In Denmark during the thick of WWII, Benedick Blythe wants to impress Hitler by suddenly rounding up all the Jews in his district, even though the Nazi occupation has left the townspeople alone for three years. He gets the bright idea of arresting everyone in a surprise attack on Rosh Hashanah, but Patrick Malahide, a sympathetic Nazi, warns those in danger. With only a few days' notice, everyone pulls together to hide their friends and smuggle them to safety in Sweden.
While this is a Disney TV movie, it's actually pretty exciting! Sam Waterston takes the lead, since he's a doctor and can hide hundreds of people in his hospital. His wife, Mia Farrow, is reluctant to help at first because she fears for her children's safety, but she quickly gets on board and helps out. Both Sam and Mia, who have previously been in four films together, have a comfortable and caring chemistry, and they both give great tension-filled performances.
Miracle at Midnight is a wonderful true story that's inspiring and heartfelt. Director Ken Cameron doesn't make it feel like a typical TV movie, and those who particularly like WWII-set films will enjoy learning about this little-known story. Even audiences who don't normally like these types of movies because of the gruesomeness might make an exception for this one. It's completely family friendly and could even be shown in schools. With great acting and some very smart suspenseful scenes, this is a great movie to pop in after dinner on a school night.
