America’s 250th! A Look Back at “Miracle”

Not only is the infamous “Miracle on Ice” one of the biggest moments in sports history, it’s also one of the biggest moments in American history as well as the 1980 US men’s Olympic hockey team’s upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union became a profound cultural and political symbol. This is also the premise of the 2004 movie “Miracle,” one of the two reviews I worked on for this week’s review slate!

When college coach Herb Brooks is hired to coach the 1980 US men’s Olympic hockey team, he brings a unique and brash style to the ice. After assembling a team of hot-headed college all-stars, who are humiliated in an early match, Brooks unites his squad against a common foe, the heavily-favored Soviet team.

As the US squad tries to overcome insurmountable odds and win the gold medal, the team becomes a microcosm for American patriotism during the Cold War.

The 2004 movie “Miracle” is easily one of the most inspirational movies I have ever seen and I’ve seen this countless times since it was released. “Miracle” is a relatively grounded, non-melodramatic take on the infamous 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” This is also one of those movies where even though viewers know exactly how the “Miracle on Ice” ended, the movie can easily resonate deeply to everyone.

One of the most captivating aspects of “Miracle” is Kurt Russell’s career-defining performance and transformation of Coach Herb Brooks. Russell perfectly nailed Brooks’ intense, complex personality, complete with the Minnesota accent and the notoriously 1970s plaid pants. Instead of playing a typical, generic, warm mentor, Russell portrays him as an intense taskmaster, making the team’s eventual respect for him feel completely earned.

Instead of casting either famous actors or up-and-comers, the director cast real high-level hockey players, which really helps make all the hockey action even more intense. I really liked that they cast real hockey players because it eliminated the unrealistic sports movie cliches and since their hockey sequences look so incredibly authentic, you would think you are watching a cleaned up, HD version of the action footage.

This movie also does a great job striking the chord of nostalgia and patriotism without leaning too heavily into it. For viewers who lived through 1980, it masterfully captures the heavy, exhausted mood of the country during the Cold War and reminded them why that specific game meant too much to a lot of people.

For younger viewers, it can be a terrific underdog, misfits-to-champions story. The emotional payoff at the end - where we see a brilliant recreation of the winning goal and hear legendary announcer Al Michaels’ actual, original broadcast - can still easily leave a viewer in tears. In fact, Michaels actually recreated his entire play-by-play commentary for the final game, except for the final seconds as he felt he could never fake the raw emotion of the infamous “Do you believe in miracles?”.

Besides the final game, “Miracle” also provides quite a few memorable moments, such as Brooks celebrating quietly to himself in the hall after the final game, a flawless speech from Brooks before the final game (“great moments are born from  great opportunity”) and the pivotal scene where Brooks forces the team to run brutal, full-ice sprints (or called “suicides”). That scene perfectly captures the breaking point where the players stop being individuals and finally unite as Team USA.

The overall response to “Miracle” has been highly positive, cementing it as one of the most definitive sports films of the 21st century. It managed a rare feat for an underdog sports film: it captured a massive, enthusiastic, mainstream audience while largely winning over critics and audiences. A couple decades after its release, “Miracle” is still heavily praised as the gold standard for historical accuracy and dramatic weight.

The 2004 movie is a perfect watch for America’s 250th anniversary because it captures the resilient, underdog American spirit and the enduring power of unity. The true story of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team proves that a collection of individuals, when based by shared purpose and hard work, can achieve the impossible.

MPA: Rated PG for language and some rough sports action   (runtime 135 minutes)

Initial release date: February 6, 2004

Streaming services: Disney Plus/Netflix/various PVOD services (as of writing this review)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd0_Dm2xlEM

• Kurt Russell took a pay cut, so the 800-1000 extras used as the fans at the hockey game could enjoy a full hot meal instead of a brown-bag lunch.

• While Al Michaels joined the film to recreate commentary for the games, Gavin O'Connor decided to use the last ten seconds of Michaels' original "Do you believe in miracles?" call in the film because he felt he couldn't ask him to recreate the emotion he experienced at that moment. Thus, they cleaned up the recording to make the transition to the authentic call as seamless as possible.

• Herb Brooks died in a car accident during principal photography of this film. A dedication is made for him before the ending credits.

• This film is considered to be one of the most accurate depictions of true events, including dialogue. According to the actual 1980 USA team, the only inaccuracies in the film include Herb Brooks attending a Christmas party with the players and giving them nicknames. They also said that Brooks' language had to be toned down immensely to maintain the film's PG rating.

• Buzz Schneider is portrayed by his son, Billy Schneider.

• The scene where some players confront Herb Brooks about bringing a late arrival to the team was the very first scene Kurt Russell filmed with the hockey players/actors. This was done because the players were genuinely intimidated by Russell, having just started working with him, and it would fit the characters being worried about directly confronting Herb.

• Herb Brooks was a former U.S. Olympic player in 1964 and 1968.