Movie Review: The Mighty Macs

I got a chance to watch an early screening of the movie "The Mighty Macs" - about Cathy Rush, who took on the overwhelming task of coaching the girls' basketball team at a failing Catholic college. The gym burned down and wasn't rebuilt. They have to clean years of accumulation out of an old activity center to have a place to practice. They only have one basketball to practice with. The long hours that Cathy spends with the team put a strain on her marriage.

Just when it seems like she'll never make headway with the team, she finds an unexpected ally in a young nun named "Sister Sunday." Together they teach the girls about teamwork, hard work and not giving up.

This was definitely a "feel good" movie - cheering for the underdog team and seeing them transform into a team, watching the coach show her girls how much she cared for them. There were some laugh-out-loud moments, like when Sister Sunday teaches the girls how to box out their opponent, or when a group of elderly nuns take on the role of cheerleaders.

Cathy Rush isn't just fighting to take her team to the top: the college has been struggling financially, and a deal is in the works to sell off the buildings and dissolve the college. The way the team brings together the community to stand behind the college is heartwarming. The movie had me laughing, and crying.

I think this was a wonderful family movie. The only part of the movie that might bother some people who be a scene with Cathy Rust and Sister Sunday having a beer in a bar.

The movie opens Friday, October 21st in theaters... I think we may be seeing a movie this weekend!