With the 1967 setting, cultural norms were shifting rapidly. The two women work through the repressed emotions of their lives. Linney’s performance falls in line with Smith. Bates turns in a masterful emotional performance, even if the accent feels touch and go. Decades of frustration continued to warp her perspective, but the longing for the friendship she felt as a teen persisted. Her years of resentment and anger come rushing back, reminding us that our brain as a teenager makes every moment feel cataclysmic. Each performance reaches for the emotional depth of the story, but the ambition of the writing holds back the narrative.īates plays a very loud and boisterous woman. The ill will that’s festered for decades comes to light. While there’s little reason to believe in an actual miracle that defies science, the women slowly mend the wounds they caused to each other. Much is made about the power of healing throughout The Miracle Club. When the local parish sends its members to Lourdes, France, Chrissie joins the ladies on the trip. Young mother Dolly ( Agnes O’Casey) tries to mend the fences. Her former best friend, Eileen ( Kathy Bates), and her ex-boyfriend’s mother, Lily (Maggie Smith), each hold resentment. Once there, she comes into conflict with the town’s residents. As it prioritizes the safe over interesting storytelling choices, The Miracle Club stalls out.Īfter her mother’s death, Chrissie (Laura Linney) returns to her childhood home in Ballygar. From its opening frames, The Miracle Club leaves little to the imagination.

Yet sometimes, the genre cannot fully separate itself from its rote storytelling. Small but mighty prestige films, including Enchanted April, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and A Room with a View continue to function as comfort cinema.

Few films are more relaxing than the “Brits go on vacation” subgenre.

Miracle box tv review