At one point, a hockey game meant something to America.

Living in Chicago, most of us Blackhawks fans may find this hard to believe. I sure do, and growing up, I was one of them.

I was practically born at Chicago Stadium, watching my beloved Blackhawks mop the ice with opposing teams. They didn’t always win, but they had heart and, most importantly, ferocity. Enforcers like Bryan Marchment and Chris Chelios could be seen laying out ice dancers like Mario Lemieux as the Blackhawks’ faithful pounded on the wooden boards nailed to the walls in the second balcony.

-I remember standing alert in the standing-room-only section of that balcony directly above Hawk goalie Eddie Belfour, as winger Michel Goulet scored a game-winning goal in a thrilling overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. During that overtime, my chest was so tense, all I seemed to hear in the blaring stadium was the sound of my heartbeat and the occasional crunch of crushed peanuts that laced the floor as the crowd stomped.

The new film “Miracle” recreates that feeling that people like me have felt at hockey games. Living in Chicago, or in America in general for that matter, most never had such an experience with this sport, or we’ve had it stolen from us by greedy owners who worry more about their pocketbooks than pleasing a memorable fan base.

We, the American people, also reserve our passion for baseball and football. But there are a select few groups of young men who venture out onto their local ponds and ice rinks, usually at ungodly, expensive hours, to fly across ice at blinding speed and risk paralyzation, all for the love of hockey.

“Miracle” tells the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. The squad was made of virtually unknown college stars, and they were set out to achieve one objective, to take down the greatest team in the world — the Soviet Union.

The Soviets had speed, they had creativity, they had chemistry and they had talent. While America clearly held the upper hand in the Cold War, the Soviets were the kings of the ice rink. For America, the 1980 Olympic Games became more than just a contest of sport; it was an extension of political warfare. The American people were convinced that they needed a victory against the Red Army, and the pressure was put on the U.S. hockey team to give it to them.

What the film does best is avoid the politics as much as possible. Occasionally, we hear audio from President Jimmy Carter, or a character makes a reference to the political ramifications behind the outcome of the Olympics. However, coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) makes it clear to us and to his squad that they are not out to prove anything to anybody other than themselves. “Miracle” is not a story of political domination; it is a story of the perks associated with believing in yourself and in your teammates.

Perhaps the best example is shown when coach Brooks explains to his team that the Soviets are the best because they believe in each other and they play like a team. It could be easy for a director at the helm of such a project as “Miracle” to make the Soviets into a Red enemy, but “Miracle” avoids this as much as possible. Director Gavin O’Connor wants us to know the U.S. team won by playing with the Soviets, not against them.

The U.S. victory over the Soviet team is one of the most important moments in sports history, and “Miracle” grabs it. During the climactic final match, I found myself putting my notebook on the floor and folding my hands in my lap, waiting and watching as if I were a fan in that stadium. As the game went on, I felt that tension in my chest that I hadn’t felt since at those Hawks games when I would bite my nails as a kid.

The only difference here was that I knew the outcome, and I still was wondering just what would happen. “Miracle” made me forget my memories and live the moment.

The strongest element of the film has to be the amazing photography provided by cinematographer Dan Stoloff. Stoloff utilizes nearly every cinematic contraption that can fit onto a hockey rink. We see crane shots, jib shots, dollys, handhelds and some shots that left me baffled. It’s not often that we see a sports film that leaves us wondering, “How did they do that?”

What such camera work does is take the spectator out of the theater and put him or her on the ice. In many sports films, we feel as if we’re watching the game from the stands, not from the playing field. “Miracle” not only shows us the sports, it makes us part of the action.

Being a hockey fan in Chicago is really difficult these days. For that Hawks fan who’s had his or her heart ripped out and stomped on again and again, “Miracle” is your perfect remedy.