Supposedly the French make the best movies about children, but Canada must run a close second. In the case of THE CHALLENGERS, done for CBC TV in 1991 (and bowing on US home video in 1994), a formulaic kidpic plot gets a boost from disarming young performers and bright dialogue.
Eleven-year-old Mackie Daniels (Gena Zamprogna) and her widowed mom are recent arrivals in a seaside community, where Mackie's sense of alienation is compounded by the taunts of the Challengers, a cocky neighborhood gang with their own cool clubhouse, mountain bikes, rock band, and strict
no-girls-allowed policy. A musician, Mackie knows her drumming can help the Challengers ace an upco...
Released:
1991
Rated:
NR
Length:
97 mins