The Cokeville Miracle: Movie Analysis

Movies have different genres. They range from documentaries to science fiction films. Some may be make believe with a very enticing theme, or they consist of straight facts that may or may not bore the audience depending on what the particular individual finds interesting. A particular movie depicts an event that occurs in 1986 where a small town's elementary school became the target to a genius lunatic. What is a miracle? Well, The Cokeville Miracle has a lasting impression on anyone who views it because it is based on a real event, the "coincidences", and the background music.
The Cokeville Miracle, released in June 2015, came from a real event that happens on May 16, 1986, that director T.C. Christensen wanted to recreate. Ron Hartley(Jasen Wade) is a cop in a little town called Cokeville, WY. Leading up

to this event, his faith wavered because of the lack of desired proof. Two perpetrators, David Young(Nathan Stevens) and Doris Young(Kymberly Mellen), came to Cokeville because they wanted to create a "brave new world."
Intially, The Cokeville Miracle has a strong impression on viewers because it is based on a true story. Majority of movies produced in 2015 do not describe actual events. This movie goes play by play of the event. It even gives descriptions from some individual witnesses. Teachers, a parent who was merely dropping her child off at Cokeville Elementary School, and students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade were being held hostage. They still vividly remember the day the two perpetrators round them up into a room for two and a half hours before the bomb went off. That is when some of the children begin to tell their testimonies of that day.
Futhermore, The Cokeville Miracle has a strong impression on people because of the "coincidences." A few days after the sorrowful event, Ron's son, Jason Hartley(Kimball Stinger), struggles to come out of a trance of the eventful day. His parents decides to take him to a counselor because it was spiraling out of control. Jason spends about two hours with the counselor and his father begins to worry. The counselor has a word with Ron and exclaims he has to talk to his son. They arrive home and Ron grabs his wife to have a little chat. They sit at the table and the interrogation begins. Jason recalls on what happens in the room at the elementary school. He saw a lady in white telling him directly that the bomb will go and that he needs to stand next to the window. Jason assumes it was a grandmother that lived in Pinedale. Ron did not believe him at all, so they bring out their old photograph book and shows him. That was not the lady that he saw, so he continues to flip through the ancient book. He found her, but it was a deceased ancestor of Ron's. Later on in the movie, Ron and his wife, Claudia Hartley(Sarah Kent), are in bed. They have a discussion about their son and his revealing detail to them.
Although Ron does not believe his son whatsoever, he goes out his way to investigate and find his proof that he is looking for. He comes home that evening and tells his wife what he has found in the investigation. While Ron tells about his day, there is a flashback to all the people he interviewed with. The first person he talked to was the school's principal. He explains that days before the crisis of the bomb the fire alarm kept going off for no particular reason. It prepares the students for any kind of fire. After the day of the bomb, it went silent. One of the teachers, Ben Robbins (Mason D. Davis), had a strong feeling of making a box with tape around Mr. Young, so that the kids would not been up against the bomb and burned like Doris did. Ron says, "Wouldn’t you think this a coincidence?". He exits out of the principal's office and continues to investigate.
He than proceeds to the bomb expert Rich Haskell(Rick Macy). He tells Ron that everyone in that room should have died on that day, but some of things from the bomb did not add up well. For example, the milk jug that David had used had a leak in it. That is how they got to open the windows because of the fumes that it gave off and begin to make the kids sick. It made a vent for the blast. At the bottom of the jug, was a powder that was designed to shoot up in the air and burn away, causing a even bigger explosion than originally, but it was moist from the gasoline. Another example, two out of the five blasting caps went off. There were specific wires that were connected to trigger them, but they were cut clean with something like wire cutters. If the wires had been connected, it would have blown out and killed everyone. Some cartridges that were in the bomb went off and leaving everyone in the room unharmed. Then comes how the bomb exploded. David was no idiot. He knew what he was doing with the bomb, but it did not work like it was designed. It should have went out, but instead it went straight up into the ceiling. It this some kind of coincidence?
After looking into the bomb side of it, he goes to several of the children's home to talk to them individually and tell their story of the event. The first kids he did interviews with the Walkers sisters. They both claim they saw a lady there in a white dress. They later identify their angel as their decease grandmother. Next was a Sorensen girl. She says that a woman helps her out of the room. She later identifies the woman as her decease aunt. Many of these witness statements go back to an ancestor who were looking after them. Movies have no feeling in it without a little music involvement to bring the emotions within and bring sentimental value.
Lastly, The Cokeville Miracle has a strong indication on viewers because of the background music.

Music plays a major part. Whether its something like making someone happy or sad, it brings that sense of emotion. A movie without music would be boring and dull. It takes the boring and dullness away with a music of suspense or terrorizing. Music has its value in the movie. In the scene where Ron is telling his wife of all his investigation, the music begins slowly when he begins saying, " If I hadn't been out that day, I could have easily gotten myself and everyone else in that room killed." Then, the music gradually increases as he continues to tell his tale. The music is soft and heartfelt. It could also bring anyone to tears because of the emotion set from the music. Later on in the movie, the last scene of where they are at church, Ron walks over to a room where all the children in the elementary school were singing. They were singing a known song for children in the LDS church. The song is titled " A Child's Prayer". Its played at the end and leaves a powerful message. The music grows and swells and orchestral music from the same song continues the

phrasing.
In conclusion, the movie ends with the Hartley family on the ground together kneeling in prayer. The overall movie theme is the power of pray of anyone who is willing to ask God for guidance. The victims in the elementary school enjoy the movie greatly. It shows the value of the prayer from children to modern day. Some reviews say otherwise. A film reviewer, Randy Cordova, explains the movie is just missing that strong feeling in an inspirational film (Cordova). He says, "the movie could use a little more subtlety and restraint."(Cordova). On the other hand, Hans Rosekat argues that, "The film does a great job describing the history of the hostage crisis" (Rosekat). Even though many reviewers do not like the film, many others love it and seek the way to receive the guidance from God. Miracles come in different ways. This just happened to bring up something that was old and recreate this wonderful miracle.