When I heard about this film back then, I wanted to see it for I was a big Susan Penhaligon fan, and also the story (based on an actual event) intrigued me. Well I finally got a chance to see it after 20 years and WHAT A MESS!!!! I know this true story of a young girl, who is a lone survivor of a plane crash over the amazon jungles on Christmas time, and how she survived the amazon rainforest all by herself for 8 days, facing alligators and worms and insects, is a gripping story that would have made an excellent TV movie or even a major Hollywood movie at the time. But as it is shown here, the plane crash is so cheap, I have seen BUCK ROGER serials from the 30's with better special effects, plus despite the winning and great performance by Penhaligon, the bizarre music, which does NOT fit the film at all, which rather distracts from the dramatic scenes, plus the odd camera shots, the odd flashbacks, bizarre opening credits, really ruins what should have been a gripping film! It was a good idea to have the real people involved in the real story, like the family friend to the local priest, to the rescuers, playing themselves, but the overall effect is undistinguished. Also for what was supposed to be a major event film at the time, it just looks and feels like amateur filmmaking, almost like those "local community message filmmaking" style, and NOT a major film as hyped back then. Also there is no ending! The film just ends completely abruptly! I wanted to know more about what happened to this girl after the ordeal and nothing! Still it was nice to see the lovely Penhaligon give a great performance, one of her all time best, and really light up the screen (whenever the awful music score didn't ruin the scene!). Very disappointed!
Review of Miracles Still Happen
