Miracle Run
Encyclopedia
Miracle Run is a 2004 Lifetime Television
film starring Mary-Louise Parker
, Zac Efron
, Bubba Lewis, and Aidan Quinn
.
) drives her seven year old twin boys Stephen (Jake Cherry
) and Philip (Jeremy Shada
) to the doctor's office and learns that they have autism
. Philip simply repeats what he hears others say, while Stephen is completely nonverbal. After leaving the clinic in a very upset mood, she takes the boys shopping for groceries. Her visit to the supermarket is not a pleasant one, as her two boys begin screaming throughout the store and Philip wets himself, causing others to stare at them. Upon learning about their condition, her live-in boyfriend leaves because he knows raising twins with a mental disability will be difficult.
Corrine then moves with her boys to another town and enrolls them in a public school. Their classmates are puzzled by their strange behavior, as well as their teachers. Corrine is then told at a meeting by the principal as well as several psychiatrists that they are not fit for public school, and that they will be sent to a special school. The local mental hospital then sends a learning therapist to their house in order to teach the boys basic language skills and prepare them for normal society. With his help and support, Philip's vocabulary expands, and Stephen says his very first word, "Pizza".
After he is done with teaching the boys, the psychiatrist moves to another city to work with other families. Over the course of several years, the boys flourish verbally, socially, and academically. However, some of their autistic characteristics still remain, as they have somewhat nasal, robot-like voices, engage in self-injurious habits, and are very sensitive to loud and sudden noises. They also have an obsession with Rocky from the Rocky
films. On their first day of high school, Stephen (Zac Efron
) develops a crush on a girl named Jennifer (Alicia Morton
). While chatting with Philip (Bubba Lewis) in the bathroom, Stephen talks about Jennifer and says "Maybe she'll be my girlfriend." Another boy, an older boy with long hair mocks Stephen and pushes him, causing both of them to start screaming and crying.
Corrine is called to the school from work by their special ed teacher, and convinces the boys to come out of the bathroom and go to lunch. At lunch, Jennifer decides to sit with the two boys. Stephen sees several joggers outside from the hallway and decides to join the cross country team. Before the race, Stephen sees Jennifer kiss another guy. Stephen is hurt and confused. Corrine finds Stephen sitting down on the grass looking sad, and she finds a love poem in his hands that Stephen wrote for Jennifer. Then, Stephen realizes he has to move on. He wins the first race he runs in and Philip gets into a special music school by playing his newfound guitar talent over the phone. Corrine then founds The Miracle Run Foundation for research into autism. Stephen gives a speech about how his mother helped him and his brother with their autism.
. The High School campus scenes were filmed at Holy Cross High School's original campus (Holy Cross High School relocated to a new campus due to Hurricane Katrina
). The scenes with the cross country running were filmed in New Orleans City Park.
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
film starring Mary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker is an American actress, known for her current lead role on Showtime's television series Weeds portraying Nancy Botwin, for which she has received several nominations and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2006...
, Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
, Bubba Lewis, and Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn
-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
.
Plot
In a flashback, a single mother, Corrine Morgan-Thomas (Mary-Louise ParkerMary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker is an American actress, known for her current lead role on Showtime's television series Weeds portraying Nancy Botwin, for which she has received several nominations and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2006...
) drives her seven year old twin boys Stephen (Jake Cherry
Jake Cherry
Jake Cherry is an American teen actor who appeared as Nick Daley in Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and as Edie Britt's son Travers McLain in Desperate Housewives. His film debut was alongside Jennifer Aniston in Friends with Money...
) and Philip (Jeremy Shada
Jeremy Shada
Jeremy Shada is an American child actor and singer. He is currently voicing Finn on the animated TV show Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, a role which was voiced by his brother Zack in the pilot episode. His brothers are Josh Shada and Zack Shada.-Filmography:- External links :...
) to the doctor's office and learns that they have autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. Philip simply repeats what he hears others say, while Stephen is completely nonverbal. After leaving the clinic in a very upset mood, she takes the boys shopping for groceries. Her visit to the supermarket is not a pleasant one, as her two boys begin screaming throughout the store and Philip wets himself, causing others to stare at them. Upon learning about their condition, her live-in boyfriend leaves because he knows raising twins with a mental disability will be difficult.
Corrine then moves with her boys to another town and enrolls them in a public school. Their classmates are puzzled by their strange behavior, as well as their teachers. Corrine is then told at a meeting by the principal as well as several psychiatrists that they are not fit for public school, and that they will be sent to a special school. The local mental hospital then sends a learning therapist to their house in order to teach the boys basic language skills and prepare them for normal society. With his help and support, Philip's vocabulary expands, and Stephen says his very first word, "Pizza".
After he is done with teaching the boys, the psychiatrist moves to another city to work with other families. Over the course of several years, the boys flourish verbally, socially, and academically. However, some of their autistic characteristics still remain, as they have somewhat nasal, robot-like voices, engage in self-injurious habits, and are very sensitive to loud and sudden noises. They also have an obsession with Rocky from the Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
films. On their first day of high school, Stephen (Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
) develops a crush on a girl named Jennifer (Alicia Morton
Alicia Morton
Alicia Morton is an American actress and singer.-Biography:Morton started singing when she was 18 months old. When she was 6, she played Molly in Annie at her school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 7 when she landed the part of young Cosette in Broadway's Les Misérables in 1996. Costar Ricky...
). While chatting with Philip (Bubba Lewis) in the bathroom, Stephen talks about Jennifer and says "Maybe she'll be my girlfriend." Another boy, an older boy with long hair mocks Stephen and pushes him, causing both of them to start screaming and crying.
Corrine is called to the school from work by their special ed teacher, and convinces the boys to come out of the bathroom and go to lunch. At lunch, Jennifer decides to sit with the two boys. Stephen sees several joggers outside from the hallway and decides to join the cross country team. Before the race, Stephen sees Jennifer kiss another guy. Stephen is hurt and confused. Corrine finds Stephen sitting down on the grass looking sad, and she finds a love poem in his hands that Stephen wrote for Jennifer. Then, Stephen realizes he has to move on. He wins the first race he runs in and Philip gets into a special music school by playing his newfound guitar talent over the phone. Corrine then founds The Miracle Run Foundation for research into autism. Stephen gives a speech about how his mother helped him and his brother with their autism.
Cast
- Mary-Louise ParkerMary-Louise ParkerMary-Louise Parker is an American actress, known for her current lead role on Showtime's television series Weeds portraying Nancy Botwin, for which she has received several nominations and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2006...
as Corrine Morgan-Thomas - Aidan QuinnAidan Quinn-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
as Douglas Thomas - Zac EfronZac EfronZachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
as Stephen Morgan - Bubba Lewis as Philip Morgan
- Alicia MortonAlicia MortonAlicia Morton is an American actress and singer.-Biography:Morton started singing when she was 18 months old. When she was 6, she played Molly in Annie at her school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 7 when she landed the part of young Cosette in Broadway's Les Misérables in 1996. Costar Ricky...
as Jennifer Michaels - Jake CherryJake CherryJake Cherry is an American teen actor who appeared as Nick Daley in Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and as Edie Britt's son Travers McLain in Desperate Housewives. His film debut was alongside Jennifer Aniston in Friends with Money...
as Young Stephen Morgan - Jeremy ShadaJeremy ShadaJeremy Shada is an American child actor and singer. He is currently voicing Finn on the animated TV show Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, a role which was voiced by his brother Zack in the pilot episode. His brothers are Josh Shada and Zack Shada.-Filmography:- External links :...
as Young Philip Morgan
Locations
The movie was filmed in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The High School campus scenes were filmed at Holy Cross High School's original campus (Holy Cross High School relocated to a new campus due to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
). The scenes with the cross country running were filmed in New Orleans City Park.