‘The Miracle Season’ Is An Emotional Ride [REVIEW]

The tragedy, heartache, and miracle run to a state championship are all captured beautifully in the new movie 'The Miracle Season.' The film, based on the 2011 Iowa City West volleyball team's improbable run to the state title after the tragic death of the leader of the team, debuted in theaters Thursday. I saw it at a jam-packed Marcus Coral Ridge Cinema Saturday afternoon in Coralville. Watching it in the very community where it all happened made it all the more powerful.

Caroline 'Line' Found had helped lead Iowa City West to the 2010 state championship. The movie shows Found as a social butterfly who was friends with everyone despite her own emotional battle dealing with her very sick mother. Found, the team's all-important setter, was the "fun" teammate and chosen leader of the squad she was confident would repeat during her senior year. However, tragedy struck when she was killed in a moped accident just as the 2011 season was beginning.

There was no question everyone in attendance felt the emotion of Caroline's death. You could hear people being overcome with emotion throughout the full theater. It was the first of several times tears would be shed by many in attendance. We felt the despair of her father, the incredible sadness and then the weight of expectations on Found's teammate and best friend Kelley, and how difficult it was for all of her teammates to try to go on.

Not surprisingly, 'The Miracle Season' had a 'Hoosiers'-like feel as the team made their improbable run to the title. There are more than a few sports and Iowa cliches in the movie, and it probably won't win any cinematic awards. However, it's definitely a movie worth seeing and one the entire family can attend. You'll see several things familiar to those of us in the corridor and some that will leave you scratching your head. Oh, and don't leave early. Seeing the final credits is an absolute must.