Jake, if this is in the wrong place, then feel free to move it.


This movie portrays the 1980 gold-medal win of the US men's hockey team. It starts in the very beginning: It shows us how the team was formed, the decision of who to cut, and lots of the games played.

The team plays the Soviets, the best team in the world, before the Olympics. They lose.


Hockey is a Winter Olympics game. 1980 is divisible by 4, making it the year for a Summer Games.

In 1976, Nadia Comanici won a gold medal and scored the first ever perfect 10 in gymnastics. A summer sport. Four years later would be 1980.

Hockey is a Winter Olympics game. 1980 is divisible by 4, making it the year for a Summer Games.

Hannah, until 1994, the Winter and Summer games were held in the same year. The 1994 Winter Games (Lillehammer) were held only two years after the 1992 games in Albertville. The schedule shift was to make logistics easier (and keep the Games in the public eye?).

Oh, and the victory over the Soviets was not the Gold medal game. They beat the Soviets in the semifinals. They beat the Finns for the gold medal.

Thanks, Scott.


re: Finnland: I know that, thank you.

This story was filmed once before, for ABC-TV in 1981, as Miracle On Ice. Karl Malden played Herb Brooks.

Did anyone else not recognize Kurt Russell initially? It was a very different kind of performance for him.

I didn't when I saw the trailer 'till they put his name up.

This was an enjoyable enough film and very earnest--hence the lack of star power aside from Russell and Patricia Clarkson and the attempts at accuracy. Russell delivers a very good performance; why can't he act like this all the time? I felt the film was also patriotic without being jingoistic--the Russians are somewhat distant and aloof, but they aren't evil and they don't cheat or anything like that.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if the incident in Norway really happened?