The Miracle Club Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Miracle Club Blu-ray Movie Review

Oh, sentimentality, how sweet and terrible thy sting...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 5, 2023

The Miracle Club takes its place in a very specific genre: the sort of movie I watched with my mom because I was a kid, and I loved movies, and there was nothing better to do because there were only so many hours you could sink into 'Ninja Gaiden' on the NES before discarding the controller in rage. How does one define this familiar-to-many, age-old genre? Beats me. But man, I know 'em when I watch 'em. The wrinkly faces of famous actresses who've faded from A-list stardom. The warm, friendly bonds of female loyalty. The conflict stirred on by tragedy. The friendship-conquers-all motif. Whatever combination of emotionally manipulative heart strings it is, it's a genre I've affectionately dubbed "Mom Flicks". (I still remember Steel Magnolias and the way my child brain processed its sudden tragic twist. I didn't drink orange juice for years, mistaking it, rather than kidney failure following a hypoglycemic diabetic attack, as the eventual cause of a young woman's death. Don't ask me. I was eight.) Ah yes, "Mom Flicks". Movies that have collectively bored us as children, caused us to roll our eyes, and yet somehow lured us in and brought us to tears for decades. We've grown up watching them from the periphery, laying on the carpet playing with Legos or setting crayon to page in a Transformers coloring book. And The Miracle Club, with its aging icons, its Stevia-sweet pilgrimage of friendship and its wholly wholesome, optimistic outlook on life is undoubtedly, unmistakably, undeniably, a mom flick. Is it any good? She'll think it is, and I have a copy already set aside for a Mother's Day add-on. But me? Probably you? Ooph. This one was a slog. Its exceedingly talented actresses deserve better.

Set in 1967, the film follows the story of three generations of women who live in Ballygar, a boisterous hard-knocks community in outer Dublin that marches to its own beat -- frenzied, fast and loose -- and yet also deeply soulful; rooted in traditions of loyalty, faith & togetherness. Best friends Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (Agnes O'Casey) have one tantalizing dream that might allow them to taste freedom and escape the gauntlet of domestic life: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, a place of supposed miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Laura Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her mother's funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. Lily, Eileen and Dolly secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie joining in place of her mother. The glamor and sophistication of Chrissie, who has just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the United States, are not her only difficult traits. Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle. And they soon learn that such traumas from the past can only be healed by the curative power of love and friendship.

First, the good. God help me, can someone just make Maggie Smith our grandmother? Not just me. Our grandmother. Professor McGonagall is a f***in' global treasure. That creaky, crooked voice, those stern but encouraging expressions, her soft proverbs and neatly timed bits of wisdom. Smith is great in The Miracle Club, even though the screenplay is absolute mush, failing her on more than one front. Bates and O'Casey round out her unlikely but believable threesome of multi-generational friendship with equal flair, and again, fall victim to tropey drivel. I actually bought the bond they shared early on, and wanted to enjoy the film on its merits alone. Linney plays a perfect downer too, a woman none of the friends want around but none have the heart to discard. It's her story really, as she gets the most out of her arc, but again enters the overly manufactured script, the chewy, fatty dialogue, and the much too convenient plot connections, which try to lay their timing on fate's doorstep but instead only serve to shine a light on the screenwriters behind the camera. As an ensemble, the actresses deliver the goods, with only O'Casey occasionally feeling out of her depth in the shadow of three greats.

Worse, all the scenes you'd expect as necessary to tracing the story from disconnection to understanding and acceptance are in place, but The Miracle Club can't quite decide when it wants to be a comedy and when to return to its dramatic core. The film wobbles and hobbles as a result, pitching between humor that doesn't land and heartache that doesn't quite pack the punch intended. Will mom love it? Good God, yes. Pass the tissues. But that in itself does not a good film make. Older mothers are subject to sensibilities and sensitivities we mere younger mortals simply cannot understand. They feel things we cannot feel. They see in characters things we can only glance. They are able to transcend the screen and join the likes of Lily and her companions on their journey. We? We can do no such thing. We can only see the cracks, the crags, the crevices in the story; the plot contrivances and groan-inducing jokes; the constant commentary on youth and aging that injects little to nothing into the cinematic zeitgeist; the tired, predictable storytelling that's so well trodden it appears in hundreds of films. The Miracle Club is... fine. Nothing more. It works on its own terms and it'll raise more than a tissue or two to the misty eye of a moved momma. But everyone else in the room will be yawning, snoring or playing games on their iPhone.

The Miracle Club Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Miracle Club has a digital sheen that doesn't quite suit its wares. Nevertheless, Sony's 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation is more than up to the miraculous misadventures the film has on tap. The palette and skintones are natural and suitably vivid, with a nice array of period primaries lending the image plenty of proof of life. Black levels are deep and delineation quite good, even if the photography always seems to have more than enough light in each shot (it actually robs the countryside cinematography and Loudes wonder of depth and gravitas, but that's the filmmakers' doing, not the encode). Detail is striking, with exceedingly crisp edge definition and refined textures. There is a veneer of digital noise but it remains consistent and isn't obtrusive or really all that noticeable. Fortunately, there isn't any significant instances of banding or blocking, meaning Sony's presentation remains strong from start to finish.

The Miracle Club Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track makes its trek without incident as well. Cheery and dreary Dublin dialogue is clean, clear and neatly situated in the soundscape. Channel pans are smooth, without any stockiness or disconnected soundfield elements to report, and everything from the quaint little village of Ballygar to the chitty-chatty interiors of a bus, the echo-y vaulted ceilings of a cathedral and the stone halls of a Lourdes church complex are engaging and immersive. The experience is still primarily a front-heavy affair, with only subdued low-end support. But directionality is involving enough to make for a reasonably convincing mix. You won't exactly be fooled into thinking your home theater has been transported to Dublin, but you'll be pleased with the results nonetheless.

The Miracle Club Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

You can tell Sony understands when a film is in high demand or when it's merely being released. And The Miracle Club is merely being released, in typical Sony fashion, as a lesser desired movie with a barebones disc that features zero extras.

The Miracle Club Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Miracle Club is a Mom Flick, through and through. If you've made it this far, you either adore the genre or your mom does, so grab a Kleenex and get to work. Sony's Blu-ray release will at least lift your spirits thanks to an excellent video presentation and solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. There aren't any special features to speak of, but so it goes. Keep this in mind for Christmas and Mother's Day.