February
6, 2004
| Maybe you've heard what Miracle is all about, and have already
decided to give it a pass. Take my advice: Think again. In lesser hands,
this true-life drama about dogged underdogs at the 1980 Winter Olympics
could have come across as the most treacly type of flag-waving, feel-good
fantasy. But the makers of Miracle tell their inspiring tale
with intelligence and restraint, so that their movie earns its potent
emotional impact without cheap sentiment or clumsy heart-tugging. In
this context, the moldiest of sports-movie clichés somehow seem,
if not newly minted, then at least freshly refurbished.
Working
from a script credited to Eric Guggenheim, director Gavin O'Connor vividly
details the celebrated "Miracle on Ice" victory by U.S. hockey
players against a fearsomely formidable team from the Soviet Union.
The action on ice is spectacularly persuasive and skillfully choreographed,
while the mostly unfamiliar young men cast as U.S. players - many of
them amateur or semipro athletes without previous acting credits - form
a seamless ensemble of intensely dedicated competitors.
But
the real key to the movie's success is the artful underplaying by Kurt
Russell in the lead role of Herb Brooks, the University of Minnesota
coach recruited by U.S. Olympic officials to ramrod the 1980 Hockey
Team. To his great credit, Russell resists any impulse to portray Brooks
as a stereotypical gruff-but-lovable authority figure. Instead, he plays
the coach as a sternly obsessive taskmaster who frankly warns players
that he wants to win games, not make friends.
While
stopping well short of making Brooks an unfeeling autocrat, Russell
remains rigorously disciplined in his avoidance of easy, audience-pleasing
sentimentality, even during his scenes with Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson
(Pieces of April), who makes the most of a thankless role as
Brooks' supportive (but not infinitely patient) wife. Another plus:
Russell nails Brooks' Midwestern accent so well that, about 10 minutes
into Miracle, you stop paying attention to his speech pattern
and simply accept it as another character trait (not unlike Brooks'
rather unfortunate penchant for plaid pants).
Although
Miracle clocks in at 135 minutes, O'Connor maintains a satisfyingly
brisk pace while viewing the recruitment, training and Olympic trials
of the U.S. Hockey Team against a backdrop of 1979-80 turmoil. Starting
with a smartly concise montage under its opening credits, the movie
positions then-contemporary events - the U.S. oil shortage, the Iran
hostage crisis, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - as not-so-indirect
influences on the ice-hockey activity.
Indeed,
the very hiring of Brooks - a coach with many NCAA championships to
his credit - is presented in terms of Cold War realpolitik, as U.S.
Olympic bigwigs frankly acknowledge the propaganda value of fielding
a credible team of gutsy amateurs against seemingly undefeatable Soviet
Union players. Gradually, maybe inevitably, the prospect of a U.S.-Soviet
face-off is enthusiastically embraced by many Americans - much to Brooks'
wary displeasure - as a welcome opportunity to "beat the Commies"
at their own game.
Early
on, Brooks establishes his audacious game plan for defeating Soviets:
A new style of play emphasizing group effort over individual ability,
merging the best of Russian, Canadian and European approaches. "I'm
not looking for the best players," he explains during tryouts,
"I'm looking for the right players." In scenes that often
recall basic-training exercises in war movies, Brooks methodically (and,
yes, mercilessly) drives his players to push themselves to the point
of exhaustion, and then a little further. By doing so, he strips away
their individualistic impulses while forcing them to act as a single
unit of fluid, resourceful athleticism.
Much
like the U.S. pucksters they portray, the well-cast supporting actors
behave more like team players than discrete individuals. Which, of course,
makes it all the easier for you to cheer for them as a group, even if
you can't tell a slap shot from a sweep check, when the U.S. team goes
for the gold.