• Movie: The Mighty Macs
• Starring: Carla Gugino, Marley Shelton, Ellen Burstyn and David Boreanaz
• Director: Tim Chambers
• Genre: Sports/Drama
• Rating: G
• DVD Release Date: February 21, 2012

Last fall, one little movie quietly made its way into and out of theatres in a blink of an eye. Very little fanfare was created for this little gem and it’s a shame, because it so deserves it.

Now on DVD, “The Mighty Macs” is the true story about young coach, Cathy Rush, and how she was able to bring the Immaculata College “Macs” to two national championships in women’s basketball in the early 70’s.

Cathy, (A blond Carla Gugino of “Spy Kids” and “Watchmen”) has an incredible passion to help the all-girl Catholic college have a winning basketball team. Her husband, Ed (David Boreanaz of FOX TV’s “Bones”), a coach himself, would like her to settle down and start a family with him. Mother St. John, (Ellen Burstyn) is responsible for hiring Cathy at a very low wage, no gym to practice in and hardly any funding. It is unclear if she wants Cathy to succeed or not, giving the story a bit of mystery. Cathy soon builds an unlikely group of misfits together as a team, trying out many unorthodox practice sessions along the way. Soon, she recruits the tired and lonely Sister Sunday (Marley Shelton) as assistant coach giving the team the boost it needs.

“The Mighty Macs” has been described as a woman’s version of “Rudy” or “Hoosiers” because it is THAT good. As sport movies go, this one is, shall we say, less predictable than most? That might be because the story situation is so unusual or that 95% of the characters in the film are female. Whatever the case, this is a chick flick that guys can appreciate as well. It’s a story about belief, commitment, perseverance, sacrifice, friendship and leadership.

The movie captures the ‘70s without overdoing it. The characters are believable. And here’s a shocker – the movie is rated G, which means you can plop the entire family in front of it and not be embarrassed by any of it. The DVD comes with a special feature put together by ESPN. And incidentally, “The Mighty Macs” website has a free discussion guide to share with your family or friends.

While the film may not have made a ton in theaters during its release and could easily be forgotten, here’s a second chance to make this sleepy wonder a hit.

Originally posted on the Examiner.