Miracle at Oxford is a Region 1 DVD with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound that?s shown in widescreen 1.85 format (and hey, it comes in a Keep Case).
That?s it.
Everything else is about the story, ?cause there really ain?t no extras.
But it?s the story here that is compelling. Think of it as Rocky on the water, well... maybe like a team of Rocky guys, most of them British, and... ya know... without the ?Yo Adrian!? references, I guess.
I didn?t expect too much when I popped Miracle at Oxford into the DVD machine one Friday evening. I was using it as a kind of date flick for myself and my wife once the kids were in bed (which tells you a lot about our Friday nights and the availability of other quality entertainment). We?d made a pact that if it didn?t get us within 20 minutes, we?d pack it in and hit the sack.
In hard boiled vernacular, we was snagged.
Here?s the scoop: Miracle at Oxford stars Josh Lucas and Dominic West as teammates in the annual rite that is The Boat Race at Oxford University. For those who don?t know (and you are many), The Boat Race is in intensely competitive rowing competition held each year between Oxford and its arch rival, Cambridge University. For those who participate in the race, coach the teams, and watch the event, it is more important than the Olympics. And did we mention that it happens every year? That?s 365 furious little days between events, and what with cinematic compression, Miracle at Oxford aptly conveys in 115 minutes the furious year with which these guys must train to stay in shape, weed through new recruits, and test the team that will ultimately compete in the race.
Right... so at the start of the film, Oxford?s long winning streak comes to an end in an extremely humiliating defeat, and everyone present vows to do whatever they must to get back on track the next year. The method they choose, bringing in American Olympic ringers, almost threatens to tear the team apart. It sets up a classic battle between old-school tradition and modern training techniques (and dedication). ?Will the team win?? is not the only question that each individual team member must answer. It?s more like, ?who will the team win with?? and ?what will each member gain or lose to put this team out on the water??
No spoilers here (as if anyone is crying foul at posting spoilers to a rowing movie), but the ups and downs that the team, and its student manager, must confront are grandly epic, even if they?re on a rather diminutive scale, at least for most people who follow events like the Super Bowl, the Final Four, or the Grand Championship of Poker... wait, how did that last one get in???
Even without significant extras (there are some sneak peeks, but they don?t really count), Miracle at Oxford is an inspirational story that can pick up the spirits of anyone who needs a little boost. Think of it as Chariots of Fire, but with the long distance running guys in thin, long, little boats.
Yeah, that?s the ticket.
