Manny's Orphans
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''Manny's Orphans'' (also known as ''Kick!'') is a 1978 American
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by Sean S. Cunningham. The film was also distributed under the title ''Kick!''.


Plot

Manny ( Jim Baker) coaches soccer for the fashionable Creighton Hall school, but is relieved of duty because he is "not a good match" for the school. He finds a job at a Catholic home for orphans, where he forms a new soccer team, with the help of one very good player, Pepe, who turns out to be a girl. Pepe is the sister of one of the orphans, who comes to the all-boy orphanage posing as a boy, because her former foster home was an abusive environment. Along the way, Manny has incurred a gambling debt, his creditors begin to lean on him, and the boys find out. They set up a soccer game and stake the outcome against Manny's debt. If they win, then the debt shall be forgiven.


Cast

* Jim Baker – Manny * Malachy McCourt – Father Arch McCoy * Chet Doherty – Dr. Berryman * Sel Skolnick – Mr. Caputo * Xavier Rodrigo – Raoul * Melissa Valentin – Pepe * Ari Lehman – Roger


Production

Of the film, writer Victor Miller said: "
Steve Miner Stephen C. Miner (born June 18, 1951) is an American director of film and Television program, television, film producer, and a member of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is notable for his work in the horror genre, including '' ...
came up with the idea for it and I wrote the screenplay and we did it, another low-budget film long with ''Here Come the Tigers''">Here_Come_the_Tigers.html" ;"title="long with ''Here Come the Tigers">long with ''Here Come the Tigers'' and shot it around Bridgeport, Connecticut." Director Cunningham said: "We had this notion of a bunch of orphans in a halfway house, they put together a soccer team and the underdog wins. So we raised the money to do what became known as ''Manny's Orphans''. It was a lot of fun to make, and again I loved working with the kids. I really thought it was going to be a breakthrough film for me." Cunningham also maintains that the reaction was "lukewarm", and although
United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...
optioned it as a pilot for a TV series, they did not buy it.


References


External links

* {{Sean S. Cunningham 1978 films 1970s sports comedy films American sports comedy films American association football films Films about orphans Films scored by Harry Manfredini Films directed by Sean S. Cunningham Films shot in Connecticut Films with screenplays by Victor Miller (writer) 1978 comedy films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films Films produced by Sean S. Cunningham Films produced by Steve Miner Films with screenplays by Steve Miner English-language sports comedy films