Captures the moment

Rating: Null/10 (10 February 2004)

Just saw this last night and, I've got to say, it does a great job of transporting the viewer back in time (assuming one remembers that time, that is.) This is a well-done film. It's patriotic without being jingoistic, inspiring without being melodramatic, emotional without being sappy. And the political background of the time, particularly the hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, are neatly intertwined with the main story, without getting in the way of it or hitting the viewer over the head. Still, the "scene setting" nature of the historical/political tidbits really captures the mood of that unsettling winter.
Kurt Russell obviously did his homework - his portrayal of coach Herb Brooks is very effective. Possibly his best acting job ever. But Brooks shares the spotlight with his team. Using unknowns (except perhaps for Eddie Cahill, who plays Jim Craig; "Friends" afficionados will recognize him) for the players - all of whom can actually skate - was the right way to go. The heretofore anonymous faces reinforce the depiction of the team of young unknowns that comprised the 1980 USA gold medalists. You can actually see them bond as they endure Brooks' rigid, demanding training regimen. The result is highly realistic. You believe these guys as a TEAM.
And the hockey action is, quite simply, the best in any motion picture ever made. Particularly the crucial game against the Soviets, which (even though the outcome is known) is unbelievably tense. And it must be pretty accurate, since Al Michaels' actual play-by-play narrative describes the action on-screen. Makes me wish I remembered the actual details of the game better - I was a freshman in college, we had a West Campus party that night, and all other themes of the party were put on hold during this one. Thanks to the evening's beer consumption, the game itself is fuzzy in my memory, but the excitement is not.
Finally: Don't leave before the credits have ended...