The Mighty Macs

Based upon the true story of the Immaculata College women's basketball team, it is thoroughly refreshing to see a G-rated film with human actors in it. This values-oriented sports drama has the feel of an older, classic Hollywood film that emphasizes the importance of personal dreams, the will to win, and the need for shared sacrifice to achieve success.

These women were at the forefront of everyday women's liberation, depending upon themselves rather than politicians or demonstrations to achieve their goals. Their combined efforts helped to put college women's athletic programs "on the map". Later achievements of individual team members in women's athletics, business, non-profit foundations and academia tell us just how special these women really are.

As I wrote in the review of "McFarland USA" I enjoy always the films based on a true story and specially when the film tells how people give the best of themselves in a sport (Cross-country,basketball, soccer,baseball,etc). That's is the case in "The Mighty Macs" when Cathy Rush will encourage the girls of the Immaculata College to build a team and to fight for a national basketball championship. Basketball is above all a team sport and the film shows the long way of this tiny team towards the glory. Also this film is about friendship, friendship between the nuns and Cathy and friendship between the players and Cthy.

Many movies today even ones promoted as "family" movies contain such severe hints of innuendo and subtext that parents can hardly be sure if any of them are actually appropriate for their children. This movie gives what even Disney hasn't done in a very long time, and that is offer a film with morals, a message and humor that parents can actually feel good about letting their kids watch. A lot of movies called "kids movies" have PG ratings because of the presence of some crude humor and possibly suggestive behavior. This movie is rated G for a reason and anyone going into this should be aware of that. This rating means there isn't really going to be anything rude or vulgar at all so audiences be aware, if you're looking for something with bad language or innuendo then this movie most likely isn't a good bet.

It's 1971 at the all-girls Immaculata College outside of Philidelphia. Mother St. John (Ellen Burstyn) hires Cathy Rush (Carla Gugino) to be the basketball coach. There is no real money, the gym burnt down, and the college is threatened to be sold off. Cathy's NBA ref husband Ed Rush (David Boreanaz) wants her to be more of a housewife. The rules have recently changed to allow the girls play the men's game. Sister Sunday (Marley Shelton) becomes the assistant. The girls struggle with loss after loss until Cathy molds them into a championship team.

This is formulaic but that's no problem for a formulaic sports movie. It's endearing in its own way. The major missing element is a bigger part for one of the players performed by a bright young star. The girls are more or less blanks except for a couple scenes. They are played by relative unknowns and they don't excel. On the other hand, Carla Gugino is great. The big emotional scene of the girl silently weeping in the van after a lost is very good. However, none of the games nor the story are terribly surprising or exciting. The story is fit for a sincere feel-good telling and this does it in a very standard way.

Because it did not have foul language

I just discovered this movie on tubi. I liked it quite a bit. The young women in it could play ball, they were not just chosen on a lark.

It had some drama but not over the top. The acting was good, the coaching was believable. I noticed some idiots put in their reviews that it is stereotypically predictable. Since this actually happened, there is nothing sterero about it, sheesh

As soon as I saw the young nun pass the basketball I was all in, whoever directed this thing knew something about basketball

This gem is slowly going to have a following as it gets exposure

kudos to the creators for not caving into disney.