Miracle

If you got a big charge out of American unknowns beating the greatest hockey team in the world back in 1980, then this one is for you. Kurt Russell stars as head coach Herb Brooks, and his performance is quite good. The film wisely casts athletes who can act for the film, but botches the job a bit when it comes to the onscreen action. Flash editing and bouncy camerawork are meant to capture the essence of the game, but they just make things hard to follow. Patricia Clarkson is given the thankless role of Brook’s wife, saddled with what will hopefully be the worst dialogue of her promising career. The film is certainly well-meaning, and it does have some decent passages. In the end, it feels manipulative, and it borrows a few too many sport film clichés.