Miracle
I've never watched a hockey game in my life, but I was thrilled by the film Miracle and consider it to be one of the best sports films out there. I had come into this class, having already seen the film a few times, but it did not dull my experience. The event truly was a miracle and this film backs that up by providing an accurate interpretation of the team's chemistry and hockey matches. The games were by far the most interesting part of the movie. The matches were action packed, short, and suspenseful. Maybe a little over exaggerated, but they still captured my full attention. I consider the 1980 U.S Hockey Team to be one of the most significant underdogs in the history of sports. No one could believe a team that struggled so greatly in the beginning could win the entire olympics. I think this is a lesson for everyone to keep note of. Sports may never see such a huge upset ever again, but the lesson must be kept that anything is possible and miracles can happen.
The 1970's were a turbulent decade in American history and the 1980 U.S Hockey Team provided some relief and patriotism for struggling Americans. American patriotism had been lacking as a result of  the defeat in Vietnam, the watergate scandal, the economic slowdown, energy crisis and foreign failures such as the hostages in Iran and invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets. The Miracle on ice shifted public attitude in the United States and gave people a reason to feel good again. The U.S team came into the games expected to place 4th place at best. However, after a slow and rough start, the U.S team started to shock the world. The most influential and miraculous win in the games is considered to be the match against the Soviet Union, which resulted in a close 4-3 win over the Soviet Union. This is the match that gave the U.S the upper edge in the games and provided hope. After winning the Gold Medal, Americans had even more to feel good about. The success of the U.S team resulted in a resurgence of American Prestige .
I cannot provide a significant example of an event relating to sports having the same impact in my lifetime, but events such as what happened on September 11, 2001, greatly changed American attitude. After 9/11 American felt closer together and a greater sense of community. The event was not a positive one, but had some positive outcomes such as the increased security on U.S soil and the American people coming together as a nation in a time of grief.  

Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was an exhilarating film that provided suspense and excitement. I enjoyed the two different perspectives, one being from the astronauts standpoint and the other from Houston. Both were vital to the mission and reputation at stake. The crew encountered problem after problem and even in the most desperate of times, including when most electrical power was shut down and co2 was at extreme levels, the crew with the technical assistance of ground control, persevered to bring the astronauts safely back to earth. Lives and reputation were at stake and it would have been big news around the world if these astronauts had failed to survive. What I really liked about this movie was the overall excitement of encountering difficult and many times complex issues and finding a way to stay positive and fix the issue. There really wasn't a dull moment in this film. It was interesting to see how ground control operated and their significance to the survival of the astronauts. Most of the time they worked together, with the exception of some rash decisions being made by intelligent individuals, that actually turned out to work. I really hope to see humans on the moon again in the next 10-15 years. It is crazy to think that the United States, let alone any other space exploration team, has not gone to the moon in decades. I also want to see humans someday reach mars which would be a huge milestone for our advanced technology. It will happen, but the question is when.
As I mentioned above, I think the main theme in this film is perseverance. There were so many times in this film where the astronauts were on the brink of death, but somehow ground control and the crew found a way to solve the issue and not give up. There were so many things going wrong and it was easy just to say that they were doomed. However, Houston never stopped working to improve the situation and the Crew never once quit on themselves or mission control. Problem after problem, solution after solution, the team persevered and this is the only reason they were able to return safely. The lesson learned from this mission was that failure is not an option. It sounds cliche, but it really does mean something. So much was on the line in this case and everybody did the most they could to ensure no lives would be lost.  

Parkland
Parkland was a solid movie that provided me with a different perspective relating to the events and hours after the initial assassination of John F. Kennedy. It was clear from the footage that the president was not going to survive the sniper shot to the head, but it was still interesting to see how he was treated at Parkland hospital and the reaction of many Americans. It was a somber day for almost all Americans regardless of their party affiliation. Presidents are rarely assassinated and already with the social and political turmoil of the 60's, the assassination further more added to the chaos in the United States during that time. The one thing I wish this film provided were the conspiracies surrounding the assassination of JFK. I find the conspiracies involving his death somewhat convincing and interesting, but the film fails to provide that side of the story. Regardless of what many believe, the film accurately portrayed the events that occurred and for that, this film deserves recognition. We may never know if Oswald assassinated the president without orders from other individuals (or even if he delivered the kill shot), but we do know that his assassination impacted the hearts of many Americans for years to come. I am glad we watched this film because I had not known much about the assassination of JFK before watching and discussing this film.