Starring Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham as two potential love birds whose romantic date-night is cut short thanks to the alarming notification of the end of the world (nukes have been launched…!), De Jarnatt’s exciting, heartfelt, and totally unique tale of desperate romance hits all the right notes of 80’s tonal shifts and scrappy whimsy.
Edwards is great in the rare lead role as drifting musician Harry Washello, who immediately becomes smitten by a waitress name Julie (Winningham), who he meets at a downtown LA diner in the Miracle Mile district. They make plans for a date, but things get complicated when Harry runs late, and then answers a ringing pay phone where he hears on the other line the wild rantings of a supposed government worker exclaiming that the end of the world is near.
The rest of the film unfolds more or less in real time, as Harry attempts to traverse the rapidly crumbling city in an effort to find Julie and spend the last remaining moments of life together and happy. That is…of course…if the caller on the other end of that pay-phone was telling the truth. Without spoiling the film for anyone who hasn’t see it, there’s a conviction to the storytelling, especially in the final act, that feels alive and bracing, and the film serves as a unique precursor to efforts like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (very underrated) and any number of end-of-times thrillers that have been released over the years since Miracle Mile’s low-profile theatrical release in 1988.
The film has become a massive favorite with at home viewers throughout the years, and it’s easy to see why: there’s not much else quite like it and few films dare to pack as much in as this one does into its slim but engrossing 90 minute run-time. De Jarnatt created a lively cross-section of distinct characters who all feel oh-so-Los Angeles, and I loved how the film’s narrative swerved back and forth between comedy, romance, surprisingly dark and violent action, and pointed social commentary which still feels relevant to this day.
Clearly shot on a low budget, the film feels much bigger, with slick and stedicam-dominated cinematography from Theo van de Sande, who was making his English language debut as a cameraman. There are some brilliant long takes that boggle the mind and I loved how De Jarnatt and de Sande captured the restless spirit of both Harry and Julie’s characters. This is a movie that meant one thing to me as a teen while watching it and a totally different thing when recently revisiting it. This is a goodie that too many people may be unfamiliar with. Tangerine Dream composed the eclectic musical score.
Review by Nick Clement
- Miracle Mile
Summary
Available on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino-Lorber, Steve De Jarnatt’s cult classic Miracle Mile is a terrific little gem that’s finally gotten its high-definition day of reckoning.
