Late Bloomers

Yeah, its sort of movie of the week, but its sweet and well acted. More importantly, its two middle aged woman falling in love, neither look like super models, and yet its pretty damn sexy at parts (they play nude basketball at night in a really cute scene). I have to recommend this.

Connie Nelson (not to be confused with Connie Nielsen; in fact she looks like David Warner) is a female basketball coach who falls in love with a female school secretary, creating an uproar at the high school. Hennigan is touching as the overweight secretary in a sexless marriage whose life is renewed when she meets Nelson. Carter is good as Hennigan's perplexed husband, who is also a teacher at the school. Although it feels at times like an after-school TV special, it is saved by the interesting characters and pretty good acting by the large cast. It is competently written and directed by the Dyer sisters, who have not done anything since.

A fairly early entry in the push for gay acceptance. It's always easier to use a lesbian story for this, as picturing male homosexuality is widely considered unappealing and offensive. Having said that, this movie was sweet and non-militant. Connie Nelson did a fine acting job, but she looks like a stereotypical middle-aged lesbian. Dee Hennigan was the opposite, playing a harried suburban mom. I thought she was lovely, even though she didn't have a typical Hollywood look. being a bit older and heavier than that. That's an observation, not a criticism. I ended up really liking this film.

This move was slow in parts but I love it because I was in it, in the basketball scene I am the large bald guy in the stands, I had cancer at the time and it gave me something to do.

I came upon this movie by accident while channel surfing one morning. At first, I thought it was an "Afterschool Special," being repeated, but the midnight basketball session dispelled that idea. I'm glad to see this film was shown during the day, when people can actually see it, rather than played in the middle of the night, when the world is sleeping. It's hard to play this story out without making some aspect of it melodramatic: but I give the cast an "A+" for making me care how it all would end. (Hey: Didn't I see some of the 'Wishbone' players in this one?)