Review
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Title: The Cokeville Miracle
Director: T.C. Christensen
Producer: T.C. Christensen and Ron Tanner
Distributor: Brandon Purdie (available at deseretbook.com)
Genre: school violence, angels, family, small town
Year Released: 2015
94 minutes
ASIN: B011LW42W2
Price: $19.99
Reviewed by Elizabeth W. Roach for the Association for Mormon Letters
In 1986, the “Welcome to Cokeville” road sign showed a population of close to 500. On May 16, 1986, two terrorists with a homemade bomb held 136 or more children and support adults hostage in a first grade classroom, which amounted to close to 25% of the entire population of Cokeville, WY. Everyone in town had a child, parent, relative, friend or neighbor involved. No one was exempt from the two and a half hours of terror in that room.
“The Cokeville Miracle,” a new movie written, directed and produced by T.C. Christensen, chronicles not only one but several miraculous occurrences that resulted in everyone surviving with the exception of the two terrorists, David and Doris Young. Christensen uses interesting camera angles and creative use of lighting to help tell the children’s story of angelic help when time stood still. The movie is rated PG-13 for obvious thematic elements, but our family watched it together, including my 10 year old, and together we discussed the movie afterwards. I think he understands that the story points the audience towards faith, prayer for Divine protection, and love, not the darkness or despair that were trying to creep in and take over.
The movie is clear about certain events without exaggerating the violence or deaths. The acting is very good, except that in several instances it could not be called actual acting. Christensen found several survivors of the incident who agreed to be cast in the movie as adults. They shared that going through it again had a cathartic effect for them.
There were many people in the movie who stand out in my mind as making heroic efforts: obviously the school teachers and staff, the person who first alerted police to the crisis, the townspeople who used whatever means they had to show their commitment to the safety of the hostages, such as the rancher ready to sell his ranch to furnish ransom money, the high school teacher at another site who, at the risk of losing her job, led the student body in prayer, the EMT who assisted with triage who had three of her own children inside the elementary school, the medical personnel thirty miles away at the nearest hospital preparing for the unthinkable. The person who I feel merits special mention is Verlene Bennion, the oldest teacher who had been in the hostage situation and who kept going back into the building until she was sure everyone was out. She suffered from smoke inhalation and a chronic cough, but seeing her heroism during and after the attack, I do not think she regretted one moment or would have made other choices in order to spare herself.
To tell the truth, I had a hard time making time to watch this movie. I actively procrastinated for several days, partly because I teach school and have had invader and crisis training. I have contemplated what my actions would be if I am ever the one standing between my kids and a deadly threat. I would hope that I would be as courageous as Verlene Bennion or many of the others portrayed in “The Cokeville Miracle.” I don’t like depressing movies and don’t want to spend my time watching them. After I finally committed to view it, I found it was time well spent. I certainly wouldn’t suggest it for a family birthday party, but I felt uplifted, strengthened in my faith in God, and more grateful for the power and protection of prayer.
One of the last comments in the epilogue was thoughtful and sensitive: we do not know why some are spared in tragic situations such as these and some are not, but when we see the Hand of God intervening, it is fitting to acknowledge it. My heart hurts for those families that lived through other incidents of school violence, and for parents whose empty arms ache to hold their children. I don’t have answers that can explain why this and not that, but I do know that we can all seek for and eventually obtain peace and comfort amid any of the tragedies in our lives. As Tina Cook, the school secretary who was the first one threatened said, “The real story is not one of psychopaths but of survival, courage and spiritual experience.” T.C. Christensen stays true to that.