Review and Giveaway: The Mighty Macs

I recently had the opportunity to review The Mighty Macs, a family movie based on a true story of the first opportunity at a national championship title in women's basketball and a tiny all-women's Catholic college with very slim chance of have having a shot at the title.

It's 1971. Cathy Rush is a woman ahead of her time ... and she's about to embark on an adventure for the ages. A new era is dawning in the country and in collegiate athletics, where a national champion will be crowned for the first time in women's basketball.

In the lead up to this historical season, major universities are preparing their game plans to win that first title. Meanwhile a tiny all-women's Catholic college in Philadelphia has a more modest goal: find a coach before the season begins. Providentially, Cathy Rush is about to find Immaculata College.

Recently married, Cathy is dealing with the aftermath of a truncated playing career. While cultural norms would have her staying at home, she's willing to do the hard work necessary to help her new team reach their goals—or perhaps she's just trying to achieve her unfulfilled dreams through them. From the beginning, her challenges are as imposing as the big-school teams Immaculata will face on the court. Cathy learns there is no gymnasium on campus, she receives little support from the school's Mother Superior, and the school is in dire financial straits. To top it off, she may not even have enough players to field a team!

While it appears the Macs don't have a prayer, all hope is not lost. With the help of Sister Sunday—a spunky assistant coach—and the support of a booster club of elderly nuns, Coach Rush creates a new game plan that just might bring the team—and the school—together.

Will this pioneer buck cultural norms and spur her rag-tag team to unexpected heights? Or will her hard-driving ways create a wedge between the coach and everyone around her? One thing's for certain: there's never been anyone like Cathy Rush at Immaculata!

I'm not really a basketball fan nor am I Catholic, but I particularly like stories and movies with themes of perseverance and the success of underdogs. The Mighty Macs did not disappoint. It was engaging with worthy themes...and clean!  With a G rating, this movie can be enjoyed by the whole family. I loved that this film was based on a true story, making it even more inspiring.  At the end of the film, the future successes of the some of the Immaculata players were shared, including Cathy Rush, who was a Basketball Hall of Fame legend.  You needn't be a sports fan to enjoy this movie, but those who are fans of Rudy or Hoosiers will certainly enjoy it.

Giveaway!

I have one copy of The Mighty Macs to giveaway to one lucky U.S. reader. See below for how you can enter.  Please make sure to leave your contact info in each comment.

Mandatory entry:

• Leave a comment telling me your favorite sport to watch.

 

For additional entries (leave a comment for each):

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• Leave a comment on another post (including other giveaways) on this blog.
• Post about this giveaway on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, or others (please specify in your comment).  This will count for two entries for each! Make sure you leave two comments.
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The giveaway will end on March 9th at 6 p.m. EST and will be chosen by a random number generator. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.