My Mom Thinks You Should Watch ‘Miracle’ This Thanksgiving

Every Thanksgiving morning, my family gathers ’round for a very special tradition: watching Miracle. What, did you think I was going to say, “Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade?” The Thanksgiving Parade is lame and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on. Instead of watching B-list stars lip-sync their way through the streets of New York, my family watches the 1980 Olympic hockey team take on the dastardly Soviets as we prepare the turkey, make sides, and drink whiskey sours (it’s never too early for a whiskey sour). It may seem odd, especially for those of you who grew up on Peanuts and sitcom specials, but Miracle is the perfect Thanksgiving movie. In fact, Miracle is so great that even my mom thinks you should check it out this Thanksgiving.

As everyone who’s studied the Cold War (or seen The Americans) knows, the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1980s was strained at best, and downright hostile at worst. In 1980, that contentious relationship expanded beyond politics when the world’s best athletes gathered in Lake Placid, New York for the Winter Olympics. The biggest battle took place in the hockey rink, as an inexperienced, ragtag American team took on the heavily-favored Soviets in the first medal round. In a moment dubbed the Miracle on Ice, coach Herb Brooks’ team defeated the Russians and later won the gold, marking one of the greatest moments in the history of the Olympics, and perhaps the most iconic moment in American sports.

In 2004, Disney turned this American success story into a movie starring Kurt Russell as Coach Brooks. Almost immediately, Miracle became a classic sports flick. Who could resist this tale of American supremacy over Enemy No. 1? (Yes, there are some problems with all this, but that’s a discussion for another time).

And that brings me to Thanksgiving. Miracle is clearly a great sports movie, but is it a great Thanksgiving movie? My mom says yes. If you’re looking for something to watch while you painstakingly prepare your turkey, there’s nothing better. Are you getting angry at Brooks’ unruly players, especially those who “keep saying they play for the University of Minnesota or Boston University instead of the United States,” as my mom does? Channel that anger into those equally-unruly pinfeathers! Tenderize that ‘ish as the Soviets destroy the Americans in their exhibition game! Pull out that string and get to trussing as you attempt to quell your anxiety during the second period of the semi-final! Any way you slice it, Miracle pairs nicely with the physical labor Thanksgiving requires.

Plus, let’s not forget that Miracle tells a true story — as in, you already know what’s going to happen. If you have a major turkey emergency (don’t forget the oil) and get distracted, it’s not as if the Soviets are suddenly going to pull out the win. This is a Disney flick, after all, and in case of Thanksgiving mishaps, that predictability can come in handy.

But that being said, there’s more to my family’s Miracle tradition than simple convenience. At the end of the day, Miracle is about hope, and if you’re not religious (as in, if you don’t celebrate Christmas), it’s likely that the holiday season shares a similar meaning. Explained my mom, “It was 1980 and the economy was bad, people weren’t happy. It was Jimmy Carter going on TV and saying there was a crisis of confidence. We needed something inspiring.” The U.S. wasn’t supposed to win the game — the Russians had dominated hockey for years — but they did, and the awe-inspiring victory restored hope for many Americans. What better time to watch this uplifting, overcoming-the-odds story than on Thanksgiving, the official start of the holidays?

“It was so much larger than the game,” my mom said when I asked her why we continue to watch Miracle year after year. “I still get chills when the whole crowd chants, ‘USA! USA!'” She’s not wrong: no matter how you feel about the Cold War, watching the Americans run onto the ice after defeating the Soviets will make you teary-eyed. And don’t get me started about watching the team stand on the winners’ podium as the national anthem swells.

If all this has yet to convince you that Miracle is the perfect Thanksgiving movie, my mom (and I) will leave you with one more thing: “Cute men playing hockey.” ‘Nuff said.

Miracle is available to stream on Netflix, or, if you’re anything like my family, you can buy it on Prime Video and have it forever.