Monday Mystery Movie once again made an appearance at Regal Cinemas on Feb. 27, and since it’s now my favorite movie tradition, I just had to be there.
Regal’s film of choice this time around was an upcoming sports movie titled “Champions.”
“Champions” stars Woody Harrelson as Marcus, a recently fired minor-league basketball coach who finds himself in quite a jam after he’s arrested for a DUI.
When an unforgiving judge sentences Marcus to 90 days of community service coaching basketball for young adults with intellectual disabilities, Marcus must turn his negative attitude around and become a mentor to a team he never would have anticipated.
The first time Marcus encounters his new team, the “Friends,” we meet a group of lovable characters, including Johnny (Kevin Iannucci), Benny (James Day Keith), Marlon (Casey Metcalfe) and Showtime (Bradley Edens).
Marcus, along with the audience, learn pretty quickly that although this team has spirit, they aren’t very good at basketball. Marcus has his work cut out for him, but as the film progresses, Marcus connects with each of the players and is able to lead them to a series of victories.
Although “Champions” follows a fairly generic and predictable plot, the “Friends” are truly what make this movie stand out. You can’t help but smile and laugh through the entirety of the film, and one thing you’ll learn is that this team has some pretty solid jokes to crack.
Photo courtesy of Shauna Townley and Focus Features
Cosentino (Madison Tevlin), who is so full of sass and attitude, especially puts Marcus in his place regularly, which never fails to receive some giggles and unanimous “oooooo”’s.
According to IMDB, “Champions” is rated PG-13 for crude/sexual references and strong language, and is classified as a comedy/drama/sports film.
The comedy in “Champions” caught me off guard, especially when Johnny introduces himself as a “homie with an extra chromie,” a line which gained quite a few chuckles from the audience.
Each of the “Friends” have their own set of quirks and unique personalities that come into play during the film. For example, Showtime is known for his backwards half-court shots — which he never makes — and mimicking famous basketball players’ victory dances.
During Marcus’ time with the “Friends,” he meets Alex (Kaitlin Olsen), Johnny’s older sister. Marcus and Alex form a casual relationship which gives Marcus a little insight into Johnny’s life, especially his perspective on men, and why he has trust issues when a male figure comes into his sister’s life.
The time spent with Alex and Johnny helps soften Marcus’ rough exterior and outdated mindset.
One thing “Champions” does well throughout the entirety of its runtime is work to disprove the stereotypes and stigmas that often surround adults with intellectual disabilities.
There is a montage where Julio (Cheech Marin) tells Marcus about each of the players and their stories. Here, we find out that Benny lives on his own and is a dishwasher at a restaurant, that some of the boys live in a home together and that each has their own set of impressive talents, including welding.
The point of this scene is to show Marcus that although his teammates might look and think differently than him, they’re still fully capable and deserving of his respect and compassion, which is ultimately the result of Julio’s talk.
This positive representation of adults with intellectual disabilities is a significant step forward in cinema compared to how those individuals have been portrayed in the past — specifically when non-disabled actors are cast to play a character with an intellectual disability.
“Champions” has the potential to be feel-good movie of the year between its unlikely heroes, goofy humor and predictable yet comforting plot, which all come together to create a movie that will make you smile the whole way through.
Everything in “Champions” was done excellently, from the casting, to the dialogue and soundtrack. The audience seemed to agree too, because once the film was over, several of the viewers broke into a round of applause — which was very well deserved.
This is a film that will stick with you days after you watch it. I still catch myself reminiscing on the sweet moments between Marcus and his players. While “Champions” may be targeted towards older audiences, with familiar faces like Cheech Marin and Ernie Hudson, it’s a film that will truly be enjoyed by any age group — as long as you follow the rating.
“Champions” bounces into theaters March 10, and if you’re in need of a pick me up, this is the film to see.
