The Mighty Macs

First let me confess, I fell in love with Carla Gugino in the first 'Spy Kids' movie. She is absolutely beautiful and she can act, too!

Here she is Cathy Rush , only 23 and just married. Her husband is an NBA referee thus travels a lot. Cathy had played some basketball but no coaching experience. To give her something to do, rather than just stay home when her husband was on the road, she applied for the girls basketball coaching job at a small Catholic girls college in the Philadelphia area. This is the true story of how she took this rag-tag bunch of girls, taught them principles of achievement, and went on to establish a winning basketball program.

David Boreanaz is her husband, Ed Rush. Pretty Marley Shelton (of 'Pleasantville' fame) is Sister Sunday who is having grave doubts about her vocation, but becomes the assistant coach. Ellen Burstyn is super as the mother superior of the college, Mother St. John .

The DVD also has an interesting extra which includes not only the real Cathy Rush but also some of the members of her early 1970s championship basketball teams.

Aside from just a good story, Cathy Rush and her teams represented the leading wave of the transition from the old style girls basketball (3 forwards and 3 guards, each set only playing half-court) to the new style that we know today.

Good movie!

Edit June 2019: Just watched it again on Amazon streaming, it was just like seeing it fresh, totally enjoyable viewing.

When you go to a movie and want to get your monies worth you get disappointed more than you used to before. Remember when you could go to a movie without worry of having a great experience? Well, this brings that feeling back! If you like films based on a true story, go see this film! If you want to leave the theater feeling good go see this film! If you want to go to a movie and not feel like you waisted your time, go see this film! If you want to go to the movies and not feel like you waisted a dime, go see this film! If you're tired of not being able to take your kids to the movies take them and GO SEE THIS FILM!

As I wrote in the review of "McFarland USA" I enjoy always the films based on a true story and specially when the film tells how people give the best of themselves in a sport (Cross-country,basketball, soccer,baseball,etc). That's is the case in "The Mighty Macs" when Cathy Rush will encourage the girls of the Immaculata College to build a team and to fight for a national basketball championship. Basketball is above all a team sport and the film shows the long way of this tiny team towards the glory. Also this film is about friendship, friendship between the nuns and Cathy and friendship between the players and Cthy.

Based upon the true story of the Immaculata College women's basketball team, it is thoroughly refreshing to see a G-rated film with human actors in it. This values-oriented sports drama has the feel of an older, classic Hollywood film that emphasizes the importance of personal dreams, the will to win, and the need for shared sacrifice to achieve success.

These women were at the forefront of everyday women's liberation, depending upon themselves rather than politicians or demonstrations to achieve their goals. Their combined efforts helped to put college women's athletic programs "on the map". Later achievements of individual team members in women's athletics, business, non-profit foundations and academia tell us just how special these women really are.

This is a must see show - especially for every woman that thinks she is hitting against all odds and will amount to very little. I hope and wish that, anyone feeling discouraged, they choose to watch this heartfelt movie and be empowered by it. Cathy Rush is to basketball what Clara Barton is to nursing and was truly amazing. Get your young children before this show and let them become inspired by the story of this woman who encouraged her team to grow through believing in their dreams. Every dream may be slightly different on a team, but the end result comes together when a team acts like a true team. Cathy Rush did for women's basketball in a time that it wasn't popular for women basketball teams to exist what the Jody Conradt's, etc. do for the women basketball teams of today -- definitely a woman ahead of her time. Don't worry, if you aren't necessarily a basketball fan, you'll still be amazed because the lessons learned can be applied to just about any area of life.