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Ladybugs (film)
Encyclopedia
Ladybugs is a comedy and sports movie released in 1992
starring Rodney Dangerfield
as Chester, a business man who takes over a girls soccer team which the company he works for sponsors to get them to win and get a promotion. The film also stars Jackée Harry
as his assistant coach, Ilene Graff
as Bess his girlfriend, Jonathan Brandis
as his girlfriend's son (and soon to be star of the team), Matthew, and Vinessa Shaw
as Kimberley, Chester's boss's daughter and Matthew's love interest.
Then Los Angeles Dodgers
manager Tommy Lasorda
has a cameo, as do Blake Clark
and longtime Dangerfield friend Chuck McCann
.
) is desperate for a promotion at work. To impress his boss, he claims to have been a good soccer player in his youth and is badgered into coaching a girls' team called the Ladybugs. The Ladybugs are sponsored by his boss's company and also includes the boss's daughter, Kimberly (Vinessa Shaw
), as a player. The team makes a dreadful start to the season and the boss is less than impressed. In his personal life, Chester is engaged to Bess (Ilene Graff
) who has a son, Matthew (Jonathan Brandis
), from a previous marriage. Matthew just happens to be a great soccer player. Chester invites Matthew to watch the Ladybugs practice and to get some tips from him. Matthew falls for Kimberly the second he sees her and it is partly due to this that Chester persuades him to dress like a girl and play for the team under the name Martha.
With only Chester and Matthew knowing the secret of Martha's identity, the team wins the rest of their games to get to the championship game. Also Kimberly makes friends with Martha, not knowing 'she' is in fact Matthew. Just before the championship game, Bess finds out that Matthew has been dressing as a girl to play. She becomes angry with Chester, making him drop Matthew from the team. Kimberly, who has not been playing well, is also dropped on the request of Chester's boss. The Ladybugs go down 3-0 in the first half. At half time, Matthew reveals to Kimberly and the rest of the team that he is Martha. His honesty fires the team up and with Chester's encouragement, Kimberly kicks in the winning goal on a penalty kick
at the end of the game. As the Ladybugs win the championship, Chester gets his promotion. Bess and Chester get married while Matthew and Kimberly begin dating.
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
starring Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
as Chester, a business man who takes over a girls soccer team which the company he works for sponsors to get them to win and get a promotion. The film also stars Jackée Harry
Jackée Harry
Jacqueline Yvonne "Jackée" Harry , better known by her professional name Jackée, is an American actress and television personality, primarily known for her roles on sitcoms and other types of television shows...
as his assistant coach, Ilene Graff
Ilene Graff
Ilene Graff is an American actress and singer.The Brooklyn native began her professional career as a teenager when she performed as a background singer and commercial actress while attending Van Buren High School in Queens Village...
as Bess his girlfriend, Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Gregory Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model and...
as his girlfriend's son (and soon to be star of the team), Matthew, and Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American actress and model. Shaw has starred in numerous motion pictures since the early 1990s, and is probably most well known for her performances in Disney's 1993 Halloween film Hocus Pocus, Ladybugs, the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's horror picture The Hills Have...
as Kimberley, Chester's boss's daughter and Matthew's love interest.
Then Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
manager Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
has a cameo, as do Blake Clark
Blake Clark
Blake Clark is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, and veteran of the Vietnam War, having served as a Captain with the 101st Airborne Division....
and longtime Dangerfield friend Chuck McCann
Chuck McCann
Chuck McCann is a film actor, television actor, stage actor, and a voice actor from Brooklyn, New York.-Early career:...
.
Plot
Chester (Rodney DangerfieldRodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
) is desperate for a promotion at work. To impress his boss, he claims to have been a good soccer player in his youth and is badgered into coaching a girls' team called the Ladybugs. The Ladybugs are sponsored by his boss's company and also includes the boss's daughter, Kimberly (Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American actress and model. Shaw has starred in numerous motion pictures since the early 1990s, and is probably most well known for her performances in Disney's 1993 Halloween film Hocus Pocus, Ladybugs, the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's horror picture The Hills Have...
), as a player. The team makes a dreadful start to the season and the boss is less than impressed. In his personal life, Chester is engaged to Bess (Ilene Graff
Ilene Graff
Ilene Graff is an American actress and singer.The Brooklyn native began her professional career as a teenager when she performed as a background singer and commercial actress while attending Van Buren High School in Queens Village...
) who has a son, Matthew (Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Gregory Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model and...
), from a previous marriage. Matthew just happens to be a great soccer player. Chester invites Matthew to watch the Ladybugs practice and to get some tips from him. Matthew falls for Kimberly the second he sees her and it is partly due to this that Chester persuades him to dress like a girl and play for the team under the name Martha.
With only Chester and Matthew knowing the secret of Martha's identity, the team wins the rest of their games to get to the championship game. Also Kimberly makes friends with Martha, not knowing 'she' is in fact Matthew. Just before the championship game, Bess finds out that Matthew has been dressing as a girl to play. She becomes angry with Chester, making him drop Matthew from the team. Kimberly, who has not been playing well, is also dropped on the request of Chester's boss. The Ladybugs go down 3-0 in the first half. At half time, Matthew reveals to Kimberly and the rest of the team that he is Martha. His honesty fires the team up and with Chester's encouragement, Kimberly kicks in the winning goal on a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
at the end of the game. As the Ladybugs win the championship, Chester gets his promotion. Bess and Chester get married while Matthew and Kimberly begin dating.
External links
- Ladybugs at the Sports Movie Guide