Ladybugs is a comedy and sports movie released in 1992 starring Rodney Dangerfield as Chester, a business man who takes over a girls soccer team which the company he works for sponsors to get them to win and get a promotion. The film also stars Jackée Harry as his assistant coach, Ilene Graff as Bess his girlfriend, Jonathan Brandis as his girlfriend's son (and soon to be star of the team), Matthew, and Vinessa Shaw as Kimberley, Chester's boss's daughter and Matthew's love interest.
Then Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda has a cameo, as do Blake Clark and longtime Dangerfield friend Chuck McCann.
While critics were very harsh towards the film for having a boy dress up as a girl, the film has garnered a cult following since its release.
Plot
Chester is desperate for a promotion at work so to impress his boss he claims to have been a good soccer player in his youth and is badgered into coaching a girls team called the Ladybugs. The Ladybugs are sponsored by his boss's company and also includes the boss's daughter, Kimberly, as a player. The team makes a dreadful start to the season and the boss is less than impressed. In his personal life Chester is engaged to Bess who has a son, Matthew, from a previous marriage. Matthew just happens to be a great soccer player. Chester invites Matthew to watch the girl's team play and to get some tips from him. Matthew falls for Kimberly the second he sees her and it is partly due to this that Chester persuades him to dress like a girl and play for the team under the name Martha.
With only Chester and Matthew knowing the secret of Martha's identity, the team wins the rest of their games to get to the championship game. Also Kimberly makes friends with Martha, not knowing 'she' is in fact Matthew. Just before the big game though Bess finds out that Matthew has been dressing as a girl to play and is angry with Chester, making him drop Matthew from the team. Kimberly, who has not been playing well, is also dropped on the request of Chester's boss. The Ladybugs go down 3-0 in the first half but at half time Matthew reveals to Kimberly and the rest of the team that he is Martha. His honesty fires the team up and with Chester's encouragement, Kimberly kicks in the winning goal on a penalty kick at the end of the game. The Ladybugs win the championship, Chester gets his promotion, Bess and Chester get married, and Matthew and Kimberly begin dating.
External links
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