It's time to take the kids to the movies again. "The Mighty Macs" opens in theaters across the country — and locally — on Friday, Oct. 21. Backers of the movie note that anyone who's ever complained that Hollywood just won't make "decent" movies should plan to buy tickets, because the only way family friendly movies like this will be made is if families go to see them.
"As a Catholic filmmaker who is very proud of his faith and this movie, I want Catholics to see this movie," first-time director Tim Chambers told the Review at a private screening of the film Oct. 2 at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School. "This is an inspiring film, especially for young girls. I think Catholics will be moved by it. And I think this is a good film."
"The Mighty Macs" tells the improbable but true story of the basketball team from tiny Immaculata College in Philadelphia who won the first national women's college basketball championship in 1972. The small Catholic college (now Immaculata University) had no gym and was in danger of closing when a new, untried coach named Cathy Rush was hired.
As they say, the rest is history. The film was screened at Kennedy thanks to the efforts of Pamela Meier, a member of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich Foundation, a local organization dedicated to providing continuing Catholic education. Meier worked to arrange the screening after hearing Chambers speak at a Catholic family conference in Wichita, Kan.
"I was so touched by his message of what needs to be happening for the Catholic media and Catholic families. There is so much garbage out there" in the movies, she said. "The most critical thing," Meier said about supporting the movie, "is the response of the people in the first three days. That's how movies are rated in the movie industry. So the goal is to get everybody there on opening weekend."
Chambers, a Philadelphia-area native, told the many local Catholics filling the Kennedy auditorium after the screening that making the film was in part a thank-you to the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, sponsoring order of Immaculata University, who taught him and his sons. He was familiar with the college's basketball history, because when the Immaculata gym burned down the team practiced in his home parish, St. Anastasia.
After Chambers worked on another family friendly film, "Miracle," about the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team, he was contacted by Immaculata about perhaps making a film about their story. "I had been looking for an inspiring sports film for young girls, about when people actually played for something," Chambers said.
Chambers, who also wrote and produced "The Mighty Macs," said one strong message of the film is about "the equality of dreams." Ed Rush, the NBA basketball referee married to Cathy Rush, at first opposed her decision to have a career. "This film says our dreams are all equal," Chambers said.
The movie stars Carla Gugino ("Spy Kids") as Cathy Rush; David Boreanaz (TV's "Bones") as Ed Rush; and Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn as Mother St. John. It's the first theatrical release from Quaker Media, operated by Chambers and "Mighty Macs" executive producer Vince Curran. The film has cameo appearances by Cathy and Ed Rush and members of the original Mighty Macs team.
Chambers said some Hollywood agents said they loved the movie because "times are tough and faith is in now. ... They said the niche market will love it. I said, 'What niche?' They said 'those faith-based people.' And I said, 'Oh, the niche market that's not in L.A. or New York, just all those other 48 states?'"
"The Mighty Macs" has a G-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, and Chambers, who gave the IHM Sisters "the final say" in the movie, said he fought all efforts to turn it into a PG movie to sell tickets. The film is not yet rated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The film was a hit with the audience at the Oct. 2 screening. Terry Cochran, president of Kennedy Catholic, gave a one-word review: "Wow." Cochran said the school felt "honored and blessed" to host the screening. "Catholic identity is a very important part of our mission."
Father Mark Bozada, spiritual director of the Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich Foundation, said, "There is a hunger for these type of G-rated movies that folks can take their kids to. We want to support this."