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
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:)
If you folks remember that John Wayne/Donna Reed film Trouble Along The Way, Wayne is a divorced father living with his little daughter Sherry Jackson who has learned all about sports especially football from her dad who was a football coach. Imagine Sherry growing up to be Goldie Hawn and you have an idea of her character in Wildcats.
She wants to invade the male preserve of the boys sports because she knows a lot about the game, it comes naturally from her dad. But it isn't that simple and the only job she can get is in Principal Nipsey Russell's inner city school a really rough place.
Some future big names like Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson are some of Goldie's players. Best however is Tab Thacker one mountain of a kid critical to defense, but Thacker requires special motivation.
She also has custody issues with her most uptight ex-husband James Keach and his extremely prissy wife Jan Hooks. Those kids from her team try to help, but mess things up.
This one is really Goldie's show she has a fine comedy part with a bit of family drama thrown in. Basically because she has invaded that male holy of holys, the boy's locker room.
It's a good comedy, Goldie Hawn really shines.
She wants to invade the male preserve of the boys sports because she knows a lot about the game, it comes naturally from her dad. But it isn't that simple and the only job she can get is in Principal Nipsey Russell's inner city school a really rough place.
Some future big names like Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson are some of Goldie's players. Best however is Tab Thacker one mountain of a kid critical to defense, but Thacker requires special motivation.
She also has custody issues with her most uptight ex-husband James Keach and his extremely prissy wife Jan Hooks. Those kids from her team try to help, but mess things up.
This one is really Goldie's show she has a fine comedy part with a bit of family drama thrown in. Basically because she has invaded that male holy of holys, the boy's locker room.
It's a good comedy, Goldie Hawn really shines.
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.
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
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.
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
- Runtime
- 1h 46m(106 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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