Miracle [P&S] [2 Discs]

Director: Gavin O'Connor Gavin O'Connor

Overview

"Miracle tells the story o the gold medal-winning 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, who were led by the flinty coach Herb Brooks -- portrayed in a good performance by Kurt Russell in the film. The movie is presented in a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio of the film. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. This two-disc set is loaded with supplemental materials including a commentary track recorded by director Gavin O'Connor, editor John Gilroy, and cinematographer Daniel Stoloff. They discuss many aspects of the production including the director's decision to cast the team with people who could actually play hockey. A making of featurette, a look at how Kurt Russell met and absorbed the nuances of Herb Brooks (who passed away shortly before the film opened in theaters), a featurette on the sound design of the film, and outtakes round out this release. While fine for what it is, the film is available on a different disc that offers the same extras with a widescreen transfer of the film that is preferable to this edition."

Product Details

Release Date:	05/18/2004
UPC:	0786936231922
Original Release:	2004
Rating:	PG
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, THX-Supervised Mastering]
Language:	English
Time:	2:16:00
Sales rank:	24,484

Special Features

Closed Caption;"The Making of Miracle"; Audio commentary by director Gavin O'Connor, editor John Gilroy, and director of photography Daniel Stoloff; "First Impressions: Herb Brooks With Kurt Russell and the Filmmakers": A never-before-seen intimate conversation with the gold-medal coach; Outtakes; "From Hockey to Hollywood: The Actors' Journey" featurette about turning hockey players into actors; Miracle ESPN Roundtable With Linda Cohn, as seen on ESPN Classic: Winning team members Mike Eruzione, Buzz Schneider, and Jim Craig join Kurt Russell in a journey back to "The Miracle on Ice"; "The Sound of Miracle" behind-the-scenes featurette

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kurt Russell	Herb Brooks
Patricia Clarkson	Patti Brooks
Noah Emmerich	Craig Patrick
Sean McCann	Walter Bush
Eddie Cahill	Jim Craig
Patrick O'Brien Demsey	Mike Eruzione
Kenneth Welsh	Doc Nagobads
Michael Mantenuto	Jack O'Callahan
Nathan West	Rob McClanahan
Kenneth Mitchell	Ralph Cox
Eric Peter-Kaiser	Mark Johnson
Bobby Hanson	Dave Silk
Joseph Cure	Mike Ramsey
Billy Schneider	Buzz Schneider
Nate Miller	John `Bah' Harrington
Chris Koch	Mark Pavlevich
Kris Wilson	Phil Verchota
Steve Kovalcik	Dave Christian
Sam Skoryna	Steve Janaszak,Steve Janaszyk
Pete Duffy	Bob Suter
Nick Postle	Bill Baker
Casey Burnette	Ken Morrow
Scott Johnson	Steve Christoff
Trevor Alto	Neal Broten
Robbie MacGregor	Eric Strobel
Joe Hemsworth	Nark Wells
Adam Knight	Tim Harrer
Sarah Anne Hepher	Kelly Brooks
Evan Smith	Danny Brooks
Bill Mondy	Lou Nanne
Tom Butler	Bob Allen
Don S. Davis	Bob Fleming
Michael Kopsa	Bruce Norris
Lisa Marie Caruk	Disco Girl
Malcolm Stewart	Donald Craig
Ellie Harvie	Margie
Mark McConchie	Olympic Official
Mark Burgess	Olympic Official
Fred Keating	Party Husband
Beverley Breuer	Party Wife
Andrew Johnston	Peter Grace
Susan Astley	Receptionist
Kurt Evans	Reporter
Igor Morozov	Reporter
Peter Kelamis	Reporter
Daniel Bacon	Reporter
Julius Chapple	Reporter
Kwesi Ameyaw	Reporter
Philip Maurice Hayes	TV Reporter
Tatiana Loutchaninova	Doc's Wife
Brent Chapman	Equipment Manager
Peter Shinkoda	Japanese Athlete
Mariko Kage	Japanese Interpreter
L. Harvey Gold	MSG Announcer
Mike Kleven	Norway Rink Manager No.1
Michael Ronnekleiv	Norway Rink Manager No.2
Bill Finck	Try-Outs Organizer
Sarah Hayward	Try-Outs Organizer
Wanda Sturtevant	Try-Outs Organizer
Alvie Leeper	Try-Outs Organizer
Richard Yee	Team Photographer
Garry Monahan	Colorado Coach
Ty Olsson	State Trooper
John Ashbridge	American Announcer
Alexander Kalugin	Russian Announcer
Ted Fried	Thief River Falls Sportscaster
Steve Pascal	Cop
Terry Lemky	Angry Driver
Rob Morton	Lake Placid Head of Security
Ryan Walter	Referee
David Short	I.O.C. Presenter
Birchana Caldwell	Girl on Ice
Al Michaels	Himself
Kim Dryden	Himself
Jim McKay	Himself
Joe Cure	Mike Ramsey
Michael Coristine	Young Herb
Stephen Kovalcik	Dave Christian
Mark Isham	Composer

Technical Credits

Eric Guggenheim

Mike Rich

Gavin O'Connor	Director
Eric Guggenheim	Screenwriter
Ross Greenburg	Executive Producer
Justis Greene	Executive Producer
Mark Ciardi	Producer
Gordon Gray	Producer
Alex Burdett	Special Effects
Mitch Drain	Special Effects
Mark Ellis	Stunts
Sarah Halley Finn	Casting
Randi Hiller	Casting
Sarah Halley-Finn	Casting
Mike Rich	Screenwriter
Michael McGee	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Director Gavin O' Connor made a brilliant decision to cast hockey players rather than actors to portray the members of the 1980 USA Olympic team in Miracle. Although the film will not teach the viewer a thing about hockey itself, the action all looks like the real thing. That verisimilitude complements Kurt Russell's fine performance as coach Herb Brooks. Russell does a superb job of playing a man who is consciously manipulating his players in order to get the best out of them. His performance lets the audience know how difficult it is for him to occasionally confront the more painful aspects of his job, but also shows how that inner struggle is never revealed to his players. Brooks did not want a collection of stars when he put his team together, he wanted a unit that would work well together. This is exactly how the unknown (and often first-time) actors who represent the team come across. Nobody is asked to do anything too difficult from an acting standpoint, allowing Russell to control every scene with his dominating personality. The film has faults -- Patricia Clarkson is fine but underdeveloped as Brooks' wife, and the final voice-over is overly earnest in a way the film had almost entirely avoided up to that point. However, Miracle does offer downright inspired game footage. The camera weaves in and out of the action in ways that will surprise an audience only familiar with televised hockey. The period aspects of the story are handled with taste and restraint -- an achievement considering how easily the film could have pandered to a viewer's patriotism. Miracle succeeds at being Hoosiers on ice, an honorable achievement for any sports film.