WILDCATS

US, 1986, 106 minutes, Colour.
Goldie Hawn, Swoosie Kurtz, Robin Lively, James Keach.
Directed by Michael Ritchie.

Wildcats is cheerfully predictable. It is an American sports film - and director, Michael Ritchie had made a similar film with his entertaining The Bad News Bears. The film is also feminist, a style that Goldie Hawn used in several of her films of the early '80s including Swing Shift, Protocol.

The film is also about the good-natured teacher who wins over the rough types - familiar from To Sir With Love, Up the Down Staircase etc. There is also a broken family sub-plot with an obnoxious chauvinist ex-husband and father. These themes all blend together quite nicely. The setting is Chicago, a school in the poorer area, details of American football, clashes with ex-husbands - all resolved as one would hope for and expect. James Keach is supercilious as the ex-husband. Swoozie Kurz is sympathetic as Goldie's sister. An enjoyable piece of Americana?

1. Good entertainment?

2. A sports film? feminist film? A blend of these?

3. Family film? American feminism? The work of Michael Ritchie, his interest in Americana, his sports films?

4. Chicago settings, schools, homes, ghettos, poverty, wealth? The rousing score?

5. Audience response to football, American sport, the game, tactics, competitiveness, his role in schools, morale?

6. The focus on women, their capacities, abilities, achievement, equality of opportunity, powerful men deriding women, women establishing themselves - and men's demands that they prove themselves? A humorous but serious critique of male chauvinism?

6. The credits and the sketch of Molly growing up, her father and his football skills, her sister? Making it credible that Molly should be a football expert? Her training in women's track, her hopes, discussions about football training, the application, the interviews, her being humiliated, the prospect of unemployment as a football coach? The opportunity to coach the wildcats?

7. Goldie Hawn's style and presence as Molly? Acting her age, a mother with teenage children? The background of her marriage, her relationship to her husband, his controlling their lives, her being subservient to him, her change at the divorce? Her daughter at home, her love for them, bringing them up? Needing their support, her daughters being angry at the time she spent away? The situation of the daughter with the punk hair-do and her deciding not to notice, the tantrum of her daughter and having to say she hated it? Giving the daughters to their father for the weekends? Her reaction to Stephanie? Her sister's presence, support and friendship? her sister and the girls giving her the stopwatch? Her hopes in bringing the family? The going to the club, the interview with the principal, meeting the footballers and their 'jock' jokes? Their refusal to participate? Her rivalling them, her running? The collaboration? The results, for the girls? The parties at home, at the club, drinking? Frank and his visits, threats? The phone call and the confrontation? Frank pressurising

8. Holly to go to the fashionable school and train sports? The court sequences, the attitude of the judge, Holly not wanting to lose her children, her capitulating to Frank? Her change and the result of the final match (even liberating Frank)? The father's role in the family, the mother's role - and hope for her daughters?

9. The sketch of the girls and their coping, anger at their mother, the drinking, going out to study in the library, Holly laying down rules? The upsets, the drinking, the confrontation with Frank? The future?

10. Frank and Stephanie, Stephanie as prim, allowing herself to be controlled, the visits to Holly and the farcical aspects (with Stephanie behind the door)? Frank and his seriousness, his presumptions about male superiority? His pressurising Holly about the fashionable school, the interview? His being prim and proper with the footballers, their hitting him? The crisis of the drinking? His behaviour in court, his apprehensiveness, relenting - and enjoying the final football game? (Stephanie not enjoying it?)

11. Holly as a vigorous woman, her being humiliated by her school, the discussion with the new principal, the confrontation with the team, her glumness, wanting to give up, the support of her sister and children, the decision to keep going, the challenge to them and outrunning them, the vigour of the training (and the pleasant aerobics collage of their training)? The games, the initial defeat but successful play? The party and the forbidding of drink? The former coach and his wanting to humiliate Molly? The seeking out of the player with his criminal contacts, the slums, the poolroom, participating in the robbery, hiding from the police in the garbage? The deal with him? Relating to the various members of the team? The dilemma about her daughters - their presence at the parties? The school and her swearing at the teachers? The court, the witness of the team, her capitulating to Frank? The failure of the final match, the, smugness of the rival coach? Half-time, the team's challenge to her, her change and confronting Frank?

12. The portrait of the team, a motley group, interracial, tough? Their rude behaviour, the initial encounter with Holly in the clubroom, the stubbing of the cigarette, walking away from her? The onlookerS7 The running and Holly winning? Training, building up the team? The playing and the techniques? Winning? The fat negro and his presence, everything for money, put into the game, falling on people, his holding back in the final match, his participation? The change, success? The celebrations? The court case, their presence to testify for her? The tribute at the party? The couple who took the daughter home - and then their behaviour on the sofa embarrassing Holly? The final match and the victory?

13. The special player and his criminal associates, his being persuaded to play, testimony in court?

14. The principal and his amazement at the transformation, his admiration for Molly? Comic manner? His confrontation with the coach from Prescott?

15. The coach from Prescott, his anger, the final match and his team being defeated?

16. Enjoyment of sports films? strategies? The game, the play, the tactics?

17. A cheerfully predictable sports and feminist comedy?