October 2, 1992 – The Live Action Film The Mighty Ducks is Released to Theaters
“Here’s the long and short of it: I hate hockey and I don’t like kids.”
On October 2, 1992, the live action film The Mighty Ducks was released to theaters. It is the first film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy, and was followed by D2: The Mighty Ducks and D3: The Mighty Ducks. It was written by Steven Brill, and directed by Stephen Herek. The film stars Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay, Joss Ackland as Hans, Lane Smith as Coach Riley, and Joshua Jackson as Charlie.
The film begins with a flashback of the main character, Gordon Bombay, when he was the star player of his pee-wee hockey team in 1979. He misses the goal that costs his team the game; as his coach looks at him with obvious disappointment, Gordon falls sadly to his knees on the ice. We then switch back to present day Minneapolis, where Gordon is a hotshot lawyer, always out for the win regardless of any ethics. One night, he is pulled over by an officer for driving drunk, and is later sentenced to community service coaching pee-wee hockey, much to his annoyance, as well as a forced leave of absence by his boss, Mr. Ducksworth.
At the first meeting between Bombay and the kids, they believe him to be dangerous, and he has little patience for their antics
The first meeting of the District 5 team and Bombay does not go well, as the kids admit that they “really suck,” and Bombay has little patience for kids and clashes with the parents. He attends their first game, which is unfortunately against his old pee-wee team, the Hawks. He runs into his old coach, Coach Riley, who still instills in the kids that winning is everything, and still is disappointed about the team’s loss in 1979. The first game is an embarrassment, with District 5 losing 17 to 0. As Bombay walks out on the team, he sees a familiar face at the doors, and is shocked to see that it is his old friend and mentor Hans. He runs after him, but is unable to find Hans in the parking lot. Bombay then switches his training to having the kids take falls and pretend they’ve been injured by the other team. Charlie, one of the players, refuses to play dirty hockey.
Not knowing what to do anymore, Bombay finds Hans at his sports shop, and asks for advice. Bombay is reminded that he gave up hockey after that disastrous game, with his father having died four months prior, and his passion for the game having disappeared. Hans helps him rekindle his love for hockey, and asks him to teach the kids how to fly. After being inspired by Hans, Bombay goes to Charlie’s house to apologize to Charlie and his mother for his behavior before, and then goes to his boss and asks for the firm to sponsor the team. The team then is named the Ducks, after the boss. Charlie soon begins to bond with Bombay, and the team continues to add new members and improve their skills.
After their tie game, Hans explains to Bombay that the Ducks still have a chance of getting into the playoffs and facing the Hawks
The team manages to tie their next game, and Hans lets Bombay know that the Ducks may be able to make the playoffs. When Bombay voices his concern about the possibility of facing the Hawks, Hans tells him that the district lines were redrawn the previous year, and that the Hawks’ star player, Adam Banks, is supposed to play with the Ducks. Coach Riley is furious with Bombay, accusing him of backstabbing. Bombay, however, feels that he’s playing by the rules. The Ducks hear Bombay call them losers (although he was being sarcastic), and with the discovery that he was once a Hawk, most of them decide they don’t want to play for him anymore. Bombay doubts he can stay the coach if the team doesn’t trust him and Adam Banks, which upsets Charlie greatly.
Bombay encounters more problems when he finds that his boss is an old friend of Adam Banks’ father and, with Coach Riley, the three demand that Bombay drop his protest. He refuses, and loses his job. At school, the kids have a fight over the fate of the team, which subsequently reunites them, and Bombay, when he comes by to talk to them. Adam decides to join the team, but the team still doesn’t trust him, as they still consider him a Hawk. However, with his help, they win the game and make it to the playoffs. They eventually make it to the final match versus the Hawks. Bombay, however, is still haunted by the 1979 game and Coach Riley’s disappointment in him.
The match is considered an intense one, with Bombay against Riley, Adam Banks against his former team, and the Hawks defending their title against the Ducks
The game is intense from the get-go, with Banks’ former teammates trying to keep him down on the ice. The Hawks score first, and continue to score on the Ducks, leading the first period 3 to 0. At one point, Coach Riley stops Banks’ former friends, telling them to “drop him like a bad habit.” One friend looks alarmed, but the other agrees to do so. As Banks rushes with the puck, the one friend pushes Banks down, sending him flying headfirst into the goal. While Banks is able to score, he has hit his head so hard he is knocked unconscious. He is sent to the hospital, and the Ducks are more determined than ever to win. At the end of the third period, the Ducks are able to tie it up, and are given a penalty shot, sending the game into overtime. Charlie is picked to take the shot, with Bombay reassuring him that even if he misses, everything will be all right. Charlie makes the goal, and the Ducks win the state championship.
In the end, Bombay goes off to try out for the minor leagues, saying goodbye to the team as they cheer him at the bus station. He promises he’ll be back before the next season, as they have a title to defend.
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