It was 1980, and the Cold War had its icy grip surrounding both the USSR and the USA. Both countries were struggling, both were fighting, and both were engaged in proxy wars. The Iranian revolution had occurred recently, there were hostages in the embassy, and was Carter leaving office, disgraced. There was little hope for everyday Americans as they saw the world turning against them and all of their luck going south.
Out of this despair rose one beacon of light, the 1980 Winter Olympics. With the USSR agreeing to show up in the US to “beat the Americans on their soil,” the country was able to look forward to these sporting events to turn the tide, and bring them out of their despair. Thus, the 1980 US Ice Hockey Team captured the nation’s attention.
Miracle tells the story of this team. The movie starts on the day Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) is hired away from his college coaching job to lead the US Ice Hockey Team. The film moves through the training, selection of players, and the "friendly" game between the rival nations. The movie proceeds past other early games in the Olympics in a blur, with a shot here and a save there, it pauses only to focus on the way that Brooks drives his team and how they unify around each other as a result.
Though the games, speeches, and back-breaking practices keep you pumped throughout the movie, your adrenaline will kick into overdrive as you get into the final third of the film. It is here that "The Game" is played and the US and the USSR take to the ice against one another. Even though it is not a medal game, it was, and is, the focus of the entire 1980 Winter Olympics, and, of course, the film itself. From the opening faceoff to the ending shout from announcer Al Michaels, the entire game is faithfully recreated. Finally, a hockey movie that is actually about hockey.
But, is it really about hockey? Sure, the film decides to show games, goals, blocks, and even ‘surprise’ plays, but that isn’t what the game was. No, the Miracle on Ice was about hope, the underdog coming out on top, and the need for America to win every once-in-awhile. The big dogs were taken down by the small dogs, a story which resonates well within this mystique that we call Americana. In our country we like to root for underdogs and to see people overcome amazing odds as they work their tails off towards victory. This is what Miracle is about, and that is why the country loves the story.
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