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Review by Susan Granger
2 stars out of 4
Just because he just won two Emmys for "The Practice" and
"Ally McBeal" doesn't mean David E. Kelley can score every time. This
story revolves around a publicity stunt that pits the world-famous New
York Rangers in a televised exhibition game against a hometown team
from Mystery, Alaska, population 633. The genesis for the face-off is
a "Sports Illustrated" article, written by a former native, Hank
Azaria, that explores the rural legend of a small Alaskan town where,
for generations, young men aspire to nothing more than being on the
local ice hockey team. It's a place where people are so obsessed with
the sport that they leave the streets frozen for skating. And the
comedy comes from a culture clash between the media hype and the
rugged Alaskan eccentrics. Burt Reynolds plays the stuffy town judge
and hockey coach. Russell Crowe is the sheriff and, at 34, a 13-year
veteran of the team, while Ryan Northcott is a high-school whiz who
threatens Crowe's prestigious position. Directed by Jay Roach ("Austin
Powers"), it's like "Northern Exposure" meets "The Longest Yard,"
although too much time is spent on superficial strained marriages and
father-son relationships. Colm Meaney, Mary McCormack, Michael Buie,
Michael McKean, Ron Eldard, Judith Ivey, and Lolita Davidovich embody
colorful characters who add to the predictable melodrama as Little
Richard sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" and Mike Myers broadcasts the
game. There's lots going on but little depth. If you're looking for a
really good hockey movie, rent the video of George Roy Hill's
"Slapshot," which was filmed in the mid-'70s at Yale. On the Granger
Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Mystery, Alaska" slides in with a chilly
5. The puck stops here.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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out of 4
