Plot Summary
When a madman and his wife entered a small Wyoming elementary school and took everyone inside hostage for an astronomical ransom, it seemed like all hope was lost. As the hours ticked by and tensions rose, no one could have predicted how it all would end. The crisis escalated and a seeming tragedy struck, but no one in Cokeville was prepared for what happened next. The children of the school claimed a miracle had occurred, but many were skeptical at first—until they saw the evidence for themselves that God was at work.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
The Cokeville Miracle is a raw production effort that starts out, unfortunately, very cheap-looking and drab. This mostly pertains to some poorly lit scenes, some grainy video quality, and some poor special effects. However, as the movie goes on, all production elements improve. It’s clear that this team stayed within their means and did not over-exhaust their resources. By the second half of the film, there are virtually no production errors, making this a very unique production. Overall, it comes out as average, and since the production does get better as it goes, the film is saved from total disappointment.
Plot and Storyline Quality (3 points)
We always say you can never go wrong depicting real life on the big screen, as long as it’s depicted properly. The story of the miracles at the Cokeville Elementary School in 1986 is one that is worth portraying, but also difficult to portray since such a portrayal could easily become sensational and unrealistic. However, this was not the case with this film. Each character is realistic and believable—even the villains—and dialogue is effective in building the characters. This type of story is not easy to craft properly, yet The Cokeville Miracle unfolds exquisitely and makes you stay until the very end. Historical authenticity is preserved as this story makes everyone, even skeptics, think about the nature of modern day miracles. In short, this is a film well-worth your time.
Acting Quality (3 points)
For an ‘amateur’ cast with not much notoriety, the cast of this film gave a slam dunk performance. There are no acting errors here, even where there were potential pitfalls, such as villain acting and child acting. Care was taken to preserve the original people who experienced this crisis firsthand. Emotions are believable and line delivery is effective. This rounds out a job well done.
Conclusion
While we would have loved to see higher production quality, this team did everything they could do with what they had, and that’s really all we ask of film makers. Whatever God has given you, do the best you can with it. The Cokeville Miracle proves you don’t need a big budget or big names to make a great movie. All you need is a good story and the care enough to tell it properly. ‘Little’ films like this one put ‘big’ ones to shame and demonstrate true greatness.
Final Rating: 7.5 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 
One of the most powerful films of faith that I have ever seen put on film. I saw it several times in the theatre and have returned to it on Blu-ray. I value THE COKEVILLE MIRACLE as one of my special film experiences.
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This is an amazing film that will touch your heart and remind you of the power of prayer.
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