Wildcats (1986)

13% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(8,741 ratings)

Blonde-haired, blue-eyed women's libber Molly McGrath (Goldie Hawn) quits her teaching job at a comfortable middle-class school to take a new position as varsity football coach at a predominantly black inner-city school. Culture and gender clashes abound; she must win over the hard-boiled youths,… More Blonde-haired, blue-eyed women's libber Molly McGrath (Goldie Hawn) quits her teaching job at a comfortable middle-class school to take a new position as varsity football coach at a predominantly black inner-city school. Culture and gender clashes abound; she must win over the hard-boiled youths, convince them to practice hard and show up for class, and convince them they can win football games. Her job begins to take a toll on her family, however, when her ex-husband (James Keach) attempts to take away her daughter, claiming she is neglecting her responsibilities as a mother. Wildcats marked the fourth sports film directed by Michael Ritchie. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: Michael Ritchie
Written By: Ezra Sacks
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 14, 1986 Wide
On DVD: Apr 1, 2003

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
When Goldie Hawn tangles with high school varsity coach Bruce McGill, anyone can foresee the final confrontation.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
All too predictably, Molly rises to this challenge.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Wildcats is about how spunky Hawn is and how cute it's supposed to be that this little woman can make all those great big football players do what she says.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Silly but not always funny.
, Time Out
Instead of 'believe in yourself', the message becomes simply 'make believe'.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Goldie coaches the high school football team. Jock strap humor.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Turns out to be a bore with its locker-room language, its predictable celebration of the underdogs, and its thoroughly tedious subplot about the coach's custody battle.
Victoria Alexander, FilmsInReview.com
Goldie fumbles.
Frank Ochieng, TheWorldJournal.com
A flaccid football yarn that certainly gains no comedic yardage with the frazzled Goldie Hawn in the starring role.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Second best football flick ever made.

Read all 10 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Phil H

One of the best football films I have seen and with a brilliant cast of up coming stars. Its actually pretty funny in many places, lots of your typical raunchy humour, childish slapstick and bigotry which was the staple diet of a cheap 80's teen flick haha Goldie adds a sexy… More
One of the best football films I have seen and with a brilliant cast of up coming stars. Its actually pretty funny in many places, lots of your typical raunchy humour, childish slapstick and bigotry which was the staple diet of a cheap 80's teen flick haha Goldie adds a sexy touch but also makes it quite endearing too. Snipes and Harrelson team up for the first time and show what they could do when they were good in films before the major Hollywood lifestyle twisted them. The rest of the cast are really good too and not just your hammy add on's, they all do a good job which really raises this above the 80's dross of which there was allot. It almost feels like 'Porkies' but with a football theme hehe its so typical of films from that era, just like 'Police Academy' or 'Combat Academy'...chock full of silly visual gags, sexual innuendo's and the ever lasting battle between jocks and nerds. This film is better than the rest due to its decent location work, good cast and feel good story which is similar to 'Major League', again your typical underdog story. Must also comment finally on the quite cool soundtrack throughout and unique rap from the cast in the end credits.
Dean !

A good coming of age comedy as Goldie Hawn gets to coach a football team. A lot like Coach Carter and it has a genuine feel good feel to it.
xGary X

Very early roles for future buddy partners Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in a Goldie Hawn vehicle about a high school football team. The script obviously just spewed forth upon the utterance of those 9 words, but it could have been a lot worse.
Dean M

Goldie Hawn is fantastic as the first female coach of high school football. She scores a touchdown!
Nate H

Kind of a strange movie, mostly a formulaic sports movie but it had a parental custody sideplot that I immediately dreaded upon the first hints of it. Yet another Hawn movie in which she is a divorcee inextricably linked with a lawyer. No bright spots in particular, here, not much in… More
Kind of a strange movie, mostly a formulaic sports movie but it had a parental custody sideplot that I immediately dreaded upon the first hints of it. Yet another Hawn movie in which she is a divorcee inextricably linked with a lawyer. No bright spots in particular, here, not much in the way of comedy and the whole Stand And Deliver bit has been done to death. Also some oddly gratuitous nudity, of both the male and female variety. Eh.
Leo L

A favorite.

Read all 6 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Goldie Hawn as Molly McGrath

            James Keach as Frank McGrath

            Swoosie Kurtz as Verna

            Robyn Lively as Alice McGrath

            Brandy Gold as Marian McGrath

            Nipsey Russell as Ben Edwards

            Bruce McGill as Dan Darwell

            Jan Hooks as Stephanie

            M. Emmet Walsh as Coes

            Mykelti Williamson as Levander "Bird" Williams

            Tab Thacker as Phillip Finch

            Nick Corri as Cerulo

            Wesley Snipes as Trumaine

            Woody Harrelson as Krushinski

            Richard Burton Brown as Referee

            Steve Carlson as Prescott Quarterback

            LL Cool J as Rapper

            Ann Doran as Mrs. Chatham

            Bruce French as Mayhew

            Rodney Hill as Peanut

            Albert Michel Jr. as Alonzo

            Gloria Stuart as Mrs. Connoly

            John Vargas as Poolhall Man No. 3

            Royce Wallace as Judge

            Lee Weaver as Maurice

            Chino "Fats" Williams as Poolhall Man #2

            George Wyner as Principal Walker

            Noel de Souza as Doctor

            Stan Foster as Companion No. 2

            Gary Austin as Spectator

            Sylvester Blaylock as Referee

            Pilar Delano as Angelique

            Ellia English as Marva

            Eddie Frescas as Translator

            Hakeem as Boy

            Tan'ya Harris as Central Cheerleader

            Jenny Havens as Jeannie

            Vincent J. Isaac as Companion No. 1

            David Kanakes as Goon #1

            Gwen McGee as Bird's Girl

            David Nieker as Goon No. 2

            Lindsey Orr as Central Player

            Tony Salome as Mr. Remo

            J. Willie Walton as Marvel

            Deborah Webber as Spectator

            E. Tom Willman as Prescott Assistant Coach
See full cast