Wildcats (1986)

This is a great, to-the-point sports comedy starring Goldie Hawn as Molly McGrath who takes on her dream job of coaching high school football, despite doubts from her ex-husband and colleagues, and despite the football team being one of the rowdiest, rudest and most difficult bunch of athletes in the city.

It's an entertaining comedy from start to finish, with Molly exhibiting her never-say-quit attitude to win over the resentments and resistance of the high school team, which consists of a young Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Her mission in getting her team in shape to end their winning games drought is captivating, as is the supporting subplot of her home-life when she tries to retain custody of her two daughters from her uptight ex-husband Frank (James Keech).

The plot is a bit predictable but Goldie Hawn provides enough drama, wit and humor to keep the movie engaging, as does the football players. I enjoy the scenes where Molly tries to gain their respect and where she outruns the boys in a track race, giving them a taste of their own medicine. The relationship between Molly and her daughters were pretty uplifting and she shows that balancing life between family and a career is entirely capable. A great, feel-good sports comedy.

Grade A

Fmovies: YO, the only reason this rating is low is cause this movie is about the success and society inflicted difficulties of a white woman and a group of mostly black men. It is not 'light' but it is funny, goldie is not 'frizzy' but she is a strong lead. Hate to say it, but imdb ratings are low for most female driven movies that dont put white men in a good light. this covers a spectrum of issues around control, gaslighting, neglect, racism, sexism, classism. This is some good shit. Keep your eyes and ears open.

love and light <3

One of my 80's sport's comedy ever. Goldie Hawn is at her best as Molly McGrath, a woman who feels that she can coach a winning football team. But feels she is taken seriously because she is a woman. Molly has other problems, she is divorced with two daughters, and has a nagging ex husband. And her job has a track coach is wearing thin. But with luck she finally gets the chance to coach a football team. When she finally gets there, she soon realizes that many other people would not dare coach there, and the team is a bunch of goof balls who don't seem to respect her and care about winning any more. Can Molly earn their respect, and show them they can be winners? I've always been a football fan, but this movie was great with Goldie Hawn starring in it.

Wildcats fmovies. I saw this on television once sometime on the late 1980s (I don't think the movie had been in theaters more than two or three years before). I liked it but haven't thought anything about it since. WILDCATS came on television this morning, and I started watching it to kill time before getting hooked on the goofy but likeable story. It is really a funny, cute movie.

First, let me say I am not a fan of football movies; however, I have enjoyed movies such as THE LONGEST YARD, NORTH DALLAS FORTY and AGAINST ALL ODDS (to name a few) where an interesting story and characters add life to an otherwise "sports film." Yes the football scenes are fun to watch, but what makes the movie truly watchable is the feeling Goldie adds to her character (like in PRIVATE BENJAMIN) plus the developing struggle between her ex-husband concerning her new career and raising of her children. Its predictable in many ways, but hey, it was nice to watch a movie that made me feel happy for a change (rather than depressed or confused as so many contemporary movies seem to do).

Goldie Hawn is her usual fizzy, feisty self playing a football-crazy coach trying to whip a high school team into shape. The young men are made up of delinquents and goof-offs, but can Goldie work her magic on them before the big game? "The Bad News Bears"'s Michael Ritchie directed, and it's the kind of comedy knock-off you'd expect from any Hollywood hack but Ritchie (hopefully he was well paid). Supporting cast is unusually good, with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in early roles, Swoosie Kurtz doing her likable sisterly bit, Nipsey Russell nicely low-keyed as a school official, Jan Hooks wonderful as the new woman in Hawn's ex-husband's life, and handsome Bruce McGill as the enemy coach (although he gets the worst scenes, particularly at end when he's forced to shout "Search his jock!" and then roll around in the mud). Hawn herself has an embarrassing moment nude in the bathtub, and the sub-plot with her boring ex is just time wasted on the clock, but her forthright comic performance just about saves "Wildcats" from the cookie-cutter bargain-bin. ** from ****

The trailer for "Wildcats" showed 3 ghetto-riffic cheerleaders stomping around a pile of dirt and chanting, "U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi, you UGLY! What-what! Yo' mama says you ugly!"

Okay, you got me. I'm there.

Ha-ha low-brow highlights include--

* Goldie Hawn's purple-headed teenage daughter gets sloshed at a team party. Wesley Snipes comes to the rescue: "We're taking you home. If your mother sees you like this she's gonna' turn your ass the same color as your hair" Funny, rite?

* Goldie's team kidnaps the rival school's mascot, a goat. When principal Nipsey Russell invades the locker room and asks, "You all wouldn't happen to know what happen to the Cougar's goat, would you?" The goat, hidden in a locker, starts to baaaaah, which prompts Goldie to simultaneously reply "Naaaaah!" See? Hysterical!

Fans of Jan Hooks (like me) will love her turn here as the uppitty stick-up-the-butt wife of Goldie's ex. Fans of Woody Harrelson should note that a brief cameo is made here by his bare butt. Fans of Swoosie Kurtz should contemplate bathing with downed powerlines. Just kiddin', she's good too.

TEN! 1 point for the fat guy, 1 point for flatulence, 1 point for LL Cool J's lamest rap ever. The rest of the points go to Goldie. Goldie rocks.

Love, your pussies