Possums (1998)

Will Clark loves his job as radio announcer for the local high school football team, the Nowata Possums. He loves it so much that he continues announcing even after the town decides to ... See full summary »

Director:

Max Burnett (as J. Max Burnett)

Writer:

Max Burnett (as J. Max Burnett)

Stars:

Mac Davis, Cynthia Sikes, Greg Coolidge

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mac Davis	...	Wilbur 'Will' Clark
Cynthia Sikes	...	Elizabeth Clark
Greg Coolidge	...	Jake Malloy (as Gregory Coolidge)
Andrew Prine	...	Mayor Charlie Lawton
Dennis Burkley	...	Orville Moss
Monica Lacy	...	Sarah Jacobs (as Monica Creel)
Jay Underwood	...	John Clark
Jerry Haynes	...	Bob
Clive Revill	...	London
Zac Sherman	...	Mark Bond
Nathan Burgess	...	Calvin (as Nathan Brooks Burgess)
Kyle Moody	...	Kevin Burns
Ian Bennett	...	Paul Rowlett
David Hunt Stafford	...	Coach Tuley
Rodney Lay	...	Earl

Storyline

Will Clark loves his job as radio announcer for the local high school football team, the Nowata Possums. He loves it so much that he continues announcing even after the town decides to cancel the football program. But when his imaginary teams starts to contend for the state championship, he not only must deal with the real state champs, but he must reckon with the hopes and dreams of the people of Nowata as well.

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Plot Keywords:

independent film | 

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Taglines:

Never let reality stand in your way.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 June 1998 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Oklahoma, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HSX Films, Ignite Entertainment, The Kushner-Locke Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Every single referee seen in the film during the Nowata football games, without exception, is played by the same actor, Darryl Cox.

User Reviews

Train Harder and Think Clearer for Success

It's too bad that a movie with a good heart and some potential for being inspirational or even important would succumb to ridiculous screen writing. Don't get me wrong, I am firmly on the side of 1.) inspirational fantasy, 2.)rebels who do things differently than the mainstream and 3.) appreciating honest effort for its own sake and not just record-of-success.

These are the themes and attributes that could have been examined and enjoyed in Possums, but instead, we see one vigilante (Will Clark) who is too short-sighted and delusional to see the gaping hole in the credibility of his actions: he has not addressed the issue of training, tactics and development of a better football team!

Without the consideration of better theory, practice and performance for the Possums, the picture becomes a joke.

Another issue I have with the movie is: How do the individuals (pseudo players) named on the weekly broadcasts feel about having their names used and reputations fictitiously and permanently altered? Clark could have been sued for using these names to promote his hardware store business.

It was painful for me to see the young men in street clothes playing an informal game at the field, emulating the fake Possums as they listened to the phony-but-well-meaning broadcast.

Screenwriter Max Burnett did a severe injustice to all involved in Possums by creating one of the most un-believable movies of all time.

Not giving up is one thing... Creating a fantasy world of delusion is quite another: Hard work and innovative thinking, instead are the answer. Application, not vacation.

This movie could have been great had it been re-written with plausibility: Interaction of the coaches, players, and community.

Clark should have been coaching the players himself, all along, being a former player. Then again, did the players even want to become better, individually, and as a team? We will never know. (I can dismiss the one quitter at the town meeting).

Three years prior to Possums, Max Burnett reportedly worked, in some capacity, on the good film, The Tuskogee Airmen. I can not find any reference to him on the IMDb page for that film. I hope he was just "additional hair" or "assistant grip".

This movie sends a message to the audience that if you do not achieve success, then retreat: Give up: Do anything but work harder. This is inexcuseable and reflects a mentality that is so blinded as to be clinical.