Miracle (film)
Encyclopedia
Miracle is a 2004 American
biographical
sports film about the United States
men's hockey
team, led by head coach
Herb Brooks
, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics
. The USA team's victory over the heavily favored Soviet
team in the medal round was dubbed the Miracle on Ice
. Miracle was directed
by Gavin O'Connor and written
by Eric Guggenheim
.
head coach Herb Brooks
(played by Kurt Russell
) interviews with the United States Olympic Committee
, discussing his philosophy on how to beat the Soviet team, calling for changes to the practice schedule and strategy.
Brooks meets his assistant coach Craig Patrick
at the tryouts in Colorado Springs. However, Brooks selects a preliminary roster of 26—later to be cut to a final roster of 20—indifferent of the tryouts and the preferences of senior USOC hockey officials. He convinces Walter Bush
(Sean McCann
), the executive director of the committee, that he has their best interests at heart. Bush agrees to take the heat from the committee, saying, "I'll back you up on this one."
During the initial practice, tempers flare as forward Rob McClanahan
and defenseman Jack O'Callahan
get into a fight based on an old college rivalry. Brooks bluntly tells the players that they are to let go of old rivalries and start becoming a team. He then calls for introductions, in which each player states his name, his hometown, and for whom he plays.
The coach starts the team on an exhausting conditioning drill (which became known as "Herbies"), in which the team sprints together back and forth across the ice, over and over.
During an exhibition game against the Norwegian
National Team in Oslo
that ends in a 3–3 tie, Brooks notices the players are distracted by pretty girls in the stands and not playing up to their potential. After the game, in a wrenching scene, he makes them run "Herbies" far into the night, asking the team who it was that they played for. Finally exhausted, forward Mike Eruzione responds with the answer that Herb had wanted all along, "I play for the United States of America!" and the drill is over.
The team plays the Soviets in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden
. The Russians manhandle the young American team, winning by a score of 10-3. During the game, O'Callahan receives an injury that could keep him out of the entire Olympics, and starting goaltender Jim Craig is told he may be benched in favor of back-up goalie Steve Janaszak
. Craig ends up retaining his starting job when the coach brings him to realize that he hasn't been giving his very best.
As the Olympic tournament begins, the Americans trail Sweden
2-1 in the first game. Brooks fires up the team during the break by slamming a table out of his way and accusing injured McClanahan of quitting (Doc had said his injury wouldn't get worse if he played on it.) McClanahan ends up playing despite his pain, and the inspired American team came through as Bill Baker
scores a goal in the final minute for a dramatic 2-2 tie. They follow that up with a 7-3 win over heavily favored Czechoslovakia
, then victories over Norway, Romania
and West Germany
to earn a spot in the medal round.
The Americans are considered overwhelming underdogs to the Soviets in the first medal round game. The game begins and following a slash which doesn't get called a penalty, the Russians score the first goal. Then O'Callahan, having healed enough from his injury, enters the game for the first time. He makes an immediate impact by knocking down Vladimir Krutov
on a play that leads to a goal by Buzz Schneider
. Following another Soviet goal the first period winds down. In the final seconds the Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak
stops a long shot by Dave Christian
, but Mark Johnson
gets the rebound and scores with less than one second left in the period - the clock shows 00:00.
During the first intermission the Soviet coach replaces Tretiak with backup Vladimir Myshkin
. In the second period the Soviets score a goal to go up 3–2. Early in the final period the Soviet team is called for a penalty, giving the Americans a man advantage
. Johnson scores his second goal of the game just as the penalty is about to expire. Later Eruzione enters the game and scores to give the US a 4-3 lead. The entire team skates onto the ice as the crowd celebrates.
Now, however, the US team goes into a defensive mode, as the Soviet team becomes increasingly aggressive to score in the final ten minutes. After a long, intense and suspenseful 10 minutes, the clock ticked down the final few seconds, in which commentator Al Michaels
said his now famous words, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" The Americans held off the Soviets, and completed one of the biggest upsets in sports history. As the team proudly celebrates on the ice with the roaring crowd, an obviously emotional, shaken and proud Herb leaves the rink to a small, quiet room to have a few seconds of quiet with himself, to take in what he and the team had just accomplished.
Two days later, the team would then go on to defeat Finland
to win the gold medal. The movie ends with Brooks staring out over his team with pride as the entire team crowds together on the gold medal platform.
showing "generally favorable reviews" and an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
. Despite a lower rating by critics, the average user score on Metacritic is 8.4 signifying "universal acclaim". Elvis Mitchell
of The New York Times
stated that the movie "does a yeoman's job of recycling the day-old dough that passes for its story." Kenneth Turan
of the Los Angeles Times
referred to the movie as "a classically well-made studio entertainment that, like The Rookie
of a few years back, has the knack of being moving without shamelessly overdoing a sure thing."
Miracle is currently standing as the best sports movie of all time in the ongoing poll at Sports In Movies.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
biographical
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
sports film about the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
men's hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team, led by head coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
Herb Brooks
Herb Brooks
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...
, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
. The USA team's victory over the heavily favored Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
team in the medal round was dubbed the Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
. Miracle was directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Gavin O'Connor and written
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
by Eric Guggenheim
Eric Guggenheim
Eric Guggenheim graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1995. Two years later he sold a script, Trim, to Fox 2000 at age 23. Following that, he wrote an unproduced drama for Warner Bros. and a one hour drama pilot for USA Network. In 2004, Guggenheim wrote the feature film Miracle....
.
Plot summary
The movie chronicles the journey of the 1980 US Olympic Mens ice hockey team. Then University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
head coach Herb Brooks
Herb Brooks
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...
(played by Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
) interviews with the United States Olympic Committee
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
, discussing his philosophy on how to beat the Soviet team, calling for changes to the practice schedule and strategy.
Brooks meets his assistant coach Craig Patrick
Craig Patrick
Craig Patrick is a former American hockey player, coach and general manager, the son of Lynn Patrick and the grandson of Lester Patrick...
at the tryouts in Colorado Springs. However, Brooks selects a preliminary roster of 26—later to be cut to a final roster of 20—indifferent of the tryouts and the preferences of senior USOC hockey officials. He convinces Walter Bush
Walter Bush
Walter L. Bush, Jr. is an American ice hockey administrator.In 1955, he helped start the Central Hockey League, which turned into one of the few successful minor professional hockey leagues of that era...
(Sean McCann
Sean McCann (actor)
Sean McCann is one of Canada's most successful character actors and has been in the business for over 40 years. Winner of the prestigious Earle Grey Award for his lifetime achievement in television, Sean McCann has appeared in over 150 movies, television shows and plays.- Notable roles and awards...
), the executive director of the committee, that he has their best interests at heart. Bush agrees to take the heat from the committee, saying, "I'll back you up on this one."
During the initial practice, tempers flare as forward Rob McClanahan
Rob McClanahan
Robert Bruce McClanahan is a former American professional ice hockey player who played 224 games in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1983. However, he is best known for being a member of the U.S. hockey team in the 1980 Winter Olympics...
and defenseman Jack O'Callahan
Jack O'Callahan
John J. "Jack" O'Callahan is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 390 NHL regular season games between 1982 and 1989 for the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils...
get into a fight based on an old college rivalry. Brooks bluntly tells the players that they are to let go of old rivalries and start becoming a team. He then calls for introductions, in which each player states his name, his hometown, and for whom he plays.
The coach starts the team on an exhausting conditioning drill (which became known as "Herbies"), in which the team sprints together back and forth across the ice, over and over.
During an exhibition game against the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
National Team in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
that ends in a 3–3 tie, Brooks notices the players are distracted by pretty girls in the stands and not playing up to their potential. After the game, in a wrenching scene, he makes them run "Herbies" far into the night, asking the team who it was that they played for. Finally exhausted, forward Mike Eruzione responds with the answer that Herb had wanted all along, "I play for the United States of America!" and the drill is over.
The team plays the Soviets in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. The Russians manhandle the young American team, winning by a score of 10-3. During the game, O'Callahan receives an injury that could keep him out of the entire Olympics, and starting goaltender Jim Craig is told he may be benched in favor of back-up goalie Steve Janaszak
Steve Janaszak
Steven James Janaszak is a retired American ice hockey goaltender who played three games in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Colorado Rockies between 1980 and 1982.-Amateur career:...
. Craig ends up retaining his starting job when the coach brings him to realize that he hasn't been giving his very best.
As the Olympic tournament begins, the Americans trail Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
2-1 in the first game. Brooks fires up the team during the break by slamming a table out of his way and accusing injured McClanahan of quitting (Doc had said his injury wouldn't get worse if he played on it.) McClanahan ends up playing despite his pain, and the inspired American team came through as Bill Baker
Bill Baker (hockey player)
William Robert Baker is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 143 regular season games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Rockies, St...
scores a goal in the final minute for a dramatic 2-2 tie. They follow that up with a 7-3 win over heavily favored Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, then victories over Norway, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
to earn a spot in the medal round.
The Americans are considered overwhelming underdogs to the Soviets in the first medal round game. The game begins and following a slash which doesn't get called a penalty, the Russians score the first goal. Then O'Callahan, having healed enough from his injury, enters the game for the first time. He makes an immediate impact by knocking down Vladimir Krutov
Vladimir Krutov
Vladimir Yevgenyevich Krutov born June 1, 1960) is a former Soviet hockey forward. Together with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov, he was part of the famed KLM Line...
on a play that leads to a goal by Buzz Schneider
Buzz Schneider
William "Buzz" Schneider is a retired American ice hockey player best remembered for his role on the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid...
. Following another Soviet goal the first period winds down. In the final seconds the Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM is a former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national ice hockey team. Considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, he was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Centennial All-Star Team in a...
stops a long shot by Dave Christian
Dave Christian
David William Christian is a retired American professional ice hockey forward, who comes from a family of hockey players. His father Bill and uncle Roger were members of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the gold medal. Another uncle, Gordon, was a member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic Hockey...
, but Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson (hockey player)
Mark "Magic" Johnson is a current ice hockey coach and former United States ice hockey player who appeared in 669 NHL regular season games between 1980 and 1990 after playing for the Gold medal winning 1980 US Olympic Hockey team...
gets the rebound and scores with less than one second left in the period - the clock shows 00:00.
During the first intermission the Soviet coach replaces Tretiak with backup Vladimir Myshkin
Vladimir Myshkin
Vladimir Semenovich Myshkin is a former ice hockey goaltender. He was a goaltender for HC Dynamo Moscow and the Soviet Union national ice hockey team in the 1970s and 1980s....
. In the second period the Soviets score a goal to go up 3–2. Early in the final period the Soviet team is called for a penalty, giving the Americans a man advantage
Power play (sport)
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
. Johnson scores his second goal of the game just as the penalty is about to expire. Later Eruzione enters the game and scores to give the US a 4-3 lead. The entire team skates onto the ice as the crowd celebrates.
Now, however, the US team goes into a defensive mode, as the Soviet team becomes increasingly aggressive to score in the final ten minutes. After a long, intense and suspenseful 10 minutes, the clock ticked down the final few seconds, in which commentator Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
said his now famous words, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" The Americans held off the Soviets, and completed one of the biggest upsets in sports history. As the team proudly celebrates on the ice with the roaring crowd, an obviously emotional, shaken and proud Herb leaves the rink to a small, quiet room to have a few seconds of quiet with himself, to take in what he and the team had just accomplished.
Two days later, the team would then go on to defeat Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
to win the gold medal. The movie ends with Brooks staring out over his team with pride as the entire team crowds together on the gold medal platform.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kurt Russell Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters... |
Herb Brooks Herb Brooks Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980... |
| Patricia Clarkson Patricia Clarkson Patricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. After studying drama on the East Coast, Clarkson launched her acting career in 1985, and has worked steadily in both film and television. She twice won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in Six Feet Under... |
Patti Brooks |
| Noah Emmerich Noah Emmerich Noah Nicholas Emmerich is an American film actor who first broke out in the film Beautiful Girls. He was later seen in movies like The Truman Show, Cop Land, Frequency, Love & Sex, Windtalkers, Miracle, Super 8 and Little Children.-Early life:Emmerich was born in New York City to a Jewish family,... |
Craig Patrick Craig Patrick Craig Patrick is a former American hockey player, coach and general manager, the son of Lynn Patrick and the grandson of Lester Patrick... |
| Sean McCann Sean McCann (actor) Sean McCann is one of Canada's most successful character actors and has been in the business for over 40 years. Winner of the prestigious Earle Grey Award for his lifetime achievement in television, Sean McCann has appeared in over 150 movies, television shows and plays.- Notable roles and awards... |
Walter Bush Walter Bush Walter L. Bush, Jr. is an American ice hockey administrator.In 1955, he helped start the Central Hockey League, which turned into one of the few successful minor professional hockey leagues of that era... |
| Kenneth Welsh Kenneth Welsh Kenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his... |
Doc Nagobads |
| Eddie Cahill Eddie Cahill Edmund Patrick "Eddie" Cahill is an American actor best known for portraying "Miracle on Ice" goalie Jim Craig in the movie Miracle, and for playing the fictional roles of Tag Jones on Friends and Detective Don Flack on CSI: NY.-Early life:Cahill was born in New York City, New York. He is the... |
Jim Craig |
| Patrick O'Brien Demsey Patrick O'Brien Demsey Patrick O’Brien Demsey is an American actor.-Life and career:Demsey was born in Danvers, Massachusetts. His parents are Gene and Gail Demsey; he has an older brother, Christopher, and a younger brother, Michael... |
Mike Eruzione |
| Michael Mantenuto | Jack O'Callahan Jack O'Callahan John J. "Jack" O'Callahan is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 390 NHL regular season games between 1982 and 1989 for the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils... |
| Nathan West Nathan West Nathan Luke West is an American actor.He married actress Chyler Leigh on July 20, 2002.-Filmography:*D2: The Mighty Ducks as Iceland Goalie*The Adventures of A.R.K. as Sam... |
Rob McClanahan Rob McClanahan Robert Bruce McClanahan is a former American professional ice hockey player who played 224 games in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1983. However, he is best known for being a member of the U.S. hockey team in the 1980 Winter Olympics... |
| Kenneth Mitchell | Ralph Cox |
| Eric Peter-Kaiser | Mark Johnson |
| Bobby Hanson Bobby Hanson Bobby Hanson is a former college and professional ice hockey player who played the role of Dave Silk in the 2004 Disney movie Miracle, which was based on the true story of when, in 1980, the United States Ice Hockey team's coach, Herb Brooks, brought a U.S. hockey team up against the legendary... |
Dave Silk Dave Silk David Mark "Silky" Silk is a retired professional American ice hockey forward who played 249 NHL regular season games for the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1985.-Amateur career:Silk attended Thayer Academy in Braintree, where he scored 85... |
| Joseph Cure | Mike Ramsey |
| Billy Schneider | Buzz Schneider Buzz Schneider William "Buzz" Schneider is a retired American ice hockey player best remembered for his role on the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid... |
| Nate Miller | John Harrington |
| Chris Koch | Mark Pavelich Mark Pavelich Mark Thomas Pavelich is a retired US professional ice hockey forward who played 355 regular season games in the NHL for the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks between 1981 and 1992 and was a member of the 1980 U.S... |
| Kris Wilson | Phil Verchota Phil Verchota Phillip John Verchota is a retired American ice hockey forward. He is best known for being a member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team won the gold medal... |
| Stephen Kovalcik | Dave Christian Dave Christian David William Christian is a retired American professional ice hockey forward, who comes from a family of hockey players. His father Bill and uncle Roger were members of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the gold medal. Another uncle, Gordon, was a member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic Hockey... |
| Sam Skoryna | Steve Janaszak Steve Janaszak Steven James Janaszak is a retired American ice hockey goaltender who played three games in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Colorado Rockies between 1980 and 1982.-Amateur career:... |
| Pete Duffy | Bob Suter Bob Suter Robert Allen Suter is a retired American ice hockey defenseman and member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team won the gold medal team... |
| Nick Postle | Bill Baker |
| Casey Burnette | Ken Morrow Ken Morrow Kenneth Arlington Morrow is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman and currently serves as the New York Islanders' director of pro scouting... |
| Scott Johnson | Steve Christoff Steve Christoff Steven Mark Christoff is a retired American professional ice hockey forward who played 248 regular season games in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars, Calgary Flames, and Los Angeles Kings in 1980–84.... |
| Trevor Alto | Neal Broten Neal Broten Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings... |
| Joe Hemsworth | Mark Wells Mark Wells Mark Ronald Wells is a retired American ice hockey forward. He is best known for being a member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 U.S... |
| Robbie MacGregor | Eric Strobel Eric Strobel Eric Martin Strobel is a retired American ice hockey forward who was a member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 gold medal winning U.S. Olympic hockey team.-Amateur career:... |
Release
The movie grossed $19,377,577 on its opening weekend, February 8, on 2,605 screens. It subsequently closed with a worldwide gross of $64,445,708.Reception
The movie received a 68 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
showing "generally favorable reviews" and an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Despite a lower rating by critics, the average user score on Metacritic is 8.4 signifying "universal acclaim". Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell is an American film critic, host of the public radio show The Treatment, and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the LA Weekly, The Detroit Free Press, and The New York Times...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
stated that the movie "does a yeoman's job of recycling the day-old dough that passes for its story." Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan is an American film critic and Lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.-Background:...
of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
referred to the movie as "a classically well-made studio entertainment that, like The Rookie
The Rookie (2002 film)
The Rookie is a 2002 drama sports film directed by John Lee Hancock. It is based on the true story of Jim Morris, who had a brief, but famous Major League Baseball career in 1999. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, and Brian Cox....
of a few years back, has the knack of being moving without shamelessly overdoing a sure thing."
Miracle is currently standing as the best sports movie of all time in the ongoing poll at Sports In Movies.
External links
- Text, Audio, Video of Coach Brooks' Address to Players During Olympic Match with Sweden from AmericanRhetoric.com
- Text, Audio, Video of Coach Brooks' Address to Players Before Olympic Match with the Soviet Union from AmericanRhetoric.com