'Mighty Macs' Movie Follows Same Underdog Path

IMMACULATA, Pa. (AP) Here's a sports fairy tale that never gets old: Underdog team with few resources but a lot of heart beats the odds and comes out on top.That is what actually happened to the 1971-72 women's basketball squad at tiny Immaculata College.It's also what happened to "The Mighty Macs," a small-budget movie about the team's improbable national championship that overcame its own obstacles to make it to Hollywood.The film starring Carla Gugino, Marley Shelton, David Boreanaz and Ellen Burstyn hits theaters Friday."We really needed to be patient and believe in the story and the right distribution platform for the story," said Tim Chambers, who wrote and directed the film. "... It was definitely worth the wait."The true story of the Mighty Macs has always read like a movie script.It starts in 1971 with a 23-year-old named Cathy Rush. The former high school basketball star was coaching the ragtag team at Immaculata, a struggling Catholic school for women near Philadelphia. She was barely older than her players.The Macs, who had no home court because their field house had burned down, practiced at local gyms and played all their games on the road. When they earned the 15th seed in the first-ever women's U.S. collegiate championship tournament in 1972, players held raffles and sold toothbrushes to raise money for the trip.Immaculata upset three teams to reach the finals. There, the scrappy Macs faced off against nemesis West Chester in a nail-biting rematch and won. Cue the confetti.In the following years, Rush was approached many times about making the Macs' Cinderella story into a movie. But every would-be production turned into a pumpkin.So Rush was understandably wary when Chambers came to her around 2004. But she was won over by his strong backing former Philadelphia 76ers president Pat Croce is an executive producer and personal connections to the story.Chambers had grown up in the area and, as a child, saw Rush and the Mighty Macs practice at his Catholic grade school's gym. And he was taught by the same nuns who run Immaculata the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary."The more I was around him, the more I was convinced that if anyone could do this, he could do it," Rush said.Filming for "Our Lady of Victory" the movie's original title began in 2007 at Immaculata and, ironically, in the gym of nearby West Chester University. Chambers cast Katie Hayek, a former University of Miami shooting guard and theater major, as star player Trish Sharkey.But Hayek was diagnosed with cancer as cameras were set to roll. A wig, tenacious work ethic and rearranged shooting schedule helped mask the effects of chemotherapy, which Hayek said successfully treated her Hodgkin's lymphoma.Then, just as the $7.5 million production wrapped in 2008, the recession hit. Chambers couldn't find a distributor.So he took the G-rated movie billed as part "Sister Act," part "Hoosiers" on the festival circuit for family films. Good reception, but still no bites. Chambers was offered a straight-to-video deal and turned it down. He wanted a shot at the big dance.Three years after filming ended, Chambers got it. Ocean Avenue Entertainment is distributing "The Mighty Macs" on the 40th anniversary of the team's winning season. Whether it becomes a champ at the box office remains to be seen.Chambers described the movie as transcending gender and sports to tell a story about "the equality of dreams" in this case, that young women in the 1970s were entitled to pursue their passions the same way men did.The film takes some liberties with details; the nuns who cheered on their beloved Macs probably didn't wear high-top Converse sneakers, as they do in the movie. And Rush didn't have a nun for an assistant coach (Sister Sunday, played by Shelton). But the overall message is faithful to history."It's an enjoyable, wholesome story about something that really did happen," said Theresa Shank Grentz, who played on the championship team and is the basis for Hayek's character.Grentz and the Mighty Macs went on to win the national titles in 1973 and '74 as well. But the basketball program got left behind after the passage of Title IX, which allowed colleges to offer women sports scholarships something tiny Immaculata could not afford.The school began admitting men in 2005 and currently has both men's and women's Division III basketball teams.Rush, who now runs a string of children's summer camps, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. Grentz became the first full-time women's basketball coach in the nation at Rutgers, later leaving to coach at Illinois. Today, she works as Immaculata's vice president for university advancement.Teammates Rene Muth Portland and Marianne Crawford Stanley followed similar paths: Portland became the longtime coach at Penn State; Stanley won three championships as coach at Old Dominion, later coaching the WNBA's Washington Mystics.Rush set the example for them and many other women to follow their dreams, said Chambers."That's a remarkable testament to her, and why she's in the Hall of Fame, and why she's a pioneer in women's sports," Chambers said.The film premiered in Philadelphia last week.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Official: 'Thor 2' to become Directed by Patty Jenkins

Kevin Winter/Getty Images For Entertainment Weekly Patty Jenkins will direct Thor 2, Marvel Galleries formally introduced on Thursday. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman will all return for that follow up. PHOTOS: 'The Avengers': New Photos From Marvel's Super hero Film The Hollywood Reporter first reported that Jenkins, who's the very first female director for Marvel Galleries, had been considered in September. Disney also introduced that Thor 2 is going to be moved from the This summer 26, 2013, release date to November. 15, 2013. For individuals who are able to't wait to determine Thor and Loki go back to the screen, both Hemsworth and Hiddleston will have their roles in Marvel's approaching super hero ensemble film, The Avengers, that is set hitting theaters May 4, 2012. PHOTOS: top 10 Summer time Superheroes Ever: Fight of Box Office Brawn Thor, which hit theaters on May 6, 2011, was helmed by Kenneth Branagh making $sixty five million locally over its opening weekend. It continued to gather $448 million worldwide. VIDEO: 'Avengers' Tom Hiddleston Talks the Return of Loki Jenkins is most well-noted for pointing 2003's Monster, which received star Charlize Theron an Oscar. She also received an Emmy nomination for pointing the pilot of AMC's The Killing. Most lately, Jenkins, that has also directed instances of Entourage and Arrested Development, directed, Gem, among the five short films that composed Lifetime's original movie Five. Jenkins is symbolized by CAA, Anonymous Content, and Alan Wertheimer. Avengers Chris Hemsworth Natalie Portman Tom Hiddleston Thor Patty Jenkins

Courteney Cox-David Arquette Comedy, Suburban Drama Target NBC

Kevin Winter/Getty Images ABC Galleries has offered two projects for an outdoors network: NBC. The network has snagged the Courteney Cox and David Arquette-created comedy, 10 Years, with penalty inside a highly competitive atmosphere. PHOTOS: Fall TV's 12 Most Anticipated Shows The only-camera project, compiled by Howard Morris, tracks the adapt of the 10-year releationship for any lately separated couple in the heart of several buddies and family. Cox and Arquette function as executive producers, together with Morris. PHOTOS: Fall TV Preview: The Brand New Shows Furthermore, NBC has additionally bought the drama project, The Following Insanely Great Factor, from author Daniel Taplitz. Inspired with a true story, Factor follows suburban townspeople who accept become test subjects for any high-tech company's social networking experiments. Ian Sanders and Kim Moses assists being an executive producer, together with Taplitz. The purchases cement ABC Galleries' proceed to sell projects outdoors of sister network ABC. Courteney Cox David Arquette TV Development

TV Ratings: 'Dancing With the Stars,' 'Two and a Half Men' Among Declines

Adam Rose/Warner Bros./CBS"Two and a Half Men" Against baseball playoffs on Fox and Monday night football on ESPN, the broadcast networks saw declines across the board in the ratings for Monday programming. Still, CBS took home the nightly victory, averaging a 3.9 rating among the key adults 18-49 demographic followed by Fox, which posted a 3.0 from 8-11 p.m. (ABC placed third with a 2.9.) Due to overrun from the second game of the American League Championship Series (running until 8:52 p.m. ET), Fox's numbers are unreliable and will be available later on Tuesday. PHOTOS: Fall TV Death Pool: Which New Shows Will Be Axed? How I Met Your Mother (8.9 million total viewers, 3.9 rating in adults 18-49 demographic), 2 Broke Girls (10.6 million, 4.2) and Two and a Half Men (15.9 million, 5.8) all slid, hitting lows for the season thus far. But, Men remained the most-watched scripted program for Monday and ranked as the highest-rated. Mike & Molly (11.8 million, 4.0) dipped 7 percent versus its previous week's performance. Hawaii Five-0 (9.7 million, 2.6) sank 19 percent and posted a season low. PHOTOS: 10 Shows Canceled Faster Than 'The Playboy Club' Fox's Terra Nova and House were both impacted with the ALCS game, with the former airing from 8:52-9:52 p.m. ET and House broadcasting at 9:52-10:52 p.m. ET. (However, as a guide, Terra Nova/House posted a 2.6 and from 10-11 p.m., House drew a 2.3 average.) Over on ABC, Dancing WIth the Stars (17 million, 3.1) was steady, matching last week's ratings. Castle (11.2 million, 2.4), meanwhile, saw a slight 4 percent dip, hitting a season low. Sports wasn't friendly to NBC's The Sing-Off (4.3 million, 1.4), which plunged 22 percent, drawing its lowest-rated telecast to date. A rerun of Prime Suspect -- replacing the canceled The Playboy Club -- drew 2.9 million viewers and a 0.7. The CW's Gossip Girl (1.3 million, 0.6) and Hart of Dixie (1.5 million, 0.6) were down as well. CBS -- 3.9 · How I Met Your Mother: 8.9 million, 3.9 · 2 Broke Girls: 10.6 million, 4.2 · Two and a Half Men: 15.9 million, 5.8 · Mike & Molly: 11.8 million, 4.0 · Hawaii Five-0: 9.7 million, 2.6 Fox -- 3.0 ** ALCS overrun ABC -- 2.9 · Dancing With the Stars: 17 million, 3.1 · Castle: 11.2 million, 2.4 NBC -- 1.2 · The Sing-Off: 4.3 million, 1.4 · Prime Suspect (R): 2.9 million, 0.7 The CW -- 0.6 · Gossip Girl: 1.3 million, 0.6 · Hart of Dixie: 1.5 million, 0.6 TV Ratings

Michoacan mission

Bela Tarr's 'The Turin Horse' was lured to this year's fest.'See You, Dad''The Tiniest Place'When inviting films, most festivals contact the print source, which can be the sales company or the producer or, in a few poverty-stricken cases, the filmmaker.But when it came to inviting Bela Tarr's "The Turin Horse" to the Morelia film festival's ninth edition, artistic director and founder Daniela Michel went several extra steps, and personally delivered an invitation into Tarr's hands in Budapest."It was my way of saying that we truly, truly want your film," Michel says.Morelia is a fest that has earned, with dramatic speed, an international rep for extending the welcome mat further, presenting films better, and delivering the entire festival-going experience more vividly than many other events of its medium size and age."The smartly programmed official selection captures very well the energy and diversity of contemporary Mexican independent film," notes critic and Museum of Moving Image editorial director Dennis Lim. "They've also done a great job bringing in a wide range of international guests to present retrospectives or premieres," such as Quentin Tarantino, who unveiled his personal stash of Mexican B-movies last year.Michel credits a set of coincidences that positioned the festival as a must-see event. Having forged a strong network of filmmaker relationships (including Fernando Eimbcke and Rodrigo Pla) through her short film festival held at Mexico City's Cineteca, Michel saw there was little support for younger Mexican filmmakers during an ebb for local production in the mid- and late 1990s. During a 2001 visit to Morelia, headquarters to exhib chain Cinepolis, Michel was invited by Cinepolis topper Alejandro Ramirez to set up a Morelia-based event spotlighting shorts and docs."It was the right move at the right time," she says, with a convivial and beautifully preserved colonial city as host, an enthusiastic exhibitor, hungry and ambitious filmmakers ready to burst out with a flood of adventurous features, plus a mix of private support and public aid via the state of Michoacan. The tone was set the first year in 2003 with the presence of Werner Herzog and Salma Hayek, who drew press, and a small but respected Mexican film lineup, which established the festival's ongoing central theme: What's new and vital in independent Mexican cinema, especially in docs and shorts.More than most newer Latin American fests, Morelia has established its international credentials with a combination of factors: frequent repeat visitors such as helmers Barbet Schroeder, Gus Van Sant and Telluride co-director Tom Luddy; deliberate selection of important film artists, such as director Cristian Mungiu, for the competition juries; and cooperative programming ventures with the likes of Cannes' Critics' Week, in which both festivals present a selection from the other's lineup."From our first meeting with Daniela, we were impressed with her ambition for the festival, and in particular her promotion of young Mexican talents," says Critics' Week program director Remi Bonhomme. FEATURE COMPETITION"Malaventura" (Michel Lipkes)Feature debut is a hotly anticipated new film from Mexico's emerging generation of filmmakers."Artificial Paradises" (Yulena Olaizola)With her first narrative feature, Olaizola returns to Morelia where she was acclaimed for her doc debut, "Intimacies of Shakespeare and Victor Hugo.""The Prize" (Paula Markovitch)Markovitch's Argentina-set family drama won two Berlin Silver Bears for artistic achievement."The Last Christeros" (Matias Meyer)This could be Meyer's breakout film, after impressing auds and critics in Toronto."See You, Dad" (Lucia Carreras)Co-scribe of Camera d'Or winner "Leap Year," Carreras' directorial debut preems in Morelia."Machete Language" (Kyzza Terrazas)Terrazas, former producer-writer for hot shingle Canana Films, debuted his film at Venice's Critics Week. DOC COMPETITION"The Open Sky" (Everardo Gonzalez)Among the most discussed docs in this year's Guadalajara fest."The Tiniest Place" (Tatiana Huezo)An audacious directorial debut, inviting comparisons to Reygadas' "Japan.""The Mexican Suitcase" (Trisha Ziff)Widely traveled doc on Spanish Civil War photographers is in the Oscar doc hunt."Rivers Of Men" (Tin Dirdamal)Dirdamal won a Silver Ariel for first doc, "No One," so expectations are high on this look at Bolivia's water wars."The Night Watchman" (Natalia Almada)Almada looks to be hitting stride with her third doc, a standout at New Directors/New Films.RELATED LINKS Early warnings Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

'Super Troopers' Duo Sell Comedy to NBC

Timothy Norris/Getty ImagesSteve Lemme and Kevin Heffernan NBC is searching for its Males. The network has acquired a comedy project entitled Stored Males from Super Military author-stars Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme. The project, from three Arts and Universal TV, involves two buddies who become based on their particular spouses after their business shuts lower. Additionally to writing and starring within the project, Heffernan and Lemme would also function as executive producers. Sources the comedy could find yourself being whether single- or multi-camera project. Beyond writing and starring in Super Military the duo's credits likewise incorporate Beerfest and Club Dread, and have many features in development through their Damaged Lizard single. Heffernan is repped by APA, 3 Arts and Ginsburg Daniels Lemme is witih UTA, 3 Arts and Ginsburg Daniels. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com Twitter: @Snoodit NBC TV Development

Warner Bros hoping to get a b-list director for Twilight Zone movie

With different study by Variety, Warner Bros have set their sights high for your new undertake Twilight Zone, with Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay and Alfonso Cuarón round the directorial wish list.Although, with this particular version, WB aren't trying to find the organization company directors to tackle a segment each included in a portmanteau piece they require one person to helm only one-story feature (unlike the 1983 version).Nolan appears like it is the broadly used, no surprise given his history while using studio, but Variety signifies he might be put off by the film's being similar to Beginning.It's also difficult to imagine Nolan handling a project he's not had total creative remedies for at this time around within the career.WB are mentioned being keen to make use of Bay, and Cuarón has history while using studio, getting recently shot Gravity on the account (and let's remember his concentrate on Harry Potter As Well As The Prisoner Of Azkaban).Also inside the mix is Rise In The Planet In The Apes' Rupert Wyatt, who's known to since the "dark equine" following a success (critical and commercial) of the movie this summer season.It's tough to visualize Bay creating spooks with any kind of subtlety, whereas everyone knows Cuarón could make atmosphere to spare. It would be also nice to find out Wyatt due to the reins on another large project.Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Technique is also creating duty, although there's no hint inside a release date for your new Twilight Zone yet.