly over his head.It was a beautiful thing. So, say what you want about the country politics involved in the script of the film, but in fact it is Canadian pride that shines in every frame.
Best movie I have ever seen
posted on 13 Feb 2009This is by far the best movie I have ever seen. I hope everyone goes out and sees this movie when it hits the theatre. There wasn't a dry eye, even though everyone knew what was going to happen. It was a touching tribute to the late Herb Brooks, an amazing coach that took a bunch of college hockey players and beat the most powerful hockey powerhouse the world had ever seen.
Oddly Not Captivating
posted on 11 Feb 2009This attempts to replicate and dramatize the real life story of the miracle U.S. Hockey Team's win over the Soviets in the 1980 International Olympic Games at Lake Placid, New York. However, while captures some interesting highpoints, the movie strangely misses the personal stories, the emotionally compelling human interest that defines the unique, memorable personalities of this real human drama. In a paradox, the real life coach Herb Brook's story of unifying a young team of individual hockey players resulted in just that, a movie about a team, not about interesting personalities and stories that interest. The movie's potential to help capture the thrill of this historic moment was diminished somewhat by the more traditional photography with only glimpses of genuine interesting historic tidbits.
One of those movies that you want to watch before a hockey game.
posted on 01 Feb 2009This is the type of movie, that you would want to watch before a hockey game, because it just pumps you up. This movie really did show what hockey is about. It is not only a sport you play, but it is a sport you play with passion and hard work. The story was told really well, and the way they made the goals exactly how they really scored them was really cool. This movie is a hockey classic film. All hockey fans should see it, if you don't then you aren't a real hockey fan. Go rent it for 4 bucks it is worth it. The only things I didn't like about it, is that some parts were boring, they should have put more action stuff and less talking. I give this movie a 7.5 on 10, which is good for a sports movie.
The best hockey movie ever made.
posted on 02 Aug 2009If anyone is a fan of the HBO documentary about the 1980 USA hockey team they will love this film. Kurt Russell's portrayal of Herb Brooks is nothing short of spectactular. The casting of the players was dead on and actual hockey play was very entertaining. The film captured the feeling of everything going on in our world leading up to this moment in sports that was so much more than just a game. A+