Miracle Mile

Starring: Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, Mykelti Williamson, John Agar, Lou Hancock
Directed by: Steve De Jarnatt
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
1989

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An ordinary man (Anthony Edwards) picks up a ringing pay phone at 4 a.m. and hears a chilling message- that nuclear weapons have been launched on Los Angeles, and he has a little over an hour before everyone in the City of Angels is killed.

Review:

Tim: There is so much I really like about this movie, that it is a shame it isn't just a little bit better. Let's start with the amazing premise- an average, everyday guy picks up a pay phone and is told that nuclear bombs will destroy Los Angeles in a little over an hour. That premise right that guarantees I'd watch this movie. I love that concept, as it provides a fascinating, thrilling, truly chilling movie. I really like movies that could theoretically happen to any of us. As I watched this movie, I asked myself, "What would I do if that were me?" Honestly, I have no idea- and that scares me.

This movie works because it is such a scary idea. Nuclear war is about as frightening a possibility as you could imagine, and here, we are confronted with that possibility in a realistic, gritty manner. The movie brilliantly takes time up front to develop the characters so that we care about them and the terrible situation they find themselves in. By the time the more remarkable and difficult-to-believe aspects of the movie come, we're already invested. Now, this is not to say that we can overlook these impossible-to-believe scenarios. This is what practically ruins the movie and sinks it far lower than it should have been. We're given these outlandish events, and then asked to believe they are actually plausible. I won't go into describing each and every one of them, but I'll point out the most egregious- Edwards running around Los Angeles at five o'clock in the morning, desperately seeking someone who knows how to fly a helicopter- and actually does find one, in a gym. Are you kidding me? I can believe a lot of unbelievable things in movies, but this was just ridiculous. This single moment did irreparable damage, but it is not alone. There are a number of crazy events that cause us to roll our eyes, shake our heads, and take us out of the movie. Without these flaws, this could have been a truly great movie.

I really liked the casting of Anthony Edwards in the lead role. He is such a likeable everyman- he fits perfectly in the role, as we are expected to believe he is an ordinary guy thrown into an extraordinary situation. The movie works because he so believable in this role. I really enjoyed his performance, and doubt this movie would have been as good with anyone else in the role. The supporting cast is good, with Mare Winningham and Mykelti Williamson both giving good performances.

Miracle Mile should have been one of the greatest movies of the 1980s. Sadly, it suffers from a number of fatal flaws, which even prevent this movie from being very good at all. It would have helped to have a bigger budget, and the movie should have tried for a bit more realism. None of the film's flaws were unpreventable- this could have been a chilling, powerful, unforgettable movie. As it is, though, this is a decent movie that had nearly unlimited potential. While I enjoyed parts of it, more than anything else, I am lamenting what this movie should have been.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Day After Tomorrow, Volcano, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Fail-Safe, On the Beach, Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb