Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Movie review - "Wildcats" (1985) **

Some 80s high concept comedy: Goldie Hawn coaches an inner city high school football team (that's urban slum inner city not yuppie inner city). It might have been funnier (if less believable) if Goldie was more of a Private Benjamin type but she's an entirely competent coach, just a female one. 

This follows the sports movies template - intial disbelief, then acceptance, then struggle, recruit a star player, start to win, scary threat before climax, final victory. I love this template and those cliches. I just wish there was a joke or two (maybe a love interest for Goldie), although it passes the time pleasantly enough. 

James Keach is in good form as the ex - although why is it so horrible for him to want his girls to attend a private girls Catholic school? (They don't paint it as an evil place just a bit stuffy). One of the pleasures of watching sports films some time on is seeing if any of the cast went on to have futures - in this case there are two, Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes (who has a funny moment trying to seduce a middle aged black female judge), although the biggest support role goes to the Refridgerator Perry.

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