The Age of Commercialism

Good movie but grossly overrated

Did you people see the same film I saw?

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Here we have something unusual,a movie that stars mostly women doing something normally reserved for males, sports, basketball in this case. Brooke Shields and Camryn Manheim really shine in the movie. The rest of the cast, while serviceable, aren't near as good. Daryl Hannah is unfortunately particularly silly. Unfortunately because I typically like her. It's a 'feel good' story with all the usual clichés and as such isn't going to deliver anything out of bounds.There are enough decent moments of 'aw shucks' I guess to keep watching, but really, this not a great movie. Except for one key moment at the end it's predictable. It features almost all the clichéd characters one would expect in this type of movie (wholesome do-gooder, closeted lesbian, town tramp, stoner chick, sassy black lady and even for some reason a midget), with them behaving just like you'd expect. The basketball scenes are filmed in quick succession, which suggests there were many takes and although it's meant to convey the action of the game it actually gets tiresome. Except for Brooke Shields and maybe Daryl Hannah, none of the women are remotely athletic. The music is conventional with the typical piano interlude when the scenes are sad and the typical repetitive rock blaring away during the action sequences.In short, mildly enjoyable for some solid performances and interesting basic premise, but nothing special. I really wanted to love this movie because of the great cast, but they only serve to add fine sauce to a bad dish. Watch if there's nothing else on.

This movie is like comfort food to any (intelligent) woman going thru menopause. How many movies can say that? Progressive and interesting on a number of different levels. Real life with no pretense, no plastic surgery. The cast is fabulous. Brooke Shields, Wanda Sykes, Daryl Hannah and Virginia Madsen, they are all interesting and should have been more developed as characters. And Mark Povinelli as the ex-veterinarian/coach? Kidnapping dogs to clean their teeth? Yes! Moonlight rescue! So progressive, pro tolerance, pro kindness. Of course the idea of charity basketball games to fund the mobile unit screening for breast cancer is great, but there is so much more here. Eric Roberts is a very believable character but he was a little obsessed with his hair. I mean, what man plays with his hair like that? Whatever. This movie is specifically wonderful from a human kindness/tolerance prospective. Bravo!

I'm 50 minutes into this movie as I write this review.Other reviews have said that this movie is hit or miss, you're either going to love it or hate it... As I'm watching a middle aged American woman wrestle with a teenage girl on a basketball court, I'm thinking that the target audience has to be really, really heavy women from the South of America.For everybody else, watching Brooke Shields play an aging, hick, do-gooder American woman is just going to be depressing.I'd certainly not bother going to watch this at the theatre, unless you happen to live in the town in which it was filmed, and downloading/renting the DVD is probably not worth your time either.

Saw this last night at the USA Film Festival in Dallas. Wasn't aware of the director's background until she was introduced before the viewing. But she is impressive! The PSA encouraging women to get their annual mammogram is really funny as is the movie. The whole theater laughed and actually cheered during the basketball game sequences. My husband had to shush me when I kept cheering the great shots made by the Hot Flashes. These five women put in lots of hard work to become so proficient on the court, although there was probably a lot of footage left on the editing room floor. If it were not for a brief "sex" scene and the hilarious off color jokes, I would love to take my 11 year old granddaughter to see this to encourage her budding career!