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
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.
I'm not sure why anyone would completely dislike this movie. It's fun and probably better than the rating here. Goldie Hawn is very good, she's bubbly (something she's great at,) charming and tough when she needs to be. Features the first ever roles for both Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as well as LL Cool J's first time on screen! One thing that helps me like this a lot is the Chicago locations. The main plot and sub-plots are a bit thin but overall it's a good football comedy. I had probably seen this easily like 5 or 6 times but this was the first time in about 20+ years! Was just as good as ever!!
6.5 / 10 stars
--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener
6.5 / 10 stars
--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener
This is a great little (even, gosh, subtle) football comedy about grabbing life with both hands, featuring Goldie Hawn as a woman coach who wants to make a splash as a high school football coach. One of the joys of watching these movies is the retro experience of 80s 'big hair' hairdos and fashions, and seeing now famous actors. There's Wesley Snipes (as the ladies man with an eye for the 'older woman', Woody Harrelson, a thin LL Cool J, Mikelti Williamson (The Night Hawk), and Stan Foster (Tour Of Duty). And in fact, some of the jokes actually work (Hawn: "we're going beat those Cougars and spit them out like so many furballs". Snipes: "Let's eat some pussy".) Fun for all.
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:)
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.
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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