2K Replay: MIRACLE

 by Adam Riske

Winner for “Best Sports Movie” at the ESPY Awards.

• Best Scene/Moment (tie): The pre-game speech Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) gives to Team USA before they play the Soviet Union and when Brooks goes alone into the tunnel to silently celebrate after Team USA wins the “Miracle on Ice” game.

• Best Song: “Dream On” by Aerosmith.

• Best Merch: A “Miracle Screen-Used Wardrobe Costume” for $130.00. This tracksuit looks snazzy and comfortable. It’s medium size so I can’t wear it, but I’m tempted to buy it anyway. Maybe I should just buy a tracksuit in my size for less money regardless of if it’s a piece of movie memorabilia. It looks so comfortable and the colors pop. I’d look good in this.

• Director Grade: Miracle was directed by Gavin O’Connor. This was the first Gavin O’Connor movie I saw, and I loved it back in 2004. I was aware of his previous film (1999’s Tumbleweeds) because my Blockbuster had a bunch of copies, and I was like “What’s Tumbleweeds? I bet only nice people will rent this.” After Miracle I wouldn’t say I was all in on Gavin O’Connor movies, but I was interested in seeing his follow-up, Pride & Glory. I remember watching some of it and turning it off because I was apathetic. I should probably watch it again. A lot of people love Warrior, but I just think it’s okay to decent. Tom Hardy is doing some wannabe Marlon Brando nonsense in that movie. Of O’Connor’s more recent movies, I’ve seen The Accountant (blech) and The Way Back (pretty good). It’s cool he’s working with Ben Affleck, and I hope they continue their collaboration although The Way Back haunts me because I had to buy it on PVOD during the early parts of the pandemic when all I wanted to do was rent it so now it just sits there in my Amazon library never to be watched again. I think I like the idea of Gavin O’Connor movies (in other words, “dad movies”) more than I’m excited about his filmography but it’s not bad by any means. Overall Grade: B

• Double It with This 2004 Movie: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

• Year 2004 Movies to Trailer Before It: Against the Ropes, Friday Night Lights, Mr. 3000

• Color of Night or Miracle? Miracle

• Mall Movie? No. This would play at the fancy theater in town since it’s a straight down the middle family-friendly sports movie from Disney.

• Only in 2004: Kurt Russell doing a Minnesota accent. I love how he says “Coach.”

• Scene Stealer (tie): Eddie Cahill and Michael Mantenuto.

• I Miss (tie): Not being born to see the real “Miracle on Ice” game as it happened and Disney sports movies.

• I Don’t Miss: Brotherhood. I had enough of that nonsense from my fraternity days.

• 2004 Crush: Patricia Clarkson.

• 2024 Crush: Patricia Clarkson. Omg.

• What I Thought in 2004: I was really looking forward to seeing Miracle back in 2004 and remember being annoyed I had to wait three weeks after its release to see it. I was supposed to go with my best friend at college, but he kept rescheduling and it was driving me nuts. I ended up going with my girlfriend at the time when I went back home for a weekend and we both really liked it. It was involving and exciting despite me not being much of a hockey follower and the Kurt Russell performance was one of his best - a time where he digs into character work so much you forget it’s Kurt Russell.

• What I Think in 2024: I feel pretty much the same way about Miracle as I did in 2004. It holds up better than a few of the other Disney sports movies of the time for me (e.g., Remember the Titans, The Rookie) and mostly just makes me nostalgic for a type of movie that isn’t made much anymore.