Rookie high school football coach Molly McGrath has a harder time than she expected trying to whip her tough inner-city team members into shape.Rookie high school football coach Molly McGrath has a harder time than she expected trying to whip her tough inner-city team members into shape.Rookie high school football coach Molly McGrath has a harder time than she expected trying to whip her tough inner-city team members into shape.
- Awards
- 2 nominations total
Mykelti Williamson
- Bird
- (as Mykel T. Williamson)
Jsu Garcia
- Cerulo
- (as Nick Corri)
Albert Michel Jr.
- Alonzo
- (as Albert Michel)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
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
love and light <3
WILDCATS was a funny and entertaining comedy with Goldie Hawn at the top of her form as a high school track coach, who wants more than anything to coach football (her late father was a football coach). She finally gets the opportunity to coach a high school football team at a tough inner city high school where the majority of the students are Africa American or Latino. Of course, Goldie's Molly McGrath meets the obvious resentments from high school boys that you would expect finding out their new coach is a woman, but she does eventually win them over, even at the risk of losing custody of her two daughters to her uptight ex-husband (James Keach). Nothing new or inventive here but Goldie lights up the screen presenting a smart yet flawed character trying to live her dream. Nipsey Russell has one of the best roles of his career as the principal of the school that hires her and there are some very funny moments provided by the members of the team, especially Woody Harrelson, Nick Corri, and in a star-making turn, a very young Wesley Snipes. Bruce McGill scores as a sexist coach from the opposing school, Prescott and Jan Hooks has some cute moments as GOldie's ex-husband's new girlfriend. I love the scene where Goldie outruns the boys on the team and calls them "pussies" and the rap song over the closing credits is hysterically funny. A terrific feel-good comedy starring a great actress at the zenith of her personal charm.
In the 1980's there wasn't a bigger female comedy star than Goldie Hawn. She excelled at playing the 'fish out of water' character in films like 'Private Benjamin,' 'Protocol,' and 'Overboard.' 'Wildcats' has the same formula those films had, only instead of the Army, Washington DC, or abject poverty, Goldie finds herself coaching football.
Here Goldie plays Molly, a divorced mother of two who has always dreamed of coaching a football team. But throughout her coaching career all she's been allowed to do was coach female track and field. When Molly gets the opportunity to take a head coaching job in an inner city school, she jumps at the chance. When she arrives at the school she is faced by a disorganized and disrespectful team of players. They don't want her as their coach, but she sticks to her guns, and she fights to gain their respect and obedience.
Of all the comedies that Goldie has starred in, this isn't one of her best. She's still great in this, but the film is overlong, bogged down by a buzz killing custody storyline with her schmuck ex-husband (Keach) and her two kids. There's also a lot of unfunny 'fart humor' on display, but thankfully not from Goldie's character.
But when the film is good, it's good. Besides the custody storyline, things move at a brisk, fun pace. It's fun to watch Goldie work to get the team to see eye to eye with her, or hunt down the truant quarterback in the ghetto and almost get herself caught up in a robbery, or hide a rival teams goat mascot in the locker room.
This isn't really heavy stuff here, but it is a fun 80's comedy with a great star doing what she does best. So if you're a fan of Goldie Hawn and 80's comedies, check this out.
Here Goldie plays Molly, a divorced mother of two who has always dreamed of coaching a football team. But throughout her coaching career all she's been allowed to do was coach female track and field. When Molly gets the opportunity to take a head coaching job in an inner city school, she jumps at the chance. When she arrives at the school she is faced by a disorganized and disrespectful team of players. They don't want her as their coach, but she sticks to her guns, and she fights to gain their respect and obedience.
Of all the comedies that Goldie has starred in, this isn't one of her best. She's still great in this, but the film is overlong, bogged down by a buzz killing custody storyline with her schmuck ex-husband (Keach) and her two kids. There's also a lot of unfunny 'fart humor' on display, but thankfully not from Goldie's character.
But when the film is good, it's good. Besides the custody storyline, things move at a brisk, fun pace. It's fun to watch Goldie work to get the team to see eye to eye with her, or hunt down the truant quarterback in the ghetto and almost get herself caught up in a robbery, or hide a rival teams goat mascot in the locker room.
This isn't really heavy stuff here, but it is a fun 80's comedy with a great star doing what she does best. So if you're a fan of Goldie Hawn and 80's comedies, check this out.
It may not score many points for originality, but this comedy is still tremendously entertaining and one of my personal favorites from the 1980s. Plenty of memorably funny moments, some great one-liners and excellent performances by the entire cast, with Goldie doing a stand-out job and Nipsey Russell making the most of his relatively small role as the beleaguered high school principal who desperately wants gridiron glory for his school's team. Veteran director Michael Ritchie definitely knows how to perk up a formula story and make it seem lively and new again, even if we DO see the feel-good finale coming a mile away.
Stay tuned through the end credits for a funny rap song performed by Goldie and her team.
Stay tuned through the end credits for a funny rap song performed by Goldie and her team.
This film is an all time classic. Everyone's seen it, so I wont bother with the plot. (If you haven't, you lack the very basics!!!) It's light as a feather, yet professionally crafted. The cast is excellent: Woody Harelson and Wesley Snipes are always a winner duo, but the star of the movie is doubtlessly no other than Goldie Hawn. I don't know any other actresses, who could be this funny, lovely and sweet through a whole movie. And It's the young Goldie Hawn you'll watch during the playtime, so she has an additional amount of cuteness enforcing her personal sexual charisma. AND there is a scene where she's totally naked. It has nothing to do with the plot, it only meant for our pleasure. This move represents the happiest segment of the 80's:)
Did you know
- TriviaCredited film debut of Woody Harrelson.
- GoofsKrushinski is just demoted from starting quarterback. He mentions to Molly that he makes a great slot back. The next scene is of a slot back making a great run, only the slot back is black. He gets tackled and when he gets up you see a very white Krushinski with the ball.
- Quotes
Marvel: Fuck you!
Molly McGrath: Fuck you what?
Marvel: Fuck you... Coach McGrath.
Molly McGrath: Better.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: At the Cassette Store, Part 2 (1986)
- SoundtracksGood Hands
Performed by The Isley Brothers
Written by Hawk Wolinski and James Newton Howard
Produced by Hawk Wolinski, James Newton Howard and The Isley Brothers
- How long is Wildcats?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Échame la pelota, chica
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $26,285,544
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,472,905
- Feb 17, 1986
- Gross worldwide
- $26,285,544
- Runtime1 hour 46 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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