Move over ìBull Durham,î youíre no longer the greatest sports movie made, ìMiracleî is.It wasnít until I was about 9 that I heard about the 1980 Miracle on Ice for the first time, but I wasnít into hockey yet, and I was too young to understand its significance.
As I got older and finally became interested in hockey I began to understand the athletic feat of the Miracle on Ice. I began to understand that a bunch of rag-tag college kids that didnít get along at the Olympic selection camp came together to beat a Soviet team that was essentially the best team every to lace up the skates, a Soviet team that humiliated NHL all-stars.
I became fascinated with the 1980 Olympic team and their feat, wishing I could have been alive to watch the game and experience the euphoria that followed as WE beat the Russians.
When HBO made their documentary ìDo You Believe in Miracles,î I waited until it came out on DVD and bought it. I have watched that movie several times, and each time I watch it, I am astonished at what the team accomplished.
When I found out Disney was making a movie about what happened in Lake Placid in 1980, I was happy that the event, that is considered by many as the greatest sporting event of the 20th century, was being introduced to a whole new generation, but I was worried too. I was worried Disney might change some things around to make the story more entertaining as if it needed any help.
As the promotions for the movie started, I could see this was a movie I needed to see, not caring if Disney embellished any part of the story. I heard some reviews from friends, and they said the movie was fantastic, so I decided I needed to see the movie as soon as possible.
I rushed home from hockey practice last Tuesday and picked up my fiance Nicki and essentially forced her to go out in the cold and snow when she didnít want to. We purchased our tickets, got a slushie, then found our seats.
As the movie started I couldnít help but smile, I was seeing a movie about hockey.
As we sat there and watched the movie, I was glad we were in a dark theater because there were so many points in the movie that I think my eyes might have watered up.
I couldnít help but feel sorry for the players as they worried which players would be the last ones cut from the team. I couldnít help but smile as goalie Jim Craig succeeded. I couldnít help but appreciate the effort Disney made to make the movie as accurate as possible. They took hockey players and made them into actors even, not actors turned into hockey players like in other movies.
About half way through the movie, Nicki looked over at me and said she was enjoying the movie, but was still mad I made her go out in the cold.
As the Americans beat the Russians in the semifinal game, I couldnít help but feel good about myself, my country, and the fact that our college kids did topple the commies when everyone said they couldnít.
Now that I have seen the movie I am going to eagerly wait until ìMiracleî comes out on DVD for I think I need to buy it the day it comes out and watch it over and over like a little kid does whenever an animated Disney movie comes out on DVD.
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