18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, But a Little Disappointing/ PG, November 3, 2001
This review is from: Christmas Coal Mine Miracle [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I enjoyed this movie but it was a little disappointing, and was not at all what I expected. It was a very suspenseful, interesting and gripping story. It is not your typical Christmas movie though, and although it gives you a warm feeling at the end, it is quite depressing in parts. I thought Kurt Russell did an excellent job in his role as Johnny (He is so adorable). He was the hero in the story, so his fans will really enjoy this one. I found Melissa Gilbert to be a bit flat in her performance and it was hard to get used to her being a bratty child (throwing a rock through a store window, etc). It is natural to expect Laura I suppose, as it was filmed in the 70's when Little House on the Prairie was in its heyday.
The story line has a very mature theme and I would rate it as PG. Good for family watching with older children, but parents may want to discuss parts with their children/teens. The older daughter is a bit troubled and is desperate to get away from the Coal Mining town. She looks for this escape in her boyfriend Johnny (Kurt Russell). She is openly depressed about her virginity and tries to get her boyfriend to become more intimate with her. However, he tells her no, that they are going to "do things in the right way". So there is a bit of good morality there and the film might be a good discussion starter for that topic. At the end of the movie we are left with the impression that they will be getting married within the year.
The main theme is the unfairness of the managers of the mine and that they force the workers to work in unsafe conditions. Tragedy strikes and by the end the workers agree to band together to fight the unfair practices. The story is also about love and family togetherness.
Although most of the movie seemed realistic, parts did not. The younger child in the family seemed too old for that rocking horse! Also, what father would not reprimand his daughter when seeing her throw a rock through a store window, even if the store owners were "the enemy"?
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where's the DVD?, November 10, 2008
This review is from: Christmas Coal Mine Miracle [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I watch this movie every Christmas. A wonderful movie for the whole family. Please put out the DVD.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a Christmas tradition at our house, December 5, 2006
This review is from: Christmas Coal Mine Miracle [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This movie is one of my all-time favorites. While the acting may seem a little stilted in places, it is a gutsy representation of real life issues...lots of complicated issues such as one man's struggle to overcome his fear of working in the mines and be the husband he needs to be, or a teenage girl's fear of being an old maid in a coal mining town, or the struggle of a father/husband to respect authority yet still stand up for what is right (just to name a few). Each of these issues sees some resolution in the movie and in a way that makes us feel good about it. I am especially fond of the part where the mother explains to her teenage daughter what it really means to love a man. I have three daughters and this is the kind of "stuff" that I want them to hear. I also have a son, and this movie represents for him what makes a "real" man. Such models are unfortunately rare in Hollywood. Summation: It's a movie with heart! (And yes, Kurt Russell does an awesome job as Johnny.)
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