1981 American film
Miracle on Ice is a 1981[2] American television[3][4] sports docudrama[5] for ABC[6][7] about the United States men's national ice hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks[8] (Karl Malden[9]), that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The USA team's victory over the heavily favored Soviet team in the medal round was dubbed the "Miracle on Ice".
Production
Miracle on Ice[10] was directed by Steven Hilliard Stern and written by Lionel Chetwynd. It incorporates actual game footage and ABC broadcasters Al Michaels.
Director Steven Hillard Stern closely watched videotapes of the Lake Placid games before setting up his scenes at the Los Angeles Sports Arena[11]. These staged shots generally involved close-ups of the actors. The original ABC Sports footage showed the games in long or medium shots. The new material, also videotaped, was then carefully edited into the factual footage, and the result was transferred to film. This process was done in order to maintain the same picture quality throughout and not produce the 'checkerboard effect' according to co-producer Frank von Zerneck.
Mike Eruzione was a technical consultant on the film saying "we all know the movie will never be able to equal what happened."[12] Eruzione however, wasn't involved with the latter Miracle film at all. According to Eruzione[13] and Ken Dryden's original commentary from the 1980 Winter Games "I did not want to be involved in the movie. I felt if I was involved then my role would be different, and the guys on the team would have went, he didn’t do this, he didn’t say that. Oh, no, you were an advisor; no wonder why you did this. I stayed away from the movie. I think they interviewed a bunch of us and asked us questions, but we had no input into the movie."
Karl Malden told Sports Illustrated[14] in December 1980 he had never actually met Herb Brooks in preparation for his portrayal of him, but he studied him on videotape, especially his eyes. Malden said of Brooks "I'd hate to meet him in a dark alley. I think he's a little on the neurotic side. Maybe more than a little. Any moment you think he's going to jump out of his skin."
Malden also remarked with disapproval that Brooks could've ventured an occasional smile during one of the less intense games. Malden also wondered[15] how, after working hard over the course of seven months that Brooks could have simply walked away after his team clinched the improbable victory against the Soviet team.
Reception
Bob Grimm of Tucson Weekly said[19] that Miracle on Ice falls short of being even a good sports movie. It makes too many errors on and off the ice, failing to capture the essence of the sport it's studying, and reducing most of the men and women involved in the historical drama to caricature.
Outside of archive footage, defenseman Mike Ramsey wasn't depicted in Miracle on Ice. In the February 21, 1998 edition of The Buffalo News, Ramsey said[20] "I also got paid for having my name in the TV movie that ABC did. It was about five years before I sat down and actually watched the movie. I sat back and said 'Uh, oh' when it was over because it wasn't too good. Some time after that, we (the Sabres) came into some city on a road trip at 2 a.m., and it was on TV. I think everyone on the team watched it, because the next morning everyone was busting my chops."
Patti Brooks, who is depicted in Miracle on Ice by Jessica Walter said in 2009[21] “I don’t know that I ever watched the whole movie.” In regards to Karl Malden's portrayal of her husband “I remember Herbie would not watch it. People used to tease him about Karl Malden playing him. Would you? That would be like Ma Kettle playing me. But you always think that you’re sharper than others think you are. But to be honest, I don’t know why they chose him. I don’t think (Malden) ever went on the ice in his movie; he was too old.”
Patti Brooks' brother, Terry Lane added[22] "It was so bad", and was unable to fathom how Karl Malden, at age 69, could be cast in the role of the handsome Herb Brooks, who was 42 when the actual "Miracle on Ice" took place. Herb Brooks himself stated that his wife would've preferred Robert Redford[23] to have played him.
Meanwhile, Mike Eruzione claimed[24] to the Star Tribune that Brooks wanted Paul Newman to play him. Eruzione added that a scene that showed him going on a picnic with his girlfriend never actually happened.
Miracle director Gavin O'Connor said[25] that he remembers calling Herb Brooks to tell him that Karl Malden had been cast to play him and hearing a second or two of silence on the line before he replied, in a tone dripping with acid, ‘Isn’t he a bit old?’
On the other hand, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times said[26] that while the movie was a bit hokey and included some strange choices (such as Steve Guttenberg as goalie Jim Craig), Karl Malden pulled off a credible performance of the grumpy Herb Brooks.
John J. O'Connor of the New York Times said[27] "Miracle on Ice is a fine example of the inspirational sports film. Nothing is said of the many career disappointments suffered by the players since the Olympics, but this film is meant to recapture an extraordinary moment, which it does."
Entertainment Weekly gave Miracle on Ice a B-, saying[28] "Watching Andrew Stevens and Steve Guttenberg trying to make like hockey players is itself faintly chilling. But the on-ice action is the real thing, and the thrills have not diminished a bit."
Differences with Miracle (2004)
As previously mentioned, in 2004, the story of the United States men's national hockey team's gold medal victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics was retold in Miracle, starring Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks. Were as 1981's Miracle on Ice, likely owning to its limited production values, required a generous reuse of ABC's actual broadcasts of the games blended in with some quick close-ups for the written footage[29], Miracle thoroughly recreated the on-ice action. Also recreated in Miracle was the commentary by Al Michaels[30] and Ken Dryden (with the exception of Michaels' now legendary "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" line as the filmmakers felt that it would've been impossible to ask Michaels to recreate the genuine emotion and enthusiasm during the heat of that particular moment).
It could be argued that Miracle on Ice manages to tell a lot more about some of the players than Miracle did. For instance, in Miracle on Ice, more is told goalie Jim Craig, and his relationship with his father that culminated in the dramatic moment of him draped in an American flag at the end of the gold medal game, looking for his dad in the stands. Meanwhile, Miracle gave us the story of Ralph Cox, the last man cut from the team, while Miracle on Ice tells this story from the perspective of Les Auge, who was in fact the second to last man cut from the team. We learn also in Miracle on Ice of Mike Eruzione's decision to never play professional hockey after being captain of the gold medal team.
When asked about Steve Guttenberg's portrayal of him by the New York Post in February 2010[31], Jim Craig said "I think that Steve Guttenberg did a good job in showing my more rambunctious side." Meanwhile when asked about Eddie Cahill's portrayal of him in Miracle, Craig said "Eddie did an excellent job. He did a super job conveying my intensity and passion for the mission."
Ken Morrow in Miracle on Ice is accurately bearded unlike in Miracle. Herb Brooks specifically made a rule to allow Morrow to keep his beard for the team, based on his having a beard prior to joining the team.
There was however, no mention of international affairs in Miracle on Ice[32], save for one huddled protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the pre-Olympic match-up against the Soviets at Madison Square Garden.
In December 2007, Tony Granato, who served as head coach of the United States men's national ice hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics told ESPN's Steve Wulf when the subject came to how we would have to form a family of 25 players in a week, said that he could show them Miracle with Kurt Russell. But Granato quickly followed it up by saying "Actually, I'm partial to the earlier movie about the team, Miracle on Ice, with Karl Malden as Herb Brooks."[33]
Mike Eruzione however joked that besides offering a far more handsome and hockey-knowledgable alternative to Karl Malden, Kurt Russell was “Somebody with a better nose.”[34]
.jpg)
