Goldie Hawn, the petite, saucer-eyed actress was ideal casting in this movie. She is Molly McGrath, a divorced mother of two girls who is a girls track coach but longs to be a football coach. Nobody thinks she can pull that off and she is ridiculed by the sexist football coach (played by perennial slime ball Bruce McGill of Animal House fame) of that high school's football team. Therefore when she gets a chance to go to another school to coach football she grabs it, even though the players are less than refined and practically stink at the game.
If you ask if this is a formula, you are right. The underdog movie has been an American staple since the beginning of movie history. First the coach and the players must face humiliating defeat, then gradually get better and then of course win the big game. All of this happens in this movie but there is also a rather unnecessary subplot involving a custody battle. It seems that Molly's ex-husband (James Keach) thinks that she is neglecting the kids, mainly because he stumbled into a party given by Molly to the football players after a victory and to top it off the oldest daughter gets drunk. Then we get a court hearing where all of the players, who have found respect for their coach, show up to defend her and one of them makes a pass at the judge to grease the wheels even further.
All that happens in this movie is rather predictable. The only thing that is worth noticing is that Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes and Mykelti Williamson made one of their first appearances here, before Harrelson became famous as Woody Boyd and before he and Snipes were made a team in several films. Mykelti Williamson also became well known, first in Midnight Caller and then as the shrimp connoisseur Bubba in Forrest Gump. There is also a small role for SNL'er and 3rd Rock from the Sun star, Jan Hooks as the uptight new wife of Goldie's ex. This doesn't make Wildcats anything more than it is and Goldie's career has continued in this vein with one bright spot now and again ("Death becomes her" had its moments).
As for the director, Michael Ritchie, he was one of the greats. He made the original "Bad News Bears" and the hilarious "Fletch" but sadly he is no longer with us. This film ranks just below average mainly because he did so much better at other times.
If you ask if this is a formula, you are right. The underdog movie has been an American staple since the beginning of movie history. First the coach and the players must face humiliating defeat, then gradually get better and then of course win the big game. All of this happens in this movie but there is also a rather unnecessary subplot involving a custody battle. It seems that Molly's ex-husband (James Keach) thinks that she is neglecting the kids, mainly because he stumbled into a party given by Molly to the football players after a victory and to top it off the oldest daughter gets drunk. Then we get a court hearing where all of the players, who have found respect for their coach, show up to defend her and one of them makes a pass at the judge to grease the wheels even further.
All that happens in this movie is rather predictable. The only thing that is worth noticing is that Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes and Mykelti Williamson made one of their first appearances here, before Harrelson became famous as Woody Boyd and before he and Snipes were made a team in several films. Mykelti Williamson also became well known, first in Midnight Caller and then as the shrimp connoisseur Bubba in Forrest Gump. There is also a small role for SNL'er and 3rd Rock from the Sun star, Jan Hooks as the uptight new wife of Goldie's ex. This doesn't make Wildcats anything more than it is and Goldie's career has continued in this vein with one bright spot now and again ("Death becomes her" had its moments).
As for the director, Michael Ritchie, he was one of the greats. He made the original "Bad News Bears" and the hilarious "Fletch" but sadly he is no longer with us. This film ranks just below average mainly because he did so much better at other times.