“REACTION PAPER FROM THE MOVIE OF “THE MIRACLE SEASON”

Parents need to know that The Miracle Season is an inspirational, realistic sports story
about the high school volleyball team that caused their captain's sudden death in a crash. Her
death is not shown — nor is that of her beloved mother from cancer shortly thereafter — but the
impact of these two losses on the other characters in the film could have upset younger /
sensitive viewers. But apart from that, and a little bit of chaste sex between teenagers, the film's
squeaky clean: there's no strong language, no combat, no drinking or drugs. And it's full of
positive role models so important lessons of perseverance, collaboration, and seeking positive
ways to recognize and respect those you've missed.
Caroline "String" Found (Danika Yarosh) is the famous coach of Iowa's West High girls
volleyball team. If she dies in an accident, the community is devastated— especially her best
friend, Kelly (Erin Moriarty); her father, Ernie (William Hurt); and her teammates. Coach Kathy
Bresnahan (Helen Hunt) is left to pick up the debris and attempt and refocus the girls who
naturally cannot regain their winning rhythm after the disaster. Could Kelly and Coach
Bresnahan have put together a winning season in memory of their fallen loved one — and Line's
mother, who died of cancer shortly after her daughter passed away? THE MIRACLE SEASON
is based on the real tale of the 2011 West High Volleyball Team.
This film is an effective, if over-polished, tear-jerker, with strong sporting sequences. The
Miracle Season seems a little too sanitized; even when a tragedy happens, the characters keep
their words tidy. No one drowns their sorrows, and no one really steps into the debate. Image of
sorrow objectively is an extremely difficult path for any film to cross, and the Miracle Season
certainly errs on the side of caution. (Interestingly, the writers chose to make the circumstances
of Line's death less pure than they were; in real life, she was on her way home from a church
event, while here, it's a prom group that accidentally poses uncomfortable questions that were
easily dispelled in reality — drugs and alcohol were not factors in her crash.) That ends up
making the story seem a little restricted, that’s a shame, since Hunt and Hurt are both Oscar
recipients. The former is perfect as an emotionally insulated coach; she's credible, but we have
no visibility into who she is. Hurt, however, has a few scenes that impact him as a grieving father
and widower. In the lead role, Moriarty keeps the frame with the two actors and plays a person
who is dealing with a terrible loss while becoming everything her team needs to be. And in her
brief appearance as Line, Yarosh infuses her scenes with quirky energy and warmth.
Without much in the way of excitement (the title somewhat gives away the game; we can
be pretty sure they're going to compete for the title again, or else it might have been named They
Were Unable to Overcome a Tragedy)—or the dramatic risk of discovering the intensity of grief
— the story nevertheless continues to push because of moments like Hurt's scenes. And the
volleyball sequences are well-captured and exciting because, let's face it, volleyball is awesome.