By: debbie lynn elias
Sports themed movies have long been a staple for the movie-going public. From Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig to Kevin Costner building a “Field of Dreams” to Mark Wahlberg as the Eagles’ Vince Papale to the “Hoosiers” of Indiana to “The Cutting Edge” of Olympic ice-skating to MMA in “Warrior” and, of course, “Rocky”, be it fact or fiction, sports movies – and particularly those celebrating the underdog and individual achievement, are the stuff that dreams are made of. But noticeably absent in the plethora of this genre are movies that celebrate women in sports; absent, that is, until now.
Let’s face it. What City embodies sports movies better than all others? There’s only one answer – Philadelphia. Steeped in real-life and mythical legends of winning and losing, perhaps the most famous sports movie of all time, “Rocky”, captured the true heart, spirit and grace of the underdog and a city. With THE MIGHTY MACS, Philadelphia…together with a little divine intervention…steps up to the plate again with that same spirit and celebration of the underdog, but this time championing a real Cinderella – basketball coach Cathy Rush and the Mighty Macs of Immaculata College.
Set in 1971-72, Immaculata was near bankruptcy and struggling to stay afloat. A woman ahead of her time, and now forever immortalized in basketball history, rookie Cathy Rush was hired as womenfs basketball coach, and in true Cinderella fashion, in her first year took this second-lowest seed team to the very first women’s AIAW/NCAA tournament and what would become an Immaculata dynasty.
Basketball was Cathy Rush’s life. Given the love of and obsession with basketball in her family while she was growing up, it seemed only natural that Rush would become a star in her right as a college player. Even more natural was when she married NBA referee Ed Rush. But how natural was it for Rush to move into coaching? For Rush, with her own basketball career cut short, it was more than natural. It was a perfect fit.
1971 was a critical time in collegiate sports and nevermore so than in women’ sports. The tide was turning and women were demanding equal footing with men both on and off the court, both in the workplace and in college. And this would be the first season that a women’s basketball champion would be crowned. Colleges across the country were wrangling for rankings and positioning, eyeing the newly created crown; that is, most colleges but for the all girls Immaculata College in suburban Philadelphia which was in such a precarious financial state, it was in danger of being sold. All Mother St. John and the Monsignor could be concerned with was just filling the post of coach and finding an outlet for the hormones of their teenaged students.
On interview day, there is only one applicant – Cathy Rush. Interviewed by Mother St. John in a dark dusty closet-sized room, Rush – with no collegiate coaching experience – eagerly accepts the coaching position offered. For the sum of $450…a month. Facing roadblocks of adversity and resistance by the school, the team, and even her husband who balks at her low salary and harsh hours – Rush’s “never say die” attitude, and winning a few games, eventually wins their support. But Rush wants more than a few wins. She wants it all.
With a new thinking philosophy, encouragement, determination and relying on the same tactics used in men’s basketball (in other words, forget about breaking a fingernail and go for the drive), Rush and her girls do the impossible. Not only do Rush and the Mighty Macs win games, but they forever change the face of women’s basketball.
Carla Gugino never ceases to amaze with her diverse performances and here, as Cathy Rush, is no different. New for Gugino, with THE MIGHTY MACS, she is playing a living breathing legend and does so with all the heart and determination of Cathy Rush herself. Gugino packs a powerful punch both in providing dramatic inspiration and heart. Marley Shelton is the epitome of sunshine and optimism as Sister Sunshine. And as Shelton herself describes the character, “And not just any old nun – I’m a nun/basketball coach.” Playing assistant coach to Gugino’s Rush, the two have an extraordinary chemistry as blind faith meets practical determination and hard work. There are some exquisitely poignant moments between the two women that capture the very essence of the story, particularly when discussing “when did you know” – When did you know you were meant to be a nun? When did you know you were meant to play basketball?
One of Philadelphia’s favorite sons steps into the shoes of Ed Rush. David Boreanaz. A mere babe in 1971, despite his legendary obsession with sports, and particularly Philadelphia sports, Boreanaz wasn’t aware of Mac Fever or Cathy Rush. He went in blind to the story when he read the script. It was only later all the puzzle pieces of his life came together. “[THE MIGHTY MACS] has a lot of heart to it. I didn’t know anything about the story. Then I read it and it just hit me…This is a really great script that had depth and heart and character, and it’s a true story. And this woman, and the evolution in the 70’s and the movements and everything that was going on at the time. Just to be a part of that, whatever it was, I was excited.” As Ed Rush, Boreanaz embodies the time period, the thrill of the sport and Rush’s persona, something of which Boreanaz does know a thing or two. “…when I found out it was the role of Ed Rush, I’m putting things together. I’m like, I met this guy… I met Ed Rush when I was a freshman at Malvern Prep, and he took me to basketball games and I met Charles Barkley, Dr J on the floor and Darrell Dawkins in New Jersey when they [the 76’ers] were playing the Nets.” A treat for Boreanaz fans is that he stretches his acting skills with a new level of heartfelt emotion and enthusiasm…enthusiasm that is particularly unbridled in a scene where he is in character wearing none other than Ed Rush’s own NBA jersey.
A delight is Ellen Burstyn as Mother St. John, then Dean of Immaculata. From dower and “corporate” to fun-filled enthusiastic playfulness, she captures the emotion of the character and the school to a tee. And be on the look-out for cameos by Cathy and Ed Rush, and the five starting players from Immaculata’s 1972 women’s basketball team.
Written and directed by Penn graduate Tim Chambers, THE MIGHTY MACS does for women’s sports, and particularly collegiate athletics, what “Hoosiers” did for men. Described by Marley Shelton as a “sweet, sweet movie”, despite its predetermined outcome and formulaic style, THE MIGHTY MACS is steeped in heart, sports, authenticity and Philadelphia. Its inspiration and joy coming from the journey itself. Himself a former college athlete, and Ivy League Player of the Year, Chambers’ script is authentic in collegiate sports-themed cadence and dialogue, particularly with many of Rush’s monologues about following one’s dreams and taking risks. Life, and basketball (and filmmaking), is all about risk. Key is that Chambers punctuates the wisdom of the story and its message with humor and wit. It’s a testament to Chambers that both Immaculata and Rush signed off on the project after years of rejecting other proposals and offers. Chambers has an organic, natural flow to the film that is built on its authenticity and the multi-layered self-questioning of conscience by several characters that grounds the film in reality. And myself being in my teens in Philadelphia when Mac fever swept the City, I can vouch for the genuine heartfelt emotion THE MIGHTY MACS generates.
One of Chambers’ most heart-wrenching scenes is the Macs 42 point loss to West Chester. They needed a win to make it to Nationals. On a silent drive back to Immaculata, Chambers lets the camera speak, as it slowly concentrates on the silence of the girls and the tears dribbling down their cheeks. Your heart aches and breaks with them as you watch. Extremely powerful storytelling.
Shot in and around Philadelphia and at Immaculata itself, you can almost taste the hoagies and cheesesteaks. As is typical with sports films, the sports/action sequences propel the film forward, but what I appreciate is that Chambers weaves inspirational encouragement into those scenes that speak directly to who Cathy Rush is as a person.
No stranger to sports films is cinematographer Chuck Cohen. The man behind films like “Jerry Maguire” and “Any Given Sunday”, he knows how to light and lens not only sports, but emotionally driven sports films and does a great job here on the court with editor M. Scott Smith adding energy and excitement to the palette. Technically, the film visually reverberates with a 70’s vibe. An important component of the filmfs authenticity is the costuming and thanks to Philadelphian Terry Binder, polyester double knit and gabardine runs rampant!
With a true hometown cheering base, it bears saying that the Executive Producer of THE MIGHTY MACS is none other than Pat Croce, former owner of the Philadelphia 76’ers. Philadelphia is truly the City of Brotherly – and Sisterly – Love. Perhaps best said by David Boreanaz himself, THE MIGHTY MACS is all about a “sense of community…a sense of strength and working together as a team, inspiration and that you can overcome obstacles.”
THE MIGHTY MACS – a feel good film for families, females, and sports fans alike…even if you’re not from Philadelphia.
Cathy Rush – Carla Gugino
Ed Rush – David Boreanaz
Sister Sunshine – Marley Shelton
Mother St. John – Ellen Burstyn
Written and Directed by Tim Chambers.
EPILOGUE: A few stats on the Macs and Cathy Rush: 3 National AIAW championships from 1972-1974, 5 Eastern AIAW championships; Rush career record at Immaculata is 149 wins and 15 losses – a 91% win percentage. Mac players, Theresa Shank Grentz, Rene Muth Portland, and Marianne Crawford Stanley, all went on to become basketball coaches. Rush is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2008, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Rush is also founder and president of Future Stars Camps which holds basketball, field hockey, soccer, all sport, and sports and arts camps for girls and boys.
