Acting Powerhouses Elevate the Cinematic Comfort Food of ‘The Miracle Club’

Laura Linney has consistently delivered sterling performances, racking up Oscar, Tony, and Emmy nominations left and right. Yet she’s only become, as it were, meme-worthy as the presenter of the television series on the Public Broadcasting System’s Masterpiece Classic. Curiously, she’s never acted in one of those herself, despite proving time and again that it would be right in her wheelhouse. Such is exactly the case with “The Miracle Club,” which opens in theaters on Friday. The orchestral score and aerial establishing shots of the film, straight out of tourism commercials, all trappings of Masterpiece Classic’s series, are on full display here. It also stars the Dowager Countess from “Downton Abbey,” Maggie Smith, a series introduced by none other than Ms. Linney each week. The film seems like just the thing Viewers Like You would devour. Set in 1967, the story revolves around a group of suburban Dubliners on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, to seek miracle cures for some serious ailments. Their church is fundraising through a talent contest and furnishing free trips to Lourdes as prizes. Lily — Ms. Smith — battles lifelong anisomelia. Eileen — Kathy Bates — suspects the lump in her breast may be cancerous. Dolly’s — Agnes O’Casey — young son Daniel —Eric Smith — has been mute since birth. They don’t have the wherewithal to seek proper medical attention, so entering the contest as a singing group called The Miracles is quite literally their last resort. Yet they face more obstacles: they must compete with other contestants, and even if they do win, Eileen and Dolly still need to persuade their skeptical spouses — played by Stephen Rea and Mark McKenna, respectively — to give them reprieves from their domestic duties. How does Ms. Linney figure into this story, you ask? Her character, Chrissie, has been in exile in the States for four decades. She only returns now to attend the funeral of her mother, whom she hasn’t spoken with for just as long. Father Byrne —Mark O’Halloran — suggests that she come along to Lourdes using the ticket earmarked for her late mother. Not that Chrissie is sick or anything, but she apparently has some unfinished business with Lily and Eileen. You may be expecting a charming comedy for mature audiences along the lines of “80 for Brady” for the PBS set. Indeed, the promotional materials seem to suggest something breezy and lighthearted is in store. Yet no. With the exception of maybe Dolly, these ladies are dour and sometimes rancorous. That aside, the film plays it very safe. It unfolds more or less predictably. Is there any doubt that these ladies will end up scoring tickets for the pilgrimage? Or that there are hearts of gold underneath their crusty exteriors? That doesn’t necessarily mean “The Miracle Club” is wanting. It’s cinematic comfort food. The film dependably serves a specific purpose for a certain demographic. It has modest aspirations but succeeds in everything it sets out to accomplish. In a sense, it offers as much escapism as do the blockbuster franchises playing at multiplexes, albeit for an entirely different crowd: Scenic coastal views. Vintage fashions. Legendary actresses doing an accent. People burying the hatchet. What more can you ask for, really? This kind of movie pretty much sustained New York City’s Lincoln Plaza Cinemas for more than three decades until its closure in 2018. It’s like Masterpiece Theater, but it gets you out of the apartment. John Conroy’s cinematography does raise the film’s visuals above those of prestige TV. The scenes are luminously lit, even if some were clearly shot on a set as opposed to on location. Thaddeus O’Sullivan, who has had an extensive career directing both film and TV, confidently steers “The Miracle Club” with the genteel tone and pace very familiar to PBS viewers. And these acting powerhouses are always fun to watch. Even though their performances here don’t necessarily stand out more than usual, the usual for them is first-rate. If all of this sounds like your cup of tea, you won’t be disappointed.

Acting Powerhouses Elevate the Cinematic Comfort Food of ‘The Miracle Club’

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