Well, spring has come to Kansas City in the form of a winter storm that is more slush and annoying than anything else. Sigh, Kansas weather is both interesting and frustrating at the same time. Oh well, the snowfall means that it’s time to warm up and watch some hockey….well a hockey movie anyways since I don’t have cable. Today is a little seen movie with a stellar cast I think and a good story about a small town hockey team taking on the big leagues with their pride on the line.
In this comic drama about fame, sports, and small-town life, Mystery, Alaska is a small town in one of the least accessible parts of the coldest state in the union. It’s a town where everyone knows each other and there isn’t much to do. In places like this, small things tend to become very important, and in Mystery, the one thing that keeps everyone sane is hockey. Most of the men of Mystery are obsessive hockey fans, and a local hockey league has sprung up, with pools of neighborhood talent facing off on the ice every week. When a national sports magazine does a story on the hockey fans of Mystery, Alaska, someone at the National Hockey League gets an idea for a publicity stunt: send the New York Rangers to Mystery to play the local all-stars in a nationally televised game. Most of the locals are thrilled; the game will give the people of Mystery a chance to bask in the limelight and make their sleepy town a household word. On the other hand, in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s secrets, this event could cause everyone to start airing their dirty laundry in public, with the whole world watching. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
I can’t get over the cast that this 1999 movie had when it came out. Even going back to it for remembrance had me recalling the lead being Russell Crowe in this sports flick. Plus you have folks like Mike Meyers, Hank Azaria, Burt Reynolds, Mary McCormack and Kevin Durand (my favorite “it’s that guy”). They all seem to work well with one another, more so with Eldard, Crowe and Durand being members of the tight group of Mystery hockey players. This is where the best parts of the film are, tucked into the story of a small town team showing what they can do, the members of the team are all developed well, each have a personality that suits their role and the interactions are natural.
Mystery, Alaska is more of a character movie than an actual, hockey packed film. Most of the action happens at the tail end of the movie where the Rangers and Mystery’s team finally play some rough hockey. So if you are looking for more sports than exposition of a small town with a lot of heart, then you should probably watch Slapshot….which is awesome as well. The town struggles are the heart of the story, with some of the town looking at the challenge that their little hockey team has with the big leagues as a sense of pride and accomplishment. Others in the town don’t want the spotlight of the game to be some sort of crushing moment for them. If the team performs poorly, they will be looked at as a laughing stock and mocked in a way on national television. While the town acts as a character in the film, the team members of the hockey team give way to a lot more insight into what everyone is feeling. It’s a chance to showcase their talent, maybe have that one shot at glory that they never got before. Crowe certainly conveys a lot of his reserved feelings about hockey and what it means to him being given a national stage to display his heart for the game.
There is a lot of heart in this movie when it comes to the struggles of the town and how the team is what props up the spirit of being isolated. Having an outside force like an opposing professional team playing you on the national stage does bring to light a lot of concerns for them. Their little slice of life is being infringed on, but it comes with some caveats that are explored…but anyways. It isn’t so much about hockey in the sense of watching a movie on a hockey game, but you get a little bit of humor, some drama and get to enjoy this ensemble movie. The actors and actresses are really just make this movie a standout for me with their natural chemistry and affable personalities. You can’t go wrong with this movie, a little seen sports comedy that wins you over with the cast and story. Again if you want more hockey action, find something else.