Themes: Small-Town Life, Hockey Players, Underdogs
Main Cast: Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, Burt Reynolds, Colm Meaney, Lolita Davidovich, Maury Chaykin, Ron Eldard
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In this comic drama about fame, sports, and small-town life, Mystery, Alaska is a small town in one of the least accessible parts of the coldest state in the union. It's a town where everyone knows each other and there isn't much to do. In places like this, small things tend to become very important, and in Mystery, the one thing that keeps everyone sane is hockey. Most of the men of Mystery are obsessive hockey fans, and a local hockey league has sprung up, with pools of neighborhood talent facing off on the ice every week. When a national sports magazine does a story on the hockey fans of Mystery, Alaska, someone at the National Hockey League gets an idea for a publicity stunt: send the New York Rangers to Mystery to play the local all-stars in a nationally televised game. Most of the locals are thrilled; the game will give the people of Mystery a chance to bask in the limelight and make their sleepy town a household word. On the other hand, in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's secrets, this event could cause everyone to start airing their dirty laundry in public, with the whole world watching. Mystery, Alaska was directed by Jay Roach, who enjoyed considerable success with the two Austin Powers films, and stars Russell Crowe as John Biebe, Mary McCormack as his wife Donna, Burt Reynolds as Judge Burns, and Lolita Davidovich as Mary Jane. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Ryan Northcott - Stevie Weeks; Michael Buie - Conner Banks; Kevin Durand - "Tree" Lane; Scott Grimes - "Birdie" Burns; Judith Ivey - Joanne Burns; Rachel Wilson - Marla Burns; Mike Myers - Donnie Shulzhoffer; Joshua Silberg - Michael; Regan Sean O'Byrne-Macelwain - Joey; Jim Fox - Himself; Phil Esposito - Himself; Doug McLeod - Himself; Little Richard - Himself; Adam Beach - Galin Winetka; Cameron Bancroft - 'Tinker' Connolly
Credit
Andrew Neskoromny - Art Director, Shauna Robertson - Associate Producer, John Brace - Casting, Linda Lowy - Casting, Karen Baldwin - Co-producer, Jack Gilardi, Jr. - Co-producer, Richard Cohen - Co-producer, Deena Appel - Costume Designer, Richard Cowan - First Assistant Director, Jay Roach - Director, Jon Poll - Editor, Dan Kolsrud - Executive Producer, Carter Burwell - Composer (Music Score), Rusty Smith - Production Designer, Peter Deming - Cinematographer, Howard Baldwin - Producer, David E. Kelley - Producer, Elizabeth Wilcox - Set Designer, Andrew C. D'Addario - Sound/Sound Designer, Tom E. Dahl - Sound/Sound Designer, George Anderson - Sound Editor, David E. Kelley - Screenwriter, Sean O'Byrne - Screenwriter
The New York Rangers' roster portrayed in the film is entirely fictional. The players from the real-life New York Rangers declined to be in the film.[citation needed]
