Miracle-On Ice ***1/2

Rating: 9/10 (8 August 2013)

Kurt Russell gave an absolute towering performance as the U.S. hockey team coach in charge of getting his team to defeat an excellent Soviet team in the Olympics in this 2004 film.
The picture reminded me greatly of the 1988 basketball film where Gene Hackman was also quite a stickler.
Though the Russell character of Herb Brooks did ultimately have a heart, he drove his players. His making of players repeat certain items for hours on end was memorable.
The picture has a back drop of events occurring in our nation from the turbulent times of the late '60s and '70s. The hockey contest between the U.S. and the USSR became one of a political nature due to the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Patricia Clarkson plays Russell's wife. She is understanding and when push comes to shove, she stands by her man.