Lake Placid a place like Bern ?

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 2004)

Watching the Miracle, it is (for a German viewer at least) not easy to resist a comparison with the just released "Wunder von Bern" (Miracle of Bern) movie linked to the German Soccer Worldcup Win 1954 against the 4 year long undefeated Hungarians. The parallels are easy to draw : Here are the Americans still depressed from the Vietnam drama and suffering additional hits thru recession and hostage taking at their Iranian Embassy (events which are back grounded in the movie), but who rise against and regain their pride thru some All American boys bringing down the unsurmountable Russians (USSR people to be correct at that time)on the ice in Lake Placid to righten the set-up between the 2 world powers. Here are the German Underdogs just 9 years after World War 2 revitalizing a whole Nation and putting them on track for the "Wirtschaftswunder" (Economic Miracle) that put Germany into the leading group of industrialized Nations. Here is Herb Brooks, the no-nonsense Coaching Guru, there is Sepp (Josef) Herberger, who made a living from one liners like "The ball is round" and "The Game lasts 90 Minutes". But this is also where the difference is : While the Miracle is carried almost only on the shoulders of Kurt Russell as the charismatic coach molding average College Boys into Winners, the main story of the German movie is the reunification of a Father, who is a late returner (9 years after war ended) from Russian prison camp, with his family (Mother, daughter, grown up boy sympathizing with Eastern Socialism and a younger boy he has never seen before. He lost his place as head of the family, as they had to get along without him for 10 years or more and is facing major trouble to find his place in the new Germany. Only in a long and painful process he can fit into his role, culminating in a trip with his younger Boy to the final in Bern, Switzerland, where the boys hero (and preferred father figure as to then) scores the winning goal upon his appearance. This makes the story a lot more heart warming and connected to life compared to the however great impersonation Kurt Russel does. Where the miracle is however stronger, is to show, what are the fundamentals of such miracles : After a lackadaisical test game he lets his boys do the drill (sprinting up and down from goal- to middle line) even when the janitor cuts of the power and the light. He continues until the lights of his boys go out literally....