Plot: What’s it about?
In what might be considered the greatest single moment in American sports, “Miracle” chronicles the path of the United States Hockey team of 1980. It’s hard to believe, but this happened nearly a generation ago and I can remember it like it happened yesterday. The Cold War was at its peak, as Americans all we knew was that the Russians were “bad” and we were “good” (granted, this is from my point of view and I was only seven at the time). I’d like to try and avoid the obvious cliché and say that this was the obvious David vs. Goliath, but it was – plain and simple. In a twist of fate, the real-life coach of the team, Herb Brooks (played by Kurt Russell in the film) was killed in a car accident just shortly after principal photography on the movie was completed. “Miracle”, like “Seabiscuit” and “Rocky”, shows the courage and determination and what a great story the triumph of the underdog makes. It’s interesting to note that some 4,000 hockey players tried out for the roles in the hockey team that consisted of only twenty players. Names like Jim Craig and Mike Eruzione (the team captain who scored the winning goal) are not only memorable, but will likely go down as some of the most important in American sports.
As the movie opens, Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) has just won the NCAA Hockey championship for his Minnesota Golden Gophers. The process of interviewing for the position of USA Hockey team coach is well on its way and Brooks has just won the job. He’ll do things his way, thank you, and immediately shows that it’s not about putting the best team of players on the ice, it’s the ones who have the will and determination that will make the better team. Brooks, himself a member of the 1960 USA Team, was cut a week before the games as he watched that team go onto win Olympic gold. His wife Patty (Patricia Clarkson) understands that he’s a hard-worker, though in movies like this the wife only seems to be in place to complain and tell them that they’re “working too hard”. As the process starts to find a team, Brooks establishes that he’s all business. He wants to win, though the team isn’t even expected to make it to the medal round. And as we get to know the members of the hockey team, we see personalities emerge (and clash), but yet we already know from the get go, what will happen at the end.
“Miracle” is just that, the story of a one in a million shot and one of the most recognized sports events in recent history. This is a sports movie, there’s no sappy love story involved and I was impressed by how much time of actual hockey (and skating) there is in it. Hockey movies aren’t exactly a dime a dozen, either. The ones in recent memory that stand out are “Slap Shot”, “The Mighty Ducks” and “Happy Gilmore” (if you can consider that a hockey movie). The movie brings Kurt Russell back to Disney, where he started making films when he was just a kid. It’s got all the emotional elements of a tear-jerker and if this wasn’t based on actual fact, you wouldn’t believe that all of this actually happened. Brooks’ right-hand man, Craig Patrick (Noah Emmerich), seems to be relegated to nodding his approval whenever Brooks gives a speech and blurting out one liners. This was the movie’s only real downfall, I think. If you’re a fan of hockey or just want to feel like a million bucks after the credits roll, then there’s no reason no to give “Miracle” a try. In what might be the fastest turnaround time for a movie to DVD (the movie was released on Feb. 6 and it streets on May 18), this arrives before the “real” hockey season is even over. Then again, maybe that was their thinking…
Video: How does it look?
The scope aspect ratio of 2.40:1 is how “Miracle” appears on DVD and the anamorphic transfer makes it shine. As we might imagine, a movie this new to DVD will undoubtedly look great on DVD and with the majority of the supplements on the second disc, this leaves plenty of bit rate space for the movie. I was impressed by the way this looks, but not totally impressed. The flesh tones seemed to be a bit muddy, especially in Russell’s face. The hockey scenes look particularly great, with the white ice being a nice contrast to the players. Detail is sharp and well-defined and I was hard-pressed to find any edge enhancement problems. I suppose I was expecting a pristine transfer here, but didn’t get one. No matter, “Miracle” is certainly above average in the visual department and I doubt anyone will be too disappointed.
Audio: How does it sound?
The disc is THX certified, and I can remember back in the early days of DVD (and even Laser Disc) that when the THX logo appeared (along with that unmistakable sound), we could expect the best. So much has changed in technology, even in the time since DVD arrived; I don’t know how the THX-certification affects any particular title. Supposedly it’s mastered to meet qualifications for video and audio. In any regard, the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is more than sufficient and there are plenty of effects to get you more bangs for your buck. The constant “shhhhh” of the skates sounds great and there are plenty of checks (and later on, Czechs) to keep your sub busy as well. Dialogue, as we might imagine, is well-centered and free of any distortion. The surrounds are used often and add a new level of depth to the track. Crowds play a big factor and at certain times I almost felt like I was on the ice! Suffice it to say that the track is great and though it’s not the absolute best out there, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth.
Supplements: What are the extras?
“Miracle” is a two-disc set with a featurette and a commentary track on the first disc, with the rest of the supplements on the second. First up is the rather informative commentary track by director Gavin O’Connor, editor John Gilroy and director of photography Daniel Stoloff. O’Connor, who pops up all throughout the supplements, gives us a sense of what it was like to make the movie. Naturally, the passing of Herb Brooks plays a part in the track, but the DP and Editor do their parts as well to give us a sense of what all was involved in the making of the film. A pretty standard “The Making of Miracle” featurette is shown as well. This has scenes from the movie, interviews with the cast and crew – as I said, your “standard” featurette. The second disc is another batch of featurettes, though these cover a much wider range. Perhaps the most emotional is “First Impressions: Herb Brooks with Kurt Russell and the filmmakers” in which the filmmakers and Kurt Russell meet with Brooks before shooting began. Brooks tells of his days in the USA Hockey program, how he dropped out of college to try and make the team, etc. Knowing that he would be dead in a few months makes it a worthy addition to the disc. This is preceded by an introduction from Director Gavin O’Connor.
Next up is an ESPN Roundtable with anchor Linda Cohn. Cohn interviews Russell, and stars from the 1980 team Jim Craig and Mike Eurzione and gets their thoughts on Herb Brooks, the making of the movie and how much Brooks had changed in later years (he had evidently “mellowed out” a lot from his earlier years). “From Hockey to Hollywood: The Actors’ Journey” shows the arduous process of getting the hockey team. Some 4,000 hockey players auditioned and had to achieve high marks to even make it to the actual process where they’d be considered for any role. Art imitates life as this was a theme in the actual movie as well. Still, we have to wonder, will we see these guys in any other movies or are they just “one hit wonders”? Perhaps the most interesting feature is The Sound Of “Miracle” in which we get a detailed look at how the sound effects were made. Every slap shot, skate and hit was made outside filming. They rented a hockey rink, made tiny microphones and attached them to the skates to get the exact sound. This seemed like a very in-depth task and the result is a great-sounding track full of surround effects. Lastly we have some outtakes, which are pretty self-explanatory. Surprisingly enough, I couldn’t find a trailer anywhere on the discs…odd. If you’re in the mood to be inspired, then “Miracle” is your ticket and the supplements are more than enough to justify a purchase.
