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Miracle

year 2004decade 00sdirector Gavin O'Connorgenre Sportsgenre Biographicalgenre Drama

136 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Kurt Russell Herb Brooks
Patricia Clarkson Patti Brooks
Noah Emmerich Craig Patrick
Sean McCann Walter Bush
Kenneth Welsh George "Doc" Nagobads
Eddie Cahill Jim Craig
Patrick O'Brien Demsey Mike Eruzione
Michael Mantenuto Jack O'Callahan
Nathan West Rob McClanahan
Billy Schneider Buzz Schneider
Nate Miller John Harrington

Miracle | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryan
Explore episodeClose episode

Producer credits not yet identified.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Third period of the USSR game

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:39Read transcript
  • Picking the 26-man tryout team in an hour, with Noah Emrick as assistant Craig Patrick reacting "What?", is an early candidate; the coach wants the right players, not the best ones.
  • O.C. fighting McLeanhan to get back at a cheap shot is great; O.C. is a classic Charlestown kid holding a grudge.
  • Suggestion that O.C. could have been worked into The Town as one of the drivers; his beating of McClanhan is called realistic.
  • Herb making everyone skate sprints after the exhibition game ("Again!") until the lights go out, with the "team of common men" speech, ends with Eruzione's answer that he plays for the United States of America.
  • The four players intervening with Herb over Timmy Herr is another good scene; maybe Herb should have kept the ringer, who had led the country in goals.
  • Ralph Cox getting cut is really good acting; a son watching called it unfair, prompting a lesson that people get cut.
  • Herb goading McLean in the Sweden-game locker room to get him going ("a bruise on the leg is a hell of a long way from the heart") is highlighted.
  • Herb's pregame speech before the USSR game is one of the best sports-movie speeches and gets played before more or less every sporting event in America.
  • The move from the second to the third period without a locker-room scene is a little clumsy, but Herb's talk at the start of the third period works.
  • The whole third period is fantastic; for most rewatchable you have to go with the third period of the USSR game.
  • The again-again scene is also loved, and Herb telling O.C. he made the team is called the most moving moment; the answer settles on the third period.

What’s Aged the Best?

Opening-credits 1970s history lesson; real hockey players in the roles; Bill Ranford in goal; Al Michaels re-recording his call; Michaels' game intro; keeping O.C. on the team; the Russians' style of play; Noah Emmerich; the BUM stuff; "He doesn't know what to do"; Dream On

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:13Read transcript
  • The opening credits history lesson on the 1970s (Watergate, the gas shortage) is liked, though it asks whether the fall of Saigon relates to a hockey game; the Carter malaise speech is an important piece.
  • Casting hockey players instead of actors, because it is easier to teach hockey players to act, makes you believe you are watching them really do it.
  • Bill Ranford, a longtime goalie who played for the Bruins, is essentially Jim Craig under the equipment, the one organic place to cheat.
  • Realism is not always needed (Teen Wolf, Stallone as an arm wrestler), but it helped here.
  • Having Al Michaels redo his audio so he narrates the third act is an incredible wrinkle; the last seconds use his real, higher-pitched call.
  • Michaels' underrated intro to the game ("two teams on a sheet of frozen ice in Lake Placid") would have signaled history was about to happen.
  • The decision to let O.C. play is both a great scene and a good job by Herb Brooks, since there were only 20 spots and most coaches probably would have cut him.
  • The Russians played like a different sport in their use of space, and Herb wanted a hybrid of Russian and Canadian styles and to go right at them.
  • Noah Emmerich as Craig Patrick is added; this and Beautiful Girls are called his Apex Mountain combo, though for most of the movie he seems like a glorified water guy.
  • The BUM stuff was awesome, and a favorite little moment is late in the third period when Herb Brooks does not know what to do.
  • Dream On in the closing credits is recalled as something that belonged in the aged-best category.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Herb Brooks dying before release; the burden on later U.S. Olympic hockey teams; the wife role; a 2004 column ending; no profanity

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:43Read transcript
  • Herb Brooks died in a car accident before the movie came out and never saw it, which the credits note.
  • The win ruined later USA Olympic hockey teams because everyone wanted it to happen again; if the game were played 10 times, Russia wins nine.
  • The 1980 players were pleased with the film but pointed out Herb did not go to holiday parties; they respected him but did not like him.
  • The wife is the wet-blanket sports-movie trope and one of the worst examples; there is a case she should not be in the movie at all.
  • Ebert wrote that Patricia Clarkson has the thankless role of a spouse who only complains that his job takes time from his family, proposing future workaholics be bachelors; the host agrees.
  • It wastes Patricia Clarkson; a real argument or a wife who is mad all the time would have been better.
  • Modern sports movies moved past the trope (Robin Wright in Moneyball), while Adrian is essential in Rocky 3 and Rocky 4 is the opposite.
  • A 2004 ESPN the Magazine column ended by saying no movie could top the real thing; the magazine, because of Disney, had "by the way, I'm seeing it on Friday" added, an ironically funnier ending.
  • ADR profanity should be added for a special edition because these hockey players surely swore; the clean version was so four-year-olds could watch.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:31Read transcript
  • Noah Emmerich is ruled ineligible because he is in too much of it and has done a lot, such as The Truman Show.
  • One answer is Eddie Cahill, who played Jim Craig and is that guy from CSI: New York.
  • Another pick is Kenneth Walsh as the doc, who is in Twin Peaks and in everything.
  • Sean McCain as Walter, who gets Herb the job and taps Eruzione before the gold medal game, is added and called a good one.

Apex Mountain

Olympic hockey; Winter Olympics; Al Michaels

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:19Read transcript
  • Kurt Russell: no. His apex is the Tango & Cash / Escape from L.A. era leading to Tombstone, where he had the most juice; Escape from New York is his best.
  • Gavin O'Connor, no; Olympic hockey, yes; the Winter Olympics, yeah.
  • One remark calls it an Apex Mountain in life, much less sports; the subject is not stated explicitly.
  • Noah Emmerich: not Beautiful Girls or The Truman Show, maybe The Americans.
  • The P&E Agrodome apex is still Rocky 4, where Stallone broke his ribs and filming stopped for two weeks.
  • Al Michaels: 1980 no, but 2004 yes, when as the voice of Monday Night Football at the pinnacle of his powers he came back to voice Miracle.
  • Jokes about Michaels later working with Collinsworth and Collinsworth calling the 1980 game.
  • Sports Illustrated peaked in 1980, not the movie, when the covers meant the most, and this cover arguably was its apex.
  • For evil mute Russian sports-movie villains, Drago versus the hockey coach: the movie does not give enough of the coach to make him a villain.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Al Michaels

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:54Read transcript
  • Dion Waiters had been forgotten; the nominees were O.C. or the Russian coach, who has no lines but three expressions, and his eyebrows are nominated.
  • Asked whether Al Michaels would count, the reply is "Oh, that's amazing."
  • O.C. may be in too much of the movie; his two best scenes are learning he made the team and Jim Craig's bench confrontation.
  • The answer goes with Michaels (transcribed "let's go without Michaels" after a contrast with the O.C. case), and it is accepted.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Could be remade but not needed

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:16Read transcript
  • Initially against it; the Lakers HBO show shows it could be done, but there is no need and hopefully they do not.
  • Ideas: combine the Hawk documentary with Miracle, cross-cutting Russians and Americans, or a season about what happens to these guys after the biggest moment.
  • Joke version in the style of Yellowjackets: Team USA crashes in Minnesota and has to eat each other.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Herb's plaid bell-bottoms; Eruzione jersey; Jim Craig's post-game outfit; unripped USA-USSR game tickets

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:28Read transcript
  • Herb's plaid pants, the plaid bell-bottoms, are one choice.
  • The Eruzione jersey is another.
  • Jim Craig's post-game outfit of hockey pants, suspenders, tank top and beanie would be worn if the speaker became a bartender.
  • At the Sports Collectors Convention the speaker bought two unripped tickets to the Lake Placid U.S.-Russia game with a friend, one of his better memorabilia purchases as ticket prices have risen.
  • Team jerseys were once high but are coming down; you cannot wear a hockey jersey casually.