Building a championship Olympic hockey team and keeping its members motivated were the most important goals in Herb Brooks’ life back in 1979. Miracle, starring Kurt Russell as Brooks, tells the story of how this dedicated coach and his players won the gold for the USA by defeating a favored Russian team in an upset -- which some call the greatest sports event of the twentieth century.

I’m not a hockey fan, so this popular film failed to hold my interest during its many hockey scenes. Still, I admired Russell’s impeccable performance as the driven coach. In the DVD commentary, Russell declares, “I’m usually called upon to create a character, but this time I played a real person, so I wanted to be as much like him as possible.”  Fortunately, the perceptive actor had the opportunity to meet with Brooks before filming and was able to study his mannerisms. Russell even mastered such details as putting on and taking off eye glasses  just the way Brooks did and moving his arms like Brooks. He also captured the right voice cadence and accent for his character. But perhaps most significant of all, Russell adopted the coach’s frame of mind and projected the man’s trademark intensity throughout the entire film.    

To me, the Miracle DVD bonus features are more fascinating than the movie itself. Included on the 2-disc presentation are: “The Making of Miracle,” an enlightening look at how director Gavin O’Connor and his filmmaking crew brought this true story to life; “From Hockey to Hollywood,” audition clips of the players chosen to appear in the movie; “The Sound of Miracle,” a description of how the film’s sound effects helped put viewers right in the middle of the game; an ESPN Roundtable with Linda Colin moderating a spirited panel discussion with Kurt Russell and three of the original members of the 1980 Olympic team; and “First Impressions: Herb Brooks with Kurt Russell and the Filmmakers,” raw footage of Brooks himself fielding questions from Gavin O’Connor and Kurt Russell before filming of Miracle began.

Unfortunately, Brooks died before completion of the film, so watching him talk about his championship team on this DVD brought a lump to my throat. He explains his teambuilding philosophy and admits he “knew the right buttons to push” for each player. “I was looking for the right players, not the best players,” he declares. He also discusses his decision to beat the Europeans using their own style of playing.  

Miracle clearly demonstrates that winning Olympic gold in 1980 couldn’t have come at a better time for the USA. With the Cold War in full swing and our economy in the doldrums, that victory gave us something to cheer about. Fast forward to 2004, and the DVD presentation of Miracle deserves a few cheers of its own.

(Released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment and rated “PG” for language and some rough sports action. DVD bonus features not rated.)