Ladybugs (1992)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writer (WGA):

Curtis Burch (written by)

Release Date:

27 March 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

Getting respect is one big goal!

Plot:

To climb the corporate ladder to success, a guy agrees to coach the company's all girl soccer team with the help of his secret weapon: his fiancee's son.

Plot Keywords:

Soccer | Stepfather Stepson Relationship | Dressing Room | Mother Son Relationship | Forbidden Love

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Rodney Dangerfield	...	Chester Lee
Jackée Harry	...	Julie Benson - Assistant Coach (as Jackée)
Jonathan Brandis	...	Matthew / Martha
Ilene Graff	...	Bess
Vinessa Shaw	...	Kimberly Mullen
Tom Parks	...	Dave Mullen
Jeanetta Arnette	...	Glynnis Mullen (as Jeannetta Arnette)
Crystal Cooke	...	Nancy Larimer (as LaCrystal Cooke)
Jennifer Frances Lee	...	Carmelita Chu
Vanessa Monique Rossel	...	Tina Velez
Johna Stewart-Bowden	...	Sally Anne Welfelt (as Johna Stewart)
Jandi Swanson	...	Penny Pester
Nancy Parsons	...	Coach Annie
Blake Clark	...	Coach Bull
Tommy Lasorda	...	Coach Cannoli

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Spain:T | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Denver, Colorado, USA

Company:

Ladybugs

Goofs:

Continuity: Chester is talking to Matthew from the van and Matthew is holding a football. A teacher asks Matthew if he is all right and we see Matthew holding his backpack and not the football. Earlier, Matthew left his backpack with his friend, who threw him the football.

Quotes:

Matthew: Gimme another one.
Soda Shop Counterman: Kid, you've had enough. You're gonna spoil your dinner. Why don't you go on home?
Matthew: No, I don't want to go home. Come on, gimme another one.
Soda Shop Counterman: Kid, the way you're drinkin', you must have a girl problem.
Matthew: Yeah.
Soda Shop Counterman: Tell me about it. Maybe I could help.
Matthew: How could *you* help *me*?
Soda Shop Counterman: With girls, I been through it all. I been stood up, shook up, hung up, screwed up, and tied up. What's your problem? Y'all have a fight?
Matthew: No, no, no, we never fight. No, we get along great. We laugh together, we like the same music, the same sports. No, we get along just great.
Soda Shop Counterman: Then what's the problem?
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Psycho (1960)

Soundtrack:

Jammin' The Pump

Brandis and Dangerfield made a funny team

I did not think I would like this movie because I had never liked Jonathan Brandis. After I saw Ladybugs, I had a new appreciation for him as a very natural person and an excellent actor. Brandis really made this movie work. Instead of trying to ham it up and go over the top, Brandis plays it real. Like if some old man (Dangerfield) asked you to do one silly thing, and then it takes off from there. Brandis made the silly story seem plausible. Thanks to Branids being a great straight-man, it made Rodney Dangerfield's one-liners and antics very funny. Sadly Brandis died in 2004 (suicide?). After seeing Ladybugs I checked out some of Brandis' other work (IT! and Seaquest) and I liked it a lot more.

Rodney Dangerfield always made any movie a lot better than the writing was. In Ladybugs he was probably too old for the role as the first-time coach of a kid's soccer team, but in spite of the weird story Dangerfield delivers some great lines and funny moments. I laughed a lot watching this movie. The supporting cast is pretty good. The guy who plays Dangerfield's boss is a bit too annoying, but he was supposed to be the bad guy, after all.

Overall, I highly recommend this movie. Not only is it funny, but it is a fun movie to watch with family and/or children. At the bottom of all the humor there is a very positive message about family and love.