THE CHRISTMAS COAL MINE MIRACLE

US, 1977, 98 minutes, Colour.
Mitchell Ryan, Kurt Russell, Andrew Prine, Barbara Babcock, John Carradine, Melissa Gilbert.
Directed by Jud Taylor.

The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle is a better than average telemovie. It has a Christmas setting and thus ensures its being shown regularly at that season. However, the film is also one of those social minded telemovies and looks at life in a small town, a close-up on a family and its difficulties, the running of a town by a rich industrialist and the difficulties of the coal miners and their oppression by industry and management. The characters are well drawn and their stories interestingly interwoven, climaxing in a mine accident and a rescue. The problems of the family are perhaps easily sorted out, but the optimistic ending is given a Christmas setting to give some force and some emotional satisfaction to the audience. Films and documentaries like Norma Rae and Harlan County, U.S.A. have given us fictional and documentary background to mine work, factory workers and their plight and management and union difficulties. This film uses this background for its human story.

1. An entertaining telemovie, the portrait of a family, of a town? The social mindedness of the film? Its ability to involve its audience emotionally, cause them to reflect on social situations?

2. The focus and tone of the title? The Christmas setting, especially for the resolution? The focus on the miracle - the survival from the mine disaster and the resolution of problems? The optimistic tone?

3. How well did the film capture an authentic atmosphere of the town, how, mines? Authentic Middle America? How well did the film observe in detail the lives of the people? Audience identification with the various characters and their situations?

4. The picture of the coal mines, the bosses and their ruthlessness, the foreman doing what the boss ordered and making people go into unsafe mines, the challenge from the miners but their need for payment and their willingness to obey, the lack of protest? The double talk of the authorities, the need for inspections? The fact of explosions, supervision, dangers? The risk for the men going down the mine, the ultimate disaster and the trapping of more than seventy men? The alarm and the involvement of the whole town in the rescue, the need for quick digging and the risk of further explosion, men being crushed by the rock? The fact that the men were saved but determined to protest? This story seen within the history of African mines, the exploitation of the miners and the need for social reform?

5. The detailed portrait of the town, life in a small town, Matilda and her desperate need to escape, her dismal views about her future? The contrast with her mother having made the most of living with less but with love? Johnny bringing Matilda home, making her stay? Matilda becoming involved in the family and this helping her to see her future?

6. The device of having Kelly speak the narrative? The point of view of the little girl? Her outspokenness, her language and her mother's rebukes? Her comments on Johnny and Matilda's weakness? Her being sent out so as not to hear adult talk? Her making of the dolls and selling them at the shop, her wanting to buy the rocking horse, the clash with the store man and Mr Caulfield, the smashing of the window, her defying Caulfield at the mine site? Her future?

7. The contrast with Matilda and her preoccupation about marriage, the discussion of marriage, premarital sex, escaping from the town? Johnny and his decisions about her, taking her how? His being abused by Matthew? His making good? The possibility of a successful marriage?

8. Matthew as the focus of the family - a strong and tender man. a leader? His confronting the foreman but unable to change things? His support of Arthur and Carrie? His wise comments in the house, his sternness of manner, his love and devotion to his wife, his wanting her to wear the special dress at Christmas? The preoccupation about Tim and his decision to buy the rocking horse, the discovery of it in the trunk? His decisions in the mine, his supporting Johnny, the possibility of protest and change of conditions?

9. The portrait of Rachel - her background, her abilities in making her home nice, her love for her children? Her support of her husband? Helping Carrie? Her guiding the family with tenderness?

10. Johnny and his poverty, desire to study, love for Matilda but doing the right thing by her, his decision to go down the mine, his anger when they were trapped, Matthew sustaining him and helping him to be a leader?

11. Arthur and his drinking, poverty, Carrie and her pregnancy, her needs? Their pride? His being formerly trapped, his heroism in going down the mine? His being able to face the future?

12. How well did the film interweave the various stories and the personalities? How well did we get to know the characters, care about them and their difficulties?

13. The Christmas finish and the exchange of gifts, a sign of optimism and love and self-giving? An entertaining telemovie, useful social reflection?