Product ReviewsMiracle (2004) (DVD, 2004)

inspiring

I absolutely loved this movie. ALL TIME FAVORITE!!

I suggest all hockey fans or any one who wants to see a good movie to go out and get this dvd.

It was inspiring. Even though I am canadian I still loved this movie. Russel was great a Herb Brooks.

It was kind of sad at the end of the movie when it said R.I.P Herb Brooks. He never got to see this movie. That just touched me.

My favorite part of this movie is when Herb ( Russel) and the team are in Norway and Brooks makes them skate the drill at least 50 times. As soon as he is about to make them go again. Eurozione shouts out

Mike Eruzione: Mike Eruzione! Winthrop, Massachusettes!
Herb Brooks: Who do you play for?
Mike Eruzione: I play for the United States of America!

All Brooks wanted the guys to say is that they play for Team USA. Not there College team.

GREAT MOVIE!!! worth the money go out and buy it!!Read full review...

A 'MUST SEE' DVD - 'Miracle' (2004)

Living in Minnesota and seeing Herb Brooks coach in person was a thrill in itself. It was pure ejoyment seeing him instill in his players his own true love of the game of hockey. That in itself should have been a primary reason for seeing this movie / DVD. The reason I made the purchase of the DVD - my second copy... plain and simple... I watched my first copy so many times I virturally wore it out.

Director Gavin O'Connor commanded the best out of his actors and got it. He did an excellent job of motivating the actors to get into the real mindset of their character(s). He even added that 'extra' sense of reality by utilzing real hockey players for the game shots. Kurt Russell does a superb job of protraying Herb Brooks; he captured the true essence of Brooks, his emotions and feelings. Throughout the movie you felt the characters' pain as well as their glory. It was if you were actually in the stands, the locker room or standing beside them as teammates. It was amazing!

This is a movie the whole family can watch and enjoy, whether you love hockey or not... It is not just about winning a hockey game; it is about determination, true spirit and working for a common goal no matter how insurmontable it seems. This movie as the cliche goes... is a MUST see movie that will have you riding the rollercoaster of emotions.Read full review...

Terrific family/educator/youth leader movie!

I love the fact that the "miracle" is revealed to be the change in the hearts of the players through hard work and making it over difficult obstacles. It was not good enough to just show up to play; the coach, and later the players, had the resolve to do their absolute best. Despite a little language, I didn't mind watching it *with* my kids aged 8-13. I have also used scenes from it as an example in the classroom. The miracle didn't happen during the game with the Soviets, it happened long before, but was not revealed to the general public until then. That's how it really works.Read full review...

good stuff

I enjoyed the idea of the movie....motivating, actual event, etc......I just get more from watching the ACTUAL event......worth the time though, specially for younger folks that weren't around then.....Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: steel_and_chrome

One of the best sports movies ever!

Feeling old?

I was six years old when the "Miracle on Ice" took place, so my personal recollection of the even is nil. Truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot of interest in hockey, the Olympics, or the cold war going on in my life - but Star Wars and He-Man were big players (or at least I think He-Man was. He may have come later. If so, insert The Smurfs or something).

Yet even though I couldn't have cared less, the rest of the nation was transfixed, watching their televisions on February 22, 1980 to see one of the biggest upsets in sports history. And for many, it represented something more than just a Hockey game - it was a realization that we as a country were not dead yet. You see, America, at the time, was in a grim state. The Cold War was in full swing. The US Embassy hostage crisis was the most public hostage situation the world had ever seen. Gas shortages resulted in long lines. The economy was so bad that a "misery index" was tabulated to see how bad the country felt at the time. Then came the Miracle on Ice and American saw that the Soviets were not unbeatable and we were able to have pride in our country again.

"Miracle" is a pretty clear-cut re-telling of how that special team was assembled and how they beat an unbeatable team in the Soviet hockey team. They weren't better. They weren't even close. But heart and determination on the side of west coupled with arrogance on the side of the east helped bring about this unprecedented upset that helped lead the United States Hockey Team to the gold in Lake Placid.

The movie is told from the perspective of Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell), who dreams of gaining the gold medal he wasn't able to get years ago when he was cut from the Olympic team. And to do it, he will work his players harder than they have ever been worked and make them hate him so much that they learn to love each other. Brooks makes it known early that he is their coach, not their friend.

Sure, this is a Disney movie that is filled with sports cliques and rah-rah moments - but with this story, you can't get around that. It was a rah-rah time. The thing that really impresses you about this film is the amazing hockey sequences. With far too many sports movies, you have actors that throw and hit like actors playing Major League Baseball players. In this film, the hockey looks like hockey and it's amazing. Especially the 20 minute game with the Russians in the climatic moments, complete with Al Michaels commentary and famous "Do you believe in miracles?" call.

Another plus is how the film doesn't try to make the game more than it really was to these people. While the rest of the country were busy putting a huge amount of political and historical significance to the game, the players were just wanting to win. They just wanted a medal. And it's refreshing to see that done correctly in the film.

The cons of the movie are minimal, however, I would have liked to have seen less emphasis on Brooks and more on the players. That said, Russell, who is known for playing over-the-top roles, does a great job with his character. After initially laughing at him with such a goofy haircut, I forgot it was him for the rest of the movie. That's quality acting.

The DVD features commentary from director Gavin O'Connor, a "making of" featurette, a first impressions vignette of Herb Brooks (who died before the film was made) and Kurt Russell, some outtakes, an ESPN roundtable with members of the 1980 team, a featurette on how the actors learned hockey, and a behind the scenes feature on the sound and music of the movie. Not a bad deal at all if you're thinking about owning it.

One last question though: in Russia, is this movie called "Tragedy"?Read full review...

Miracle (2004, DVD)

This is a wonderful story of a group of people getting together and overcoming all odds to do something noone thought was possible...defeat the Russians at hockey. Based on the actual game, the director and producer were very wise in not getting actors to play hockey players, but to get hockey players to act, so the game scenes are as realistic as they can be. Kurt Russel does a wonderful job as the coach. The dvd has special features, including interviews with some of the original team members and their thoughts on the film and what it was like to compete. If you like hockey, or true-story movies, or just plain entertainment, then you will like Miracle.Read full review...

Red, white and blue movie.

One more 'proud to be an American" movie for any red, white, and blue family. We need more like that and hope to have more like that. This is a DVD set to have and watch when the present state of affairs in Washington and the nation brings dejection rather than American pride, faith and hope.
Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: purselbooksellers

good title

good movie

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: second.sale

It was a Miracle so the title is perfect

So entertaining I loved every minute of it. The cast was wonderful

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: rastasmile

Miracle--yup!

great movie with a great story. Kurt Russell is awesome.