Mystery, Alaska

Mystery, Alaska is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Jay Roach about a fictional small-town ice hockey team that plays a game against the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. It was shot in Banff National Park and Canmore, Alberta.

Plot
The movie is about a small town in Alaska named Mystery, where hockey is the cohesive activity that unites the town. The "Saturday Game" is a weekly event of amateur four-on-four pond hockey played on the open ice of the town's frozen lake. The team consists of ten local townsmen of varying ages and occupations with two goalies and eight skaters publicly scrimmaging each other every Saturday. As there are only ten spots on the team, in order to make room on the roster for the younger up-and-coming town players an older more senior member of the team must be kicked off the team. After an article describing the town and its players appears in Sports Illustrated, a nationally televised exhibition game is scheduled between the NHL's New York Rangers and the hometown favorites in Mystery, Alaska.

Cast

 * Russell Crowe – Sheriff John Biebe
 * Hank Azaria – Charles Danner
 * Mary McCormack – Donna Biebe
 * Burt Reynolds – Judge Walter Burns
 * Colm Meaney – Mayor Scott R. Pitcher
 * Lolita Davidovich – Mary Jane Pitcher
 * Maury Chaykin – Bailey Pruitt
 * Ron Eldard – Matt "Skank" Marden
 * Michael Buie - Connor Banks
 * Ryan Northcott – Stevie Weeks
 * Beth Littleford – Janice Pettiboe
 * Kevin Durand – "Tree" Lane
 * Scott Grimes – Brian "Birdie" Burns
 * Jason Gray-Stanford – Bobby Michan
 * Adam Beach – Galin Winetka
 * Leroy Peltier - Ben Winetka
 * Cameron Bancroft – "Tinker" Connolly
 * Michael McKean – Mr. Walsh
 * Rachel Wilson – Marla Burns
 * Megyn Price – Sarah Heinz
 * Judith Ivey – Mrs. Joanne Burns
 * Terry David Mulligan – Dr. Henry Savage
 * Mike Myers – Donnie Shulzhoffer
 * Jim Fox – himself
 * Phil Esposito – himself
 * Little Richard – himself
 * L. Scott Caldwell – Judge McGibbons
 * Steve Levy – himself
 * Barry Melrose – himself

The New York Rangers
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.

Critical reception and box office total
Mystery, Alaska received mixed-to-negative reviews. Along with the original consensus "The lack of hockey action and authenticity left critics cold," Rotten Tomatoes ranked the movie with 38%. It had very poor take-ins as well, grossing only $8,891,623, under an estimate of $28 million.

Cultural reference
Mike Myers's cameo as Donnie Shulzhoffer is a play on Don Cherry's Hockey Night in Canada segment "Coach's Corner".