The Miracle Season

"The Miracle Season" (PG, 1:41) is a drama directed by Sean McNamara (who directed the 2015 true-story high school drama "Spare Parts") and written by David Aaron Cohen (2004's "Friday Night Lights" film) and Elissa Matsueda ("Spare Parts"). This movie is based on the true story of the tragic death of a high school volleyball team captain in Iowa in 2011 and the season in which the team struggled to overcome their grief, push forward without their best player and try to repeat as state champions.

Caroline "Line" Found (Danika Yarosh) is the effervescent captain of the West High School girls volleyball team and life-long best friend of Kelley Fliehler (Erin Moriarty, looking like a slightly younger Kate Mara). Caroline encourages Kelley when she doubts her volleyball skills and even manages to stay positive and try to boost the spirits of her mother (Jillian Fargey) who is dying of cancer. Caroline's father, Dr. Ernie Found (Oscar winner William Hurt), also seems to draw strength from his daughter as he deals with his wife's condition. All this makes for an especially devastating tragedy when "Line" dies so unexpectedly.

Caroline's teammates have a hard enough time dealing with losing such an important person in their young lives, let alone getting back on the volleyball court. The team's coach, Kathy Bresnahan (Oscar winner Helen Hunt) encourages Kelley to step up, become a team leader, and get her teammates back to practice. The coach feels that returning to the game they all love will help the girls heal and be the best way to honor Caroline's memory. The players slowly come to agree, but still find it very painful to play volleyball without Caroline - and just as difficult to win without her - but they keep on trying.

"The Miracle Season" is a touching and inspiring story. It may be predictable and have an "After School Special" vibe to it, but the excellent cast and strong performances raise this film to another level. It would've done better to wallow in its sad backstory a little less and feature the game of volleyball a little more, but the movie is still entertaining. It also serves up some valuable lessons, not just about overcoming adversity and never giving up (as important as all that is), but it also shows teenagers how fragile life can be and reminds us all to live every day to the fullest. "B"

I hadn't been so touched and overwhelmed by a movie since My Sisters Keeper; it's inspirational, empowering and based on true events. It's a must watch.

I went to see this movie with my volleyball team. We cried a lot, and we got inspired a lot from all the playing and the speeches they made during the movie. It's not just about the sports though, watching a movie about people having to get over the death of someone they care about really hits you in the heart.

If you're lucky as the kid growing up, you have that friend who inspired you to be greater. And if you're present at the time, you get the gift then. Before you're old and distinguish its value in retrospect. For me that was my friend John from high school. In Director Sean McNamara's "The Miracle Season" that soul is Caroline, played by Danika Yarosh, who inspired greater in Kelly, played by Erin Moriarty.

17 year-old Caroline or "Line" is the star volleyball setter for the Iowa State Champion High School Trojans. Line sees the strength within her best friend and teammate Kelly. Caroline sees the hero within Kelly that she has yet to discern. Along with their Coach Kathy "Bres" Bresnahan, the Trojans commit to win the 2nd consecutive State Title, something no other school had accomplished.

Spirited pretty Yarosh as Caroline is the radiant light who grants everyone friendship. Her Dad Ernie, played by William Hurt, is the surgeon and team mentor. Her Mother Ellyn, played by Jillian Fargey, suffers from terminal cancer. Caroline holds out hope that Mom will see her get married someday.

Caroline tragically dies in a traffic accident before the season starts. Her Dad and Kelly, along with the entire community are devastated. Initially, strong stoic Hunt as Bres dedicates along with the team to winning the State Championship for Caroline.

Sounds predictable or formulaic? Perhaps. However, unique poignancy emerges in the screenplay by David Aaron Cohan and Elissa Mastueda, whose story is based on real life Iowa high school volleyball star Caroline Found, who passed away in 2015. The movie is the homage to the Trojan's "Miracle Season" to the State Championships.

At times Cohan and Matsueda's narrative succumbs to wallowed sentimentality. Clumsy dialogue occurs especially in Coach Bres's inspirational sound bites. Perhaps, the mourning for the girls over Caroline's death indulges a tad, yet there is the sense of authentic loss. I think that authenticity of loss and looking at what someone's true legacy endears "The Miracle Season" even in its frailties.

Erin Moriarty is a star. She has understated strength and vulnerability as Kelly. She and Helen Hunt have savior chemistry and partnership. In the great scene Kelly quietly sets the volleyball up in air with her fingers, while Coach Bres closes her eyes and listens. She knows Kelly is the one. William Hurt is beautiful humanity as the grieving father, who like Line sees the greater within Kelly. "The Miracle Season" is about letting go.

So what is legacy? I've gotten that legacy shall be defined by others we touched in life. Yet, legacy can't be confined to the memory of the past. Legacy has value only when it is about those remaining moving forward and becoming greater. It's about regenerating the joy of those we love be it: making snow angels in the middle of nowhere.

Legacy is about others, them becoming greater than they know. Toward the end, Bres tells her players that she loves them, and couldn't be prouder. She says, "Win it for you!" "The Miracle Season" touches in reminding us that we honor someone's legacy in pursuing our own greater.

The only other review here as I write this wrote a good review. However, they reviewed this as a fictional movie. This is based on a true story and real life often does not have the makings of a well-written fiction. Normally I do not enjoy anything about sports if it is not local sports and does not involve someone I know, especially family members. If I wanted to watch sports I would turn on the news since that is over half of what the news material includes. I am not Mike Heck who thinks the answer to everything is "SPORTS". The coach reminds me of my boot camp T.I., tough as nails, hard on the troops, but in her heart very caring. Other than Helen Hunt, the outstanding actor in this film was Erin Moriarty. I researched her when I got home and it seems prior to this she has not done much work of significance. Too bad. I think with good material like this she could do well and go far. I was surprised to see Tiera Skovbye listed in the cast. I don't even remember seeing her in the movie. IE. she did not make much of an impression.