I did not know the film was based on real life events till the credits rolled. This film is melancholy . It has two Hollywood veterans William Hurt and Helen Hunt . Both do a fine job . But it is the young Erin Moriaty that shines in The Miracle Season . And tragic death of star volleyball player Caroline "Line" Found Danika Yarosh acts with such joy and passion that you feel very connected emotionally . Even if the story line while predicable a tear will run down your face . Excellent emotional film making 9 out of 10 well worth this true story being told in in the art of cinema.

I hadn't been so touched and overwhelmed by a movie since My Sisters Keeper; it's inspirational, empowering and based on true events. It's a must watch.

The only other review here as I write this wrote a good review. However, they reviewed this as a fictional movie. This is based on a true story and real life often does not have the makings of a well-written fiction. Normally I do not enjoy anything about sports if it is not local sports and does not involve someone I know, especially family members. If I wanted to watch sports I would turn on the news since that is over half of what the news material includes. I am not Mike Heck who thinks the answer to everything is "SPORTS". The coach reminds me of my boot camp T.I., tough as nails, hard on the troops, but in her heart very caring. Other than Helen Hunt, the outstanding actor in this film was Erin Moriarty. I researched her when I got home and it seems prior to this she has not done much work of significance. Too bad. I think with good material like this she could do well and go far. I was surprised to see Tiera Skovbye listed in the cast. I don't even remember seeing her in the movie. IE. she did not make much of an impression.

I went to see this movie with my volleyball team. We cried a lot, and we got inspired a lot from all the playing and the speeches they made during the movie. It's not just about the sports though, watching a movie about people having to get over the death of someone they care about really hits you in the heart.

Critics when they review movies miss a very important part and that is the emotional connection a movie has to a person. The miracle season connects to audiences with its powerful message of love and hope. You feel the raw emotion the team went through with the loss of their friend and captain and the triumph of winning state for the second time. It's real and it's raw. It's a much watch.

This movie's marketing team was the real miracle. The trailer, despite effectively spoiling the entire film, intrigued me and painted this as a potentially decent sports drama. If I ever make a hack job sports movie, I guess I'll have to run it through LD Entertainment.

We have a promising opening scene explaining how Caroline (Danika Yarosh), the girl who tragically dies in a moped accident, is an adventurous spirit who has a fun and uplifting effect on all those around her, and how she makes everything fun for everyone. Cool. The main problem is that Caroline, who is alive for I would guess about 20-30 minutes of screen time, is the only one of our main characters with a defined personality. Once she's gone and her mourning (a series of scenes which were somehow not handled well enough to elicit any sort of emotional response from me or my girlfriend) is complete, we're stuck with Kelly (Erin Moriarty) as our main protagonist. Moriarty's performance is the saddest thing in this film after Caroline's death (which is only sad because the girl actually died in real life, not because of any decent film making here.) There are several scenes where you can actually see Moriarty pull a face or summon up tears. Everything she says sounds stilted, her expressions forced. But maybe it's not all her fault.

Actors can't save bad writing (most of the time). This film has HORRIBLE writing. Not only is every line that comes out of our poorly acted heroines' mouths seemingly a cliche of some sort, the ones that aren't are laughably awful. My girlfriend isn't even very critical of movies most of the time, and even she had to burst out into silent laughter in the middle of the theater at how horrible the dialogue here is. Nobody talks like the characters in this movie. Not teenage girls, not anybody. Even the adults' dialogue is soppy garbage.Furthermore, it seems like the screenwriter forgot how to develop characters. There are multiple times in the movie where a character will take a major action or make a big decision, and I was left wondering "Huh? When did she make up her mind to do that? What has she been thinking? Where did this come from?" The movie paints Kelly and the rest of the West High Volleyball team as going through massive emotional trauma and struggle, yet the movie's efforts to give us a sense of that particular battle are woefully inadequate at best, nonexistent at worst. The only thing I would say to describe the change is Kelly between the start and the end of the movie is that she's sadder at the end. That's about it. I guess she also has a boyfriend with the personality of a cardboard cutout. So she's got that going for her.

The worst part is the pacing. The lack of displayed struggle and character development contribute to an overall tone that just feels... rushed. It's as if the writers were just trying to get through the beats of the story as quickly as they possibly could, with no regard for making it interesting or gripping. The one bright spot here is Coach Kathy Bresnahan (Helen Hunt), but her handful of serviceable scenes aren't enough to salvage this mess. The process of the team getting to state feels too quick and easy for it to be the arduous battle that it is portrayed as. Even once the team is playing at state, the random cut ins of pop songs in climactic scenes ruin the tension and drama of the scenes, feeling more like an effort to seem "cool" than a legitimate decision to make the film better. It's a shame too, because the volleyball sequences were some of the better shot scenes in a movie with otherwise incredibly bland cinematography.

All in all, this film is shallow in every aspect. Flat characters, horrible, uncreative cinematography, predictable beats, and rushed pacing. Even the orchestral score is bland and never fits the action. This movie is a disservice to the story it is trying to tell. It is rushed, slapped together, and possibly the worst movie I have seen in a couple years (and I saw God's Not Dead 3). Avoid at all costs.

Surprisingly amazing! Any young person should see it! Best since coach carter.

The Miracle Season is an inspiring account of a true story. The acting and narration respectfully accommodate the actual people involved. This is sure to be a worthwhile watch for any sports movie fan.

The story follows talented volleyball team, The Women of Troy, as they seek to win the championship. However, a tragic accident results in the death of team leader Caroline Found (Danika Yarosh). As a result, the team disbands in mourning, with coach Kathy (Helen Hunt) trying to lighten and reunite its hopeless members. Caroline's best friend Kelly (Erin Moriarty) chooses to become team leader and respect Caroline by espousing the championship. This results in a grueling training season where all team members must put aside their grief and work together to compete. With extreme stakes at hand, the team must win in order to fully respect Caroline's legacy and rectify their losses.

Helen Hunt, as Kathy, incredibly presents her tough-love attitude towards her team and their determination to win the championship. She performs wonderfully in depicting Kathy's attempt to imbue the team with a purpose in the most hopeless of circumstances. Erin Moriarty, as Kelly, excellently portrays her growth from novice volleyball player to motivating leader. Danika Yarosh, as Caroline, exceptionally characterizes her teenage friendship with Kelly, including some recklessness at times. This allows her accident to have an emotional weight to it. William Hurt, as Ernie, is my favorite character due to his character arc through his grief of his daughter's death, as he slowly pushes people closest to him away. His friendship with Kathy allows for a humanizing and emotionally charged redemption from his self-pity.

Sean McNamara directs the movie with a scenic chronological representation of the events that happened in real life. My favorite scene is one where Kelly and Ernie talk about their regrets, resulting in Ernie asking Kelly to stop being so harsh on herself. I love how it portrays a relatable aspect of life. The flaw with the movie comes in the first act, when it feels like another cliché teen drama. Fortunately, it improves once the more humanizing aspects of the story come into play. However, there is an overuse of mainstream music during much of the movie, which results in a few of the most emotional scenes being completely nullified.

The message of this movie is to always remain as a source of hope for others. Despite the extreme pressure the team faces, Kelly always finds a way to assure her teammates. I give this film 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 18.

Reviewed by Arjun N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org

If you're lucky as the kid growing up, you have that friend who inspired you to be greater. And if you're present at the time, you get the gift then. Before you're old and distinguish its value in retrospect. For me that was my friend John from high school. In Director Sean McNamara's "The Miracle Season" that soul is Caroline, played by Danika Yarosh, who inspired greater in Kelly, played by Erin Moriarty.

17 year-old Caroline or "Line" is the star volleyball setter for the Iowa State Champion High School Trojans. Line sees the strength within her best friend and teammate Kelly. Caroline sees the hero within Kelly that she has yet to discern. Along with their Coach Kathy "Bres" Bresnahan, the Trojans commit to win the 2nd consecutive State Title, something no other school had accomplished.

Spirited pretty Yarosh as Caroline is the radiant light who grants everyone friendship. Her Dad Ernie, played by William Hurt, is the surgeon and team mentor. Her Mother Ellyn, played by Jillian Fargey, suffers from terminal cancer. Caroline holds out hope that Mom will see her get married someday.

Caroline tragically dies in a traffic accident before the season starts. Her Dad and Kelly, along with the entire community are devastated. Initially, strong stoic Hunt as Bres dedicates along with the team to winning the State Championship for Caroline.

Sounds predictable or formulaic? Perhaps. However, unique poignancy emerges in the screenplay by David Aaron Cohan and Elissa Mastueda, whose story is based on real life Iowa high school volleyball star Caroline Found, who passed away in 2015. The movie is the homage to the Trojan's "Miracle Season" to the State Championships.

At times Cohan and Matsueda's narrative succumbs to wallowed sentimentality. Clumsy dialogue occurs especially in Coach Bres's inspirational sound bites. Perhaps, the mourning for the girls over Caroline's death indulges a tad, yet there is the sense of authentic loss. I think that authenticity of loss and looking at what someone's true legacy endears "The Miracle Season" even in its frailties.

Erin Moriarty is a star. She has understated strength and vulnerability as Kelly. She and Helen Hunt have savior chemistry and partnership. In the great scene Kelly quietly sets the volleyball up in air with her fingers, while Coach Bres closes her eyes and listens. She knows Kelly is the one. William Hurt is beautiful humanity as the grieving father, who like Line sees the greater within Kelly. "The Miracle Season" is about letting go.

So what is legacy? I've gotten that legacy shall be defined by others we touched in life. Yet, legacy can't be confined to the memory of the past. Legacy has value only when it is about those remaining moving forward and becoming greater. It's about regenerating the joy of those we love be it: making snow angels in the middle of nowhere.

Legacy is about others, them becoming greater than they know. Toward the end, Bres tells her players that she loves them, and couldn't be prouder. She says, "Win it for you!" "The Miracle Season" touches in reminding us that we honor someone's legacy in pursuing our own greater.

"The Miracle Season" is a wonderful, loving, perfect film. I went to see it on a whim and I am SO glad that I did.

It is the most touching film I have ever seen. Go see it, you will fall in love with all of the people in this movie, I promise.

Be sure to stay for the credits, you will see the real family and learn more about their story.

Amazing story, amazing film.

"The Miracle Season" (PG, 1:41) is a drama directed by Sean McNamara (who directed the 2015 true-story high school drama "Spare Parts") and written by David Aaron Cohen (2004's "Friday Night Lights" film) and Elissa Matsueda ("Spare Parts"). This movie is based on the true story of the tragic death of a high school volleyball team captain in Iowa in 2011 and the season in which the team struggled to overcome their grief, push forward without their best player and try to repeat as state champions.

Caroline "Line" Found (Danika Yarosh) is the effervescent captain of the West High School girls volleyball team and life-long best friend of Kelley Fliehler (Erin Moriarty, looking like a slightly younger Kate Mara). Caroline encourages Kelley when she doubts her volleyball skills and even manages to stay positive and try to boost the spirits of her mother (Jillian Fargey) who is dying of cancer. Caroline's father, Dr. Ernie Found (Oscar winner William Hurt), also seems to draw strength from his daughter as he deals with his wife's condition. All this makes for an especially devastating tragedy when "Line" dies so unexpectedly.

Caroline's teammates have a hard enough time dealing with losing such an important person in their young lives, let alone getting back on the volleyball court. The team's coach, Kathy Bresnahan (Oscar winner Helen Hunt) encourages Kelley to step up, become a team leader, and get her teammates back to practice. The coach feels that returning to the game they all love will help the girls heal and be the best way to honor Caroline's memory. The players slowly come to agree, but still find it very painful to play volleyball without Caroline - and just as difficult to win without her - but they keep on trying.

"The Miracle Season" is a touching and inspiring story. It may be predictable and have an "After School Special" vibe to it, but the excellent cast and strong performances raise this film to another level. It would've done better to wallow in its sad backstory a little less and feature the game of volleyball a little more, but the movie is still entertaining. It also serves up some valuable lessons, not just about overcoming adversity and never giving up (as important as all that is), but it also shows teenagers how fragile life can be and reminds us all to live every day to the fullest. "B"

I really enjoyed The Miracle Season. At a time when we need more movies representing strong women, this movie does just that and more! Sean McNamara did a awesome job directing and Helen Hunt was fantastic as usual. This is a great film that you can take your whole family to see and you will leave the theater feeling inspired!

Loved this movie... as a former volleyball player it was completely relatable.. and the intensity was spot on. This is a tear jerker movie but.., a great story. Cast and crew did an amazing job to make all characters relatable and believable! This is a movie with passion, laughter, sadness, drive, determination, community, and sports intensity. I will own this one when comes out. I Don't think it's getting the attention or rating it deserves..5 stars+

I recently watched the movie " The Miracle Season" and I was enjoyed with volleyball that I would go to my backyard and play volleyball. The main characters are Caroline ( Danika Yarosh), Coach Kathy ( Helen Hurt), Kelly Fisher her best friend since a little kid ( Erin Moriaty), Ellyn Found Caroline's mom (Jillian Fargey), and Ernie Found Caroline's dad ( William Hurt). The story is about a girls volleyball team in West high school. They are trying to win a 2nd championship to make a legend but they are facing City high for the second time. Caroline and her best friend Kelly are the funniest people in the team. Although Caroline may be the team captain she is one of the best people in the world. She is always cheering and helping her team out to pull out the best of them. Caroline's mom is in the hospital because she has cancer but Caroline is alway visiting her. Although her mom may be sad Caroline is always cheering her up by saying " mom promise me that you will be here at my graduation, at my wedding and you are going to dance with me at me wedding, and you are going to be at my funeral right?" Her mom promises that she will do all this it is very emotional the specific things Caroline told her that they both cried that tears came out. Kelly and Caroline decided to throw a party after their first volleyball game so before their game they invited everyone that they saw. I would tell you more but I don't want to spoil it for you so you would want to watch the movie. I really did enjoy this movie especially the Character Caroline I even tried to act like her by cheering people on when they are sad and need someone by their side. For that reason I gave this movie a 5/5 because when you watch the movie it will knock the ball right out of your hands. All movies teach you a lesson and this movie taught me that if you don't give up at all and you just keep trying success will soon come to you. For example if you play basketball and you don't give up you could win a trophy. I really recommend this movie to people who like a bit of emotion, sad, exciting, and athletic movies especially volleyball. I do recommend you to watch this movie and you can see how exciting it is. Hopefully if you watch it you will enjoy it as much as I did.

It is not a CGI, special effect, socking surprise type of movie but it is about a real life event. Sometimes we need to experience life and what others go through at times to live more. This movie had a good impact on me living life. Enjoy.

Ashley lots of movies once or twice a week. This was a good one. If you have sports stories love high school students and have a heart, you will love this movie Even though I assumed I knew how it would end, the time passed so very fast and I was on the edge of my seat for the whole thing. If you like movies the touch your heart, this is one.

The real story behind The Miracle Season was made for the silver screen, but as result this film becomes mediocre melodrama that brings nothing new to the conversation while, at the same time, offering a slow paced story full of cliches and rushed character development. Helen Hunt's (as Coach) divorce wasn't addressed beyond introductory scene. William Hurt (as dr. Ernie's) loss of spirituality is dealt short shrift. The romance between Erin Moriarty (as Kelley) and handsome new neighbor doesn't amount to much. It's actually distracting how misguided a "love" interest is here, since the focus should be on Line's grief-stricken inner circle. Worse, the sense of this community coming together, treating the volleyball games as a safe space to grieve and support each other is noticeably lacking. The matches are far from exciting and narrowly add up to this "sports" movie. Towards the end, the film does get repetitive. Sadly, The Miracle Season lacks the depth and while the team might be rooting for "Line", then, maybe you will not for this movie, no mater how real story sad is. Too much missed opportunities here. 4-/10

This movie literally just made me cry so hard. Maybe I was crying cause my friends next to me were bawling and I was passing her tissues (make sure to bring tissues) but I was crying. The only other movie I ever cried in was "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". It's amazing how real they made this movie and how it looked almost exactly the same as the real story. Oh and that it's based on a true story, that breaks my heart. I love this movie and $12.25 is usually never worth it but this was worth it.

The Miracle Season (2 out of 5 stars).

The Miracle Season is a drama based on a real story of a high school student who was the captain of her volleyball team and the heart that drives every one to be the best. Until, she was killed in a moped accident. Yes, the real story is sad. Caroline Found was an every day down to earth kind of girl. Were every one liked her in school. She was always energetic, happy, and always motivating others to be the best. There was barely anything to not like about her. The film lacked in delivering a character depth with her and the rest of the cast. The story of the real event was incredible. But the film lacked in the inspirational theme.

The plot follows Caroline (Danika Yarosh) the volleyball captain of her high school team. She is well loved, caring, and inspirational to others. They have been undefeated. She has a best friend Kelley (Erin Moriarty) since childhood. She has a loving father Dr. Ernie (William Hurt). And her mother who was diagnosed with cancer. Caroline inspires her to get better and that she will be there to watch her graduate high school and see her get married. When Caroline takes off in a moped. She was killed in an accident. Which caused everyone to grief including her team and friends. And the team struggles and loses several games. Coach Kathy (Helen Hunt) has trouble trying to inspire the team. She ask Caroline's best friend Kelley to help motivate the team to do what Caroline would want them to do. After a few tough practices that causes the team to run plenty of laps. They find their winning streak again.

The real true story was probably more inspirational and sad than the film tries to be. The film lacks in a better script. The characters are flat and one dimensional which makes it hard to believe that they were inspired. Caroline played by Danika Yarosh was more obnoxious with her loud, annoying, and attention seeking behavior. Sure, the direction could have tried to rearrange the performance. Danika Yarosh was decent in Jack Reacher movie but in this movie she was energetic and a bit irritating. Erin Moriarty was also okay but the script did not give much detail for her to work with. Helen Hunt's character was underdeveloped as well. As we know she was struggling going through a divorce and trying to get her team back on their feet. William Hurt is a talented actor but the character was very flat.

For an inspirational movie, this one was a little disappointing. The team was going through grief. They were unmotivated in practice. But the film flies by so quick with Kathy putting them through some tough training drills and they are all back on their feet instantly, and ready to play. It just was not believable and cliché.

Overall, The Miracle Season is a bad film. The real story was sad and inspirational. Sadly, the film lacked in delivering that story with the script, flat characters, tedious acting, and a cliché direction.

Despite some of the reviews posted, I have to say I found this film kind of dull.

All the characters were wooden and two dimensional, with the exception of Line herself. No depth, no real reason to care about any of them. Heck, I don't think I can remember more than three names, and one of them is Coach.

Story itself was adequately paced, but included some plot details that went nowhere and would have been better left out.

Yes, it's saccharine sweet and predictable, but still, an enjoyable, inspirational, heart-warming family-friendly story (sorry for all the adjectives) Don't know why some critics trash this movie. Yes, we've seen this type of "rally around the painful loss, and win for our deceased sports hero" movie before, but it is based on a true story, and all that sticky sweet stuff really happened (as you can see by the real pictures and videos during the credits... Caroline truly did make an impact on her school/town). Yes, the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall the acting was good and the story was touching. No cursing or sex. A good, clean, emotional, family film In My Humble Opinion! 4/2018 *7.5 stars*

If you have children between 10-16 years of age, this is a must see movie. It carries an especially strong message to young girls.

Living in the area, I was well aware when this tragedy occurred. My nephew was also an assistant coach on the team (but not portrayed) so I know from him how accurate the portrayal is, as well as knowing Kathy for decades. Bres is very matter-of-fact, and suffers no fools, but she's not quite as calloused as portrayed on screen. That being said, it's understandable to create drama to perpetuate the story with a sort of antagonist. The timeline is a little 'off', and the difference between semifinals & finals is only a day- but again, plot development, so it's necessary. Other than these very small details, I found the film to be very good, Helen Hunt absolutely nailed Bres' wardrobe to a T! I recall the ICW football team also honoring 'Line' during their season, and the entire state really did rally around these kids who suffered so mightily. It's a wonderful portrayal of events, and how drive and determination really can propel you to the top, and honor those left behind.

Granted, this is not a real popular Sport, but I still very much enjoyed this Movie based on a real Life Iowa Girls High School Volleyball team. The Lead Actors and Director really do a great job of telling this tale. It is Emotion filled, and Inspiring ride throughout. Pretty sure you will walk out of theatre wanting to Spike A Volleyball or remember back to when you Could ? Recommend watching Trailer prior as it's kinda Sad,or better be sure be in Good Mood before Seeing.

Just to let you know it does have scenes that were inappropriate for young children and it also has upsetting scenes of people crying. I didn't like the pacing. And I found it predictable at times. I think there was a lack of displayed struggle and character development give to an overall tone that just felt rushed. It's as if the writers were just trying to get through the most of the story as quickly as they possibly could, with no regard for making it interesting or gripping. I think it could have been a good Movie, I just think that the Movie never seemed to find the emotional punch it needed.

I think that the volley ball games scenes could have been shot a little bit better. It got a bit boring at times and there were parts where there was music and then not for a long period of time and it made it feel weird. I found This Movie was an account of a true story about the actual people involved. But it Just fell flat in many places. I did not know that the Movie was based on real life events until the credits rolled, were we see a few pictures and videos which this Movie was based on. By looking at the credits I saw The real family and I learn more about their story. I'm not really a person who likes real life event Movie's but I think Sometimes we need to experience life and what others go through at times to live more. I hope that this Movie get remade as I know it could have been better and this story should be told with good Movie and not a flat one.

I would of liked to see more of the boy who was in the Movie. The actor was in House of Anubis and played Eddie, he had a bit of screen time in this Movie and some lines to say but he way just there, Kind of like a cardboard cut-out.

I liked the music that was used and I really liked the cute dog that was in it. I think the Cast did a really good job to make all characters relatable and believable with what they had to work with. The acting was really good and I like how they showed how fragile a teenagers life can be and it reminds us all to live every day to the fullest.