Hockey Night

When I usually watch a movie I liked 15 years ago, I can´t understand how it could affect me the way it did back then. But last night, when I watched Hockey Night again, I almost felt like I was 12. It might not be the most unique plot, or the best photo, but it has captured the way it feels to be a young teenager in a small town. The cast is not 30-year olds trying to act 14, but young teenagers acting their age. When you are 14 a kiss and a glance is a big deal and it doesn´t have to be much more to spin the whole world around. This movie gives young people a chance to realize that you don´t have to act like a grownup when you still are in high school.

I loved this movie as a kid. I fell in love with the characters. At this time in history it was very hard for girls to get into sports without female teams. I really wanted to see the puppy love of Spear and Cathy grow. I am a big fan of happily ever after.

Cathy Yarrow (Megan Follows) moves to the small town of Parry Sound from Toronto with her separated mother and little sister. She is befriended by Evelyn. Uncertain about small town life, she tries out to be a goalie on the boys hockey team since there are no girls team. Willy Leipert (Rick Moranis) is the coach. Spear Kozak is the star player. Bum Johnston (Maury Chaykin) is the play by play announcer and Bill Moss is the sponsor.

The story is pretty simple melodrama. There are no big hurdles or big surprises. The coach is supportive and the boys are not that bad. They are still boys but they're also pretty supportive of her. Follows is the best actor among the kids. The least supportive is the announcer and Chaykin tries for a little humor. The hockey action is limited to basic camera moves. There is still value in this simple movie taking on a relevant issue of its time. Filmmaker Paul Shapiro has made a living directing Hollywood TV shows after this movie.

Hockey Night is the best movie I have ever watched! I taped it off of Wonderworks and I watch it at least once a month. Yannick Bisson is wonderful. It is a classic love story, Kathy and Spear are made for each other! If you like this movie you have got to see Yannick in Rookies.

This is just one of those movies that meant something to me from my childhood. I used to see this movie after school on HBO and always wanted to be Kathy Yarrow. She was this girl who is displaced because of her parents divorce and in a new smaller town where they don't have a girl's hockey team. She battles to get on the boy's team and wins not only making friends and overcoming obstacles that she didn't think was possible but meeting a boy who believed in her too. I will never forget Spear. He was a major crush for me back in the 80's. When I met my husband, we both mentioned this movie and loved it! We ended up finding it in an old video store. It was just something special we had together. I highly recommend this movie and hope that you make new memories and give your kids the opportunity to create their own memories from this great family friendly movie.