"Miracle" deserves credit for making us feel excitement over something whose outcome we already know. "The Miracle on Ice,"
in which the U.S.A. hockey team beat the seemingly unstoppable Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics, is considered one of the greatest moments in sports history. We've heard the story, we've seen the clips. Yet here we are, watching "Miracle," which tells the story of the team and ends with a vivid recreation of the game itself, and sure enough, it's a heart-swelling, barn-burner of a finale. Tears flow and spirits are raised -- even though we knew it was going to happen, and even though the 90 minutes of film before it are less than spectacular. Such is the power of patriotism, under-dog heroics and a movie that knows when to cue the inspiring music. Directed by Gavin O'Connor ("Tumbleweeds") and written by Eric Guggenheim, the film begins with a montage of 1970s news events, most of them unpleasant (Watergate, gas shortage, disco, etc.), laying the groundwork for the notion that the 1980 hockey team was exactly the morale booster that a forlorn America needed. (See also "Seabiscuit." )
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