Less grievance. More gratitude.
That was the motto guiding film scholar and talk show host Michael Medved as he wrote “The American Miracle,” his 2016 tome exploring the providential moments that helped create the freest country in human history. The subject proved so vast that the author penned a companion book, “God’s Hand on America: Divine Providence in the Modern Era.”
‘One of the very few things they agreed on completely … was divine providence, the invisible hand. Washington used that phrase in the first inaugural address.’
Almost a decade later, we’re drowning in grievance, while gratitude remains in short supply. A perfect time for Medved’s book to reach the big screen.
No accident
“The American Miracle” hits theaters June 9-11, courtesy of Fathom Entertainment. The docudrama features recognizable names like Kevin Sorbo and Pat Boone, but the true stars are Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin.
The movie, subtitled, “Our Nation Is No Accident,” argues that God’s hand worked in mysterious ways to boost the country’s creation.
“I’ve been living with this idea of divine providence,” Medved tells Align, recalling pre-recorded history segments on his long-running radio program. “The most popular episode, ‘God’s Hand on America,’ gave rise to the book.”
Years later, it seemed like the right moment to bring its message to theaters nationwide.
The movie shares amazing stories tied to the country’s birth, including the many near-death experiences George Washington survived before becoming the nation’s first president.
Early in Washington’s life, he fought alongside the British and was the only horseback officer to survive a harrowing battle. “His hat was shot through with bullets, and two horses were shot out from under him. He was unscathed,” Medved shared.
No sugarcoating
The film doesn’t sugarcoat the Founding Fathers but puts them in spiritual context.
“At no point do we suggest the people you meet in the film are perfect human beings. … They were a remarkable group of human beings,” he says. “One of the very few things they agreed on completely … was divine providence, the invisible hand. Washington used that phrase in the first inaugural address.”
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Medved recalls a sermon from Presbyterian Minister Samuel Davies that echoed that sentiment.
“I cannot but hope Providence has hitherto preserved [him] in so signal a manner for some important service to his country.”
“The American Miracle” blends re-enactments with historical experts to buttress Medved’s arguments.
“Some of the leading historians in the country take the idea of divine providence very seriously,” he says.
Avoiding polarization
Medved’s conservative thinking is part of his brand, along with an extensive career as a film critic. He worked alongside fellow critic Jeffrey Lyons on the 1980s PBS show “Sneak Previews,” taking over for original hosts Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.
His personal politics aside, Medved still didn’t want “The American Miracle” to embrace a partisan ethos. The film’s array of experts, including Robert P. George, Joseph Ellis, and Jana Novak, offer some ideological diversity. That includes contributions from Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss.
The Hollywood icon is no rock-ribbed conservative. He’s left-leaning but a patriot who promotes a better understanding of the country’s founding principles via his Dreyfuss Civics Initiative.
“We tried to avoid some of the polarization that has been poisoning our politics,” Medved says of the film. “[Dreyfuss] has been a friend of mine for many years, since high school. He has made a passionate cause of civics and teaching civics.”
Part of “The American Miracle” explores the role black soldiers played in the American Revolution, fighting on behalf of the patriots. It’s hardly the kind of material one expects in a 21st-century film. Hollywood narratives wouldn’t allow it, but the historical facts remain.
Medved called their contributions “indispensable.”
Spotlight on the founding
Medved’s decades-long media career allowed him to watch the pop-culture transformation up close. He hails the new wave of choice in media circles, be it podcasts or new media platforms offering something different from what legacy media outlets provide.
“Today, depending on what your own obsession or interest is, there’s something there for you. Generally, we all spend too much time on mass media,” he says. “However, the advantage today is that there is a great deal of choice.”
That also holds for the pop-culture realm. Medved brings up the crush of stories tied to the American Civil War, from feature films to the celebrated “Civil War” docuseries from PBS mainstay Ken Burns.
What’s missing? More cinematic takes on the country’s Revolutionary War and astounding origins. That’s where “The American Miracle” comes in.
“It hasn’t gotten the same kind of attention. There’s no equivalent of ‘Birth of a Nation’ or ‘Gone with the Wind’ or ‘Glory,’” he says.
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