I am not going to lie. I truthfully had no idea what Miracle Run was about, fully, and the only reason I had been wanting to watch it is because Zac Efron was in it, yes, that's the only reason; a bit ridiculous, but I usually just jump at any movie that has one of my favorite actor/actresses in it, or, in this case, an actor I find attractive. After seeing that it was a Lifetime original, my expectations were crushed and I immediately fell into dismay over what I was about to view.
My expectations rose just a little when the opening credits appeared. After seeing Mary-Louise Parker starred, I became delighted. I find her to be such an enjoyable actress and have loved her in everything I've seen her in. The first twenty minutes? I had become so interested that I didn't even have any idea of how interested I was. The storyline starts off incredibly with Mary-Louise Parker portraying Corrine Morgan-Thomas, beautifully I might add, discovering that her twin sons, Steven and Phillip, have autism.
The first half of the movie is about Corrine having to deal with her sons' autism and having to study up on how to better it in their lifestyle, which this half is what gets us concerned for the Thomas family and piqued to see what happens in the second half. The two child actors are not annoying in any way as you would think they would be, and they actually inspire sympathy for both of their characters and Parker's.
When the second half rolls around, I was not bored, I did not think the film was spiraling away from the brilliance it started off with, but it indeed perfected the story and made the characters and our entertainment rise to the highest level this film could achieve. The actors' portrayal of the Thomas twins are so lovable that you wish you could hug them and never let go, and even the supporting actors help the story click and build to where by the end of the film you are left with a comforting warmth and sensitivity.
This movie would have not been as fantastic as it was if it wasn't for the fantastic performances. Otherwise, it would have been another run-of-the-mill Lifetime failure that didn't inspire or persevere anyone into thinking of it so highly. The cast makes the script heartwarming and touching in the utmost sense, and I feel like this is an underrated film, suppressed by the LMN label. I recommend this for anyone. It's incredibly wonderful all the way through, and I certainly did not expect it to be. Job very well done with the subject matter and film itself.
