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Movies & TV

The Hot Flashes

THE HOT FLASHES (TVA, 2013) D: Susan Seidelman, w/ Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah. Rating: NNN DVD package: NNN Rating: NNN


With its twist on the underdog jock story, The Hot Flashes lays a solid base for five strong actors to strut the sort of comic chops that bring a smile rather than big guffaws.

When the mobile mammogram unit shuts down for lack of funding, small-town Texas housewife Beth (Brooke Shields), 50ish and menopausal, rounds up a gang of like-aged women for a charity basketball game against the local high school girls’ team – who also happen to be the state champions.

The women are a hoot. Daryl Hannah takes pride of place with finely honed gawkiness and the goofiest hair this side of the Three Stooges. Camryn Manheim does a dandy stoned biker who has issues with Virginia Madsen’s unrepentant town tramp, and Wanda Sykes’s mayor strains against her tightly wound surface. The group interact beautifully, and they all have good physical moments and sharp lines.

Among the men, Mark Povinelli stands out as the Flashes’ cranky coach.

In the extras, director Susan Seidelman and the cast point up the perfectly obvious breast cancer and empowerment of older women themes. They’re more fun talking about the movie.

EXTRAS Making-of doc. English, French audio. No subtitles.

movies@nowtoronto.com

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