Review of The Cokeville Miracle (2015) by Janelle F — 09 Jun 2015

The story is so awe-inspiring it was rushed to the screen back in the 1980's and starred Richard Thomas. That movie was not nearly as good as this one. After years to percolate, the compelling truths of just what DID happen are now known.

Filmmaker T.C. Christensen does a masterful job recreating the events. With a measured hand, he first tells audiences the facts. Tension builds as you watch it unfold. Actress Kymberly Mellen is particularly creepy as the wife of the bomber, standing by her man as he plots to blow up a classroom full of children and their teachers.

She is so convincing as a deluded woman who believes her husband is so smart, he can do no wrong. Knowing this is an historical event, and filmmakers went to extreme measures to factually portray what happened doesn't make it any easier to watch.

The characters portrayed are real. Their stories are real. Filmmakers took some liberties, such as counting just over 100 people in the room. (In reality, it was 154.) One of the women on set complained that the interior of Cokeville Elementary was really "much nicer" than that used in the film, but film crews must take what they can get.

It didn't detract from the drama. Jasen Wade and the child actors worked well together. I saw many grown men in the audience cry over this film, as the themes are so close to the heart. We all love our children and want to protect them at all costs.

This film shows real families in a real crisis, and how they have come out the other side nearly thirty years afterward. It is a story of bravery, bravado, insanity and love you will remember. Not for children under about eight, obviously, but highly recommended for older families to spark many conversations about life, death and purpose.