Ladybugs (1992)

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

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writer:

Curtis Burch

Stars:

Rodney Dangerfield, Jackée Harry, Jonathan Brandis

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rodney Dangerfield	...	Chester Lee
Jackée Harry	...	Julie Benson (as Jackée)
Jonathan Brandis	...	Matthew / Martha
Ilene Graff	...	Bess
Vinessa Shaw	...	Kimberly Mullen
Tom Parks	...	Dave Mullen
Jeannetta Arnette	...	Glynnis Mullen
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

Storyline

Chester Lee must take on the coaching duties of his company's employee daughters soccer team in order to impress his boss. Desperate for success, he enlists the aid of a "ringer", his fiancées son! Wackiness ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

coach | soccer coach | gender disguise | crush on girl | employer employee relationship | 

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Taglines:

Getting respect is one big goal!

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sex related dialogue

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jonathan Brandis and Vinessa Shaw dated during filming.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Chester: Positively perfect pass play, Penny Pester.

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Alternate Versions

When this movie is aired on network television, particulary the Disney Channel, TNT, and TBS, one line is shortened in the scene where Chester talks to the bartender. In the theatrical release, when the bartender asks what happened, Chester says "Well...I took her son...dressed him up as a girl, and talked him into playing with me". Then he is kicked out of the bar. In the TV version, he says "Well, I took her son, dressed him up as a girl.." Then we see him get kicked out. The reason for this cut is probably because it is too sexually suggestive.

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Connections

Referenced in Happy Endings: Bros Before Bros (2013)

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Soundtracks

Kiss My Love Goodbye
Written by Mick Cripps, Tracii Guns (as Tracii Gunns), Phil Lewis (as Phillip Lewis),
Kelly Nickels, Steve Riley, Steve Diamond
Published by PRI Songs, Inc., Al Snug Music, and Diamond Mine Music
Performed by L.A. Guns
Courtesy of PLG Records
By Arrangement with PolyGram Special Products

User Reviews

(Almost) Dead On Arrival.

How do you make a sports movie? Have a team that can't win, a reluctant coach with an ace up their sleeve, and arch-rivals that the underdogs seemingly stand no chance against. That's "Ladybugs" for you!

The main thing that this movie has going for it is the legendary Rodney Dangerfield. He may not have had much luck in feature films, so I guess "Ladybugs" shouldn't have been a surprise. He is very likeable and respectable (pun intended) in this.

The other thing this movie has going for it is the late Jonathan Brandis. He has enough charm to carry his character, almost all the way.

Dangerfield plays Chester who is desperate for a promotion so that he can finally have a good wedding ceremony. His boss rejects him, but In a bid to suck up, Chester says he will coach his boss' daughter's soccer team: The Ladybugs. Dragging along his assistant to coach along with him, Chester is in shock to see the team consists of rookies with no natural talent. That has been done soooooo many times before. Just by reading this, how many other sports films did you just think about?

Chester's soon-to-be stepson is Matthew (Brandis), a slacker with a knack for sports whose bad habits have gotten him kicked off the teams. Chester's bad idea to get the team winning and for Matthew to play sports again is to disguise him as a girl named Martha. When the gender-bender aspect gets thrown in, it is a move the viewer will either hate or find a good change. I can assure you that the only reason I wasn't appalled was because of Dangerfield and Brandis.

The film this is most like is the modern Shakespeare adaptation of "Twelfth Night" called "She's The Man" with Amanda Bynes. Both are gender-bending sports films about soccer, but the Amanda movie was actually decent. I really can't recommend "Ladybugs" unless you love soccer or Rodney Dangerfield. I happen to be a fan of the late comic, so I did not hate this like I probably should have.

2.5/4

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ladybugs

Filming Locations:

Denver, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,180,414, 29 March 1992

Gross USA:

$14,796,494

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,796,494

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ladybugs, Morgan Creek Entertainment, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1