Mystery, Alaska *** (1999, Rusell Crowe, Burt Reynolds, Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack) – Classic Movie Review 1656

Director Jay Roach’s good-natured 1999 comedy focuses, surprisingly enough, on the little-known remote small US town of Mystery, Alaska, which is obsessed with hockey. And it goes haywire when its amateur team agrees to take on the New York Rangers in a game that’s to be shown on national TV.

All eyes are on a just pre-superstardom Russell Crowe as sheriff John Biebe and Burt Reynolds as the judge, Walter Burns, who link up to get the team ready to win, in this messy but very jolly, thoroughly enjoyable little-league comedic sports drama.

The very good cast, Peter Deming’s cinematography and Carter Burwell’s music score help to make David E Kelley and Sean O’Byrne’s patchy, overlong screenplay (the film’s two hours) entertaining. The film is from the director of Austin Powers (Roach) and the creator of Chicago Hope, Boston Legal and Ally McBeal, David E Kelley, who’s also the writer of To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday and Lake Placid.

Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, Colm Meaney, Lolita Davidovitch, Maury Chaykin, Ron Eldard, Ryan Northcott, Michael Buie, Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes and Michael McKean co-star.

The entire New York Rangers roster in the movie is fictional and many players on the actual Rangers roster at the time refused to be in it.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1656

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