9 Uber-Jingoistic Movies That Are Still Legitimately Great

3) Miracle

Echoing Rocky IV, Miracle is another movie in which the Soviet Union is defeated by sport. And not just any old sport, but hockey, and more specifically the US hockey team, competing against the USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics. It’s a true story, given an admirably un-glam look by Gavin O’Connor, and undoubtedly the director’s greatest decision was to cast the mighty Kurt Russell as USA team coach and head speech-giver, Herb Brooks.

Like all great sports movies, Miracle has its share of rousing speeches. The best comes towards the end though, when Herb assures his boys that they’ll defeat Soviet Russia plainly because they’re born winners. The players nod earnestly and look stern, not for a second doubting that the greatest country on Earth will triumph. Then, obviously, they do, because the film’s called Miracle, and anything else would be a crushing disappointment.