Miracle in Lane 2

Justin Yoder (Frankie Muniz) wants desperately to win a trophy. He wants to compete, to succeed, to win. One problem. Justin is in a wheelchair.

While his disability has hampered him for years, Justin finally finds something that he can do--soapbox derbies. After talking his parents into it, he launches into a whole new stage of his life, finding that he is good at something, and he might even have a chance at a trophy.

This movie caught my eye one day a little over a year ago on the Disney channel. I watch 'Malcolm in the Middle' and quickly recognized Frankie Muniz. However, it was not him I came away loving, it was Patrick Levis. Patrick plays Seth Yoder, Justin's older brother. I have a brother of my own with a disability, so I understood every single one of Seth's feelings and frustrations. The scene in which Seth breaks down and spills his feelings to his father was especially poignant. Thank you, Patrick, for such a beautiful and understanding performance. This movie is careful not to deny the truths of being a sibling to someone with a disability--a rare and wonderful thing for films.

All in all, a magnificent piece of work, especially for a made-for-TV movie.

I searched up this movie remember watching it once on Disney Channel and expected a hidden gem. I ended up disappointed but that's not to say there's nothing redeemable. The actors keep up a family chemistry while talking about a pretty heavy subject with care, these are some fun ideas such as fake courtrooms, or talking to "God" that end up half baked in the end. There's a minor emergency sequence that does a great job showing not telling how serious our main character's condition is. The main problem is it takes 30 minutes to bring up soapbox racing, which should be the central plot of the movie. I almost turned it off at 25 minutes because nothing was moving forward. I would have also trusted the actors to convey a little more, for example there's a part where our main character is narrating "I wish I had a trophy like my brother" when a jealous look would have probably communicated the same thing. The ending is predictable but still good! I wouldn't watch this if you don't have the nostalgia tinted lenses.

I am teetering between a 5 and 6 rating because this Disney channel original movie was far and away better than most of the ones that came before it, but some of the god scenes (especially at the end with the angels in wheel chairs) was kind of dumb and to me soap box racing is just kind of boring. But little Frankie Muniz is adorable and carried this movie. All the other actors are pretty decent as well. It's cool to this was based on a true story. This movie covered some heavy topics without getting too heavy. The brother dynamic was sweet though the actors were kind of obviously older than the characters ages they were portraying. Not the best movie, but it was a sweet story. I'd recommend a watch.

Franky Muniz lights up the screen in this movie. While it is a predictable plot in many ways, it is nonetheless touching. A good plot line will keep parents interested, with numerous side plotlines. All around, this film is well acted, and for the most part, avoids cheesiness and cliche (though there are a few moments). Kids and adults alike will love it.

Enjoyed the movie and the message. Didn't realize it was Malcolm's Frankie Muniz at first, but thought that he did a pretty good and convincing acting job anyway. The cast seemed to have pretty good rapport with one another, and you are never bored at all as the story progresses. A good one for the family to enjoy.