Mighty Macs in theaters tomorrow!

Lately, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to screen and review some great family-friendly films.  It’s so refreshing to find movies being made for the big screen that are clean and suitable for the entire family. 

We’ve hit the theaters a few times in the past few months, and several times we saw previews for the soon-to-be-in-theaters The Mighty Macs movie starring Carla Gugino as Cathy Rush.  The movie is based on a true story:

It's 1971. Cathy Rush is a woman ahead of her time ... and she's about to embark on an adventure for the ages. A new era is dawning in the country and in collegiate athletics, where a national champion will be crowned for the first time in women's basketball.

In the lead up to this historical season, major universities are preparing their game plans to win that first title. Meanwhile a tiny all-women's Catholic college in Philadelphia has a more modest goal: find a coach before the season begins. Providentially, Cathy Rush is about to find Immaculata College.

Recently married, Cathy is dealing with the aftermath of a truncated playing career. While cultural norms would have her staying at home, she's willing to do the hard work necessary to help her new team reach their goals—or perhaps she's just trying to achieve her unfulfilled dreams through them.

From the beginning, her challenges are as imposing as the big-school teams Immaculata will face on the court. Cathy learns there is no gymnasium on campus, she receives little support from the school's Mother Superior, and the school is in dire financial straits. To top it off, she may not even have enough players to field a team!

While it appears the Macs don't have a prayer, all hope is not lost. With the help of Sister Sunday—a spunky assistant coach—and the support of a booster club of elderly nuns, Coach Rush creates a new game plan that just might bring the team—and the school—together.

Will this pioneer buck cultural norms and spur her rag-tag team to unexpected heights? Or will her hard-driving ways create a wedge between the coach and everyone around her? One thing's for certain: there's never been anyone like Cathy Rush at Immaculata!

I thought the movie looked great – and was pleasantly surprised to see that it had a G rating.  My husband Brian loves almost any movie that is based on real-life sports teams (think Hoosiers, Rudy, Hometown Legend, etc.)  The fact that this movie is based on a GIRLS basketball team appealed to the  girls and me.

We watched The Mighty Macs this evening, as a pre-screening, and we loved it!  We were interested in the era (early 70’s) and the way the characters dressed.  We thought it was neat that Immaculata College was right here in our home state of PA (also cool that one of the Mighty Macs champs went on to coach the Lady Lions at Penn State!)  While we aren’t Catholic, I felt that the Catholics were portrayed in a good way in the movie – and I really enjoyed all the different personalities of the nuns in this movie.

Brian wasn’t home, but I know he would have been cheering on Cathy Rush as she led her team to victory using some “tough love” and unconventional methods!  The rest of us would highly recommend this movie! 

For more information on The Mighty Macs – or to find a theater near you showing the movie – visit The Mighty Macs website, Follow them on Twitter and/or Facebook, and check them out at YouTube.

NOTE: I was asked to screen this movie in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts on my blog.  I received no other compensation.