Watch Miracle For Free

Sorry, this movie sucks

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

As a someone who was aware of the story and as a sports fan from outside the US, this movie was something I had to see, and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. Kurt Russell's as Herb Brooks I would put up there with Morgan Freeman's performance as Nelson Mandela in Invictus, possibly Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch but that's for others to judge. He captured the essence of the man, his mannerisms his words, everything. The hockey scene's were in a word, perfect thanks to the use of actual hockey players whose audition process was probably more vigorous than the selection process for the real US team, (30 picked from 4000 as opposed to 26 picked from 90), the score adds to the tension and the atmosphere, particularly in the last period after Mike Eruzione puts the US in front in the climactic game against the Soviets. One scene which I found emotional was, surprise surprise, the Herbies after the 3-3 tie with Norway, it has been pointed out that two of the players who did the drill in the movie, Jim Craig and Buzz Schneider didn't do it in real life as Craig didn't play and Schneider was ejected from the game and Mike Eruzione didn't get the drills ended by stating that he played for the USA, however I feel the point is overstated as this is only a minor detail and Gavin O'Connor probably didn't want there to be any resentment between the cast and to show that the team had reached a turning point at that stage so these two indiscretions I can forgive. What I can't however was the way two of the Soviet goals were depicted, the first and third goals were shown being scored as a result of foul play in the build up, a deliberate unpunished slash on Buzz Schneider and Jim Craig being knocked unconscious from a cheap shot leaving the net empty when in reality the goals in question were clean, a simple stick check and a one on one counter attack during a Soviet power play, so why portray one of the greatest teams ever to grace the sport in this negative light? Another gripe I had with the movie was the skimming over the games against the Czechoslovakia and Finland which were also must win games, particularly Finland when the team were in danger of losing, as they were behind 2-1 going into the third period and throwing away what they had earned against the Soviets, Herb Brooks said to the team before the third period, "If you lose this game you'll take it to your (BLEEP) grave." I feel was a bit of a mistake not showing that, all be it a bit toned down language wise. However historical discretion's and omissions aside this movie is still compelling, the hockey is great, the cast is genuine, the music only adds to it, having Al Michaels and Ken Dryden reenact their commentary was inspired and as I said before Kurt Russell is phenomenal, even if your not an ice hockey fan I'd still recommend you watch it and I find it makes you believe in yourself that if you want something enough and your willing really work for it, then nothing is impossible or "Do you believe in miracles YES!!".

" 'I'm sure there are a lot of people who do not know the difference between a blue line and a clothesline. It's irrelevant. It doesn't matter. …An event that needs no buildup, no superfluous adjectives, …the United States and the Soviet Union on a sheet of ice in Lake Placid,' " (Disney). This introduction, iterated before the climax of the movie Miracle, not only describes the viewing audience of the game, it can be compared to the audience of the film itself. It does not matter how familiar one is with the game of hockey, it is an action-packed, motivating, and at times poignant film that is overall fantastically entertaining. One of the best features of Miracle is the sense of realness the inexperienced actors evoke in the viewer through the rawness of their emotions.As one watches the film, it is apparent many of the actors are not recognizable, yet it does not take away from the film. The reason the men who portray the 1980 team will probably never show up in a major film is because they are not professional actors. They are former hockey players, with varying degrees of experience in both acting and playing. The director, Gavin O'Conner, explains his reasoning, " 'I didn't want to cast actors. You can't get actors to play hockey at the level required. I thought the way to go was to get hockey players born with the acting gene but who didn't know it and teach them how to act,' '' (Caple). The logic is simple: it is easier to teach a hockey player to act than it is to teach an actor to play hockey. Imagine a movie made with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, or Daniel Craig struggling to stand up or perform basic maneuvers. It would take a lot away from the film. Many scenes involve up close shots of the actors making plays, getting hit, and enthusiastically celebrating after scoring. None of these powerful shots would be possible if stunt doubles had to be constantly used. The film's cinematography was complicated, and there are many scenes where the viewer is situated in the middle of the action, right alongside the players. As film critic Roger Ebert explains "We're in the middle of the confusion on the ice, feeling the energy rather than focusing on plot points," (Ebert). An atmosphere of being in the game and part of the team is created because of the actor's skating abilities. The casting choice made by O'Conner greatly effects how the viewer experiences the games. Not only are the game scenes supplemented by the actors, the characters become very realistic off the ice. As Roger Ebert calls to attention in his review, most athletic movies nowadays focus on one or a few individuals of a sports team, and this is not the case in Miracle. In fact, it is told from the coaches prospective. The purpose of this is for the viewer to get a sense of how a hockey team works. In comparison to more individualized sports like basketball or football, hockey has a completely team-oriented mentality to it. In order to play the game well, an entire unit needs to show up and play their best every day. If one piece is lacking, it all falls apart. The viewer is given a sense of this by the way the story is shown in the movie. There are players focused on slightly more than others, but no one is held on a pedestal and considered to be the savior of the team. This sense of togetherness is produced and enhanced through the actors. None of them steal the spotlight, and none of them want to. The men lived and breathed their roles both on and off the set. When the members of the real Olympic team visited the set, Jack O'Callahan commented on how seriously they were taking on their roles. "We visited the set and we went out together afterwords, and these actors would talk to each other and refer to each and they would use our names,'' O'Callahan said. "Someone would say, 'Hey O.C., what time are you getting up tomorrow?' and we would both say at the same instant, 'About 8,' (Caple).Even with the members of the real team, the actors were so used to calling each other by their roles' names they still responded to comments addressed to those whom they were representing in the film. The emotions shown by the men in the movie are that more believable when they fully take on their character. When the characters are so realistically passionate, it is easier for the viewer to connect to them and how they feel. O'Callahan, a man who lived the experience the movie portrays, praises the film, saying, " 'the passion, it's all through the movie at every level,''' (Caple). The actors in Miracle made an emotionally charged film about what is regarded as one of the greatest Olympic hockey moments in history so believable, the men who were on the ice considered it an accurate representation.Works CitedCaple, Jim. "Making a 'Miracle' on Ice." ESPN.com: Page 3. N.p., 6 Feb. 2004. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. Ebert, Roger. "Miracle Movie Review & Film Summary (2004) Roger Ebert." All Content. N.p., Feb. 2004. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. Miracle. Dir. Gavin O'Connor. Perf. Kurt Russell. Disney, 2004. DVD.

As of this writing it is ten years past the release of the movie and a full 34 tears past the actual events. This is the story of one of the greatest sports upsets of all time and one hockey match which loomed larger than just another game.Everyone knows the story of the 1980 Men's Hockey team which stunned the world with an unthinkable Gold medal and a rousing (though stressful) medal round win against a vastly superior USSR team. Sports commentators of the time likened it to seeing a bunch of guys from Canada get together, form a football team and then beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.The producers of the movie deftly set up the context of the political unease between the Soviets and Americans and how America was desperate for some good news back in those days. There was an ongoing hostage crisis in Iran, an energy crisis and a collective crisis of identity for the entire nation.Another way "Miracle" excels is that it shows the human side of the whole preparation for the games and the drama that occurred. There are as many scenes with Herb Brooks and his wife as there are the coach and his players.Finally the hockey game between the Soviets and the Americans is beautifully staged and choreographed and makes the viewer forget he/she is watching a recreation of the event. Everyone in the whole world knows the outcome of the game yet it is still thrilling.Kurt Russell became Herb Brooks just as the group of actor/hockey players became the 1980 American Hockey team. In all, this is one of the greatest sports movies ever made.

The movie Miracle is by far one of the greatest sports movies I have seen to this day. I can watch this movie over and over and, even though I already know the outcome of the movie, I am inspired every time I see it. Being based off of a true story, a coach gathers a bunch of young college hockey players and puts together a team to take to the Olympics and face the professional Russian team. Despite the U.S team being young and inexperienced, their coach pushes them to another level allowing them to make a statement in the game. Their coach believes that it is more important for the U.S. Hockey team members to believe in themselves, and believe that as a team they can compete with some of the best hockey players in the world. The coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell), a former Olympic hockey player of the 1960 U.S. gold medal team, was cut by his team as a player so he returned to his love of hockey by coming back as a coach. Putting a bunch of young college kids together who were once rivals created a great challenge for everyone because they had to come together as one to take on the so-called, "Invincible Russians". The movie Miracle shows the entire story of the teams' struggles and battles and what they had to overcome to achieve a goal they were all "hungry" for. This game turned into something more than just winning the gold medal, it made a statement during the rough times our country was going through. This game was during the cold war and it provided our country a boost of morale at just the right time when everyone so desperately needed it. The movie Miracle marks an incredible part of our history by showing those who are not even familiar with the sport of hockey the importance of always trying to be the best you can be and always believe that you can do anything. Even though it is a long movie (approximately 135 minutes), it captures all of the great moments of the game; allowing you to understand everything going on and keep you on your toes. By showing all of the hard work and dedication the team has for each other and for others, it is a movie that can relate to anyone who has a background in sports. This movie is very inspiring to anyone who sees it and experiences all of the struggles the Olympic team of college kids go through together. The movie captures all of the dedication of the team members and showcases the incredible amount of conditioning Herb Brooks, their coach, puts them through to excel as hockey players. The coach wants the team to get out of their comfort zone and be the most conditioned team there is in hockey. The coach tells the team "they may beat us 9 out of 10 times, but not tonight," inspiring the team to give it their best effort. An example of this is when they show a scene when his team loses and they stay after their game to do what is now in hockey arenas all across the country as the "Herbys"; skating down the ice, stopping and starting on every line when the whistle is blown. This truly captures a moment when the team finally comes together as one and shows all of their hard work. The acting in this movie is incredible and the great shots they capture are truly amazing. I highly suggest to anyone who loves good, inspirational movies that they see the movie, Miracle. The movie tells a great story and allows it to be understood very easily. It shows the evolution of a young team shown as underdogs come to the ice and make a statement, rather than just playing a game. If you love to watch movies that have a great upset in them and that give you goose bumps from the thrilling action, this is the movie for you. Miracle is still one of the greatest sport movies out there today. It does not really focus just on the sport itself, but rather the hard work and effort it takes to overcome an obstacle and achieve success by believing that you can do anything. With the U.S beating the Russians, they sent a message to everyone that with hard work and a winning attitude, "Miracles" do happen.