Mystery, Alaska (1999)

A wife cheats on her husband. Husband finds out what she has been doing in his bed in his bedroom. Wife says l love you.I made a mistake (in the movies as all we know, adultery is called mistake). Husband forgives her and they live happily ever after. Ha ha ha ha......

The folks who live in tiny Mystery, Alaska love their Saturday hockey games. Playing on the team is a big deal to most men, and when Sheriff John Biebe (Russell Crowe) gets cut because he's too old and too slow, he feels awful. It's even worse when a former Mysterian returns from the big city with news that the New York Rangers are coming to play the locals on national TV.The subtitle for this movie could well be "Northern Exposure on Ice" or even "Rocky in Skates." It's the tale of quirky small towners with all their domestic ups and downs who naturally pull together for the Big Game against the city slickers. In other words, it's pretty corny and predictable unless you're a hockey fan, in which case you'll probably love this movie. An ensemble piece, we don't see a whole lot of Russell Crowe; it's just as well because he seems woefully out of place. Yes, he can skate, but he's just too intense and intimidating for this lighthearted comedy. Sharing the screen with the likes of Burt Reynolds, Mike Meyers, and Little Richard diminishes his star quality considerably.

Sure, this film has a lot of hockey, but that is only the backdrop to a study of small town values and living. Hockey is what binds the town together, especially the "Saturday game," which is just about the only thing going in Mystery (Well, there is one other thing!). Just like all small towns, things change when the local boy made good returns with a game with the New York Rangers.Hockey fans, of which I am not one,will enjoy the movie, but the real story is the cast of characters and how they deal with life in Mystery, and life in general. Russell Crowe was fantastic as the sheriff. Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, Burt Reynolds, Lolita Davidovich, and Colm Meaney all put in outstanding performances in this enjoyable comedy. It is one I come back to over and over to see a great ensemble cast and a great story.

Like Cicely on TV, Mystery is an isolated town in Alaska. During the long cold winter, the residents look forward to the "Saturday games" played by the hockey team described by Sports Illustrated as being good enough for the NHL, even though they never play any teams from outside the area.Sheriff Biebe is a veteran player who is not as good as he used to be, and he must step aside to make way for younger men such as Stevie.Charlie left town years ago hoping for a more exciting life. He returns periodically, and this time he has come back with the announcement the Mystery team will play the New York Rangers. Actually, the Rangers are not too happy about coming to this frozen wasteland, especially since they would like to have time off.Not all in Mystery are enthusiastic about the idea, fearing the town will be embarrassed. Judge Burns is one of those opposed, and he refuses to be the coach for this game, giving Sheriff Biebe an opportunity to return to the sport. The dispute goes to court, and attorney Bailey Pruitt is sent to argue the town's case. His passion for his town has unfortunate results, but what happens may ultimately have helped the town win. The Rangers will play in Mystery after all.Meanwhile, the town is fighting efforts by a chain store represented by Mr. Walsh, whose treatment leads him to conclude these are a bunch of crazy Eskimo Rednecks. Those who say "Eskimo" are reminded the preferred term is Inuit. Actually, most of the people in Mystery are Caucasian.Judge Burns is overprotective of his cute daughter Marla who wants to make sure her boyfriend Stevie doesn't leave her for a girl who will. (Will what? You know what.) The judge's son Birdie can't seem to please his father.Charlie used to date Donna, who married Sheriff Biebe and had 3 kids with him. But there seems to be little threat Donna will go back to Charlie, even though she is not entirely happy in this place.At first, this seemed silly. Only Russell Crowe seemed to be rising above the material, and his ended up being the standout performance. Later I realized this was like "Northern Exposure" in more ways than one--sure, there were quirky characters, but also good writing and acting.I don't know hockey, but the game seemed exciting enough.This would have been a good family movie if the writers had stayed away from bad language and other inappropriate content. Even cleaned up, it was raunchier than it had to be.******* Even if you want spoilers you may not want this one ********This movie does have a happy ending, but not a Hollywood happy ending. It takes a lot more effort to make the ending enjoyable when the team comes close to, but does not achieve, the final goal the formula would seem to dictate.But the Mystery team does gain the respect of their opponents, and the townspeople really appreciate their effort.******* Okay, you can start reading again *******I enjoyed the second half more than the first. The fact is "Northern Exposure" did not always please me either.