Although it’s been more than twenty five years since the first movie in the trilogy came out, the memorable Mighty Ducks movies will always have a warm place in our hearts. If you were born in the 80s (and even afterward), Charlie, Fulton, Goldberg, and the others were definitely a part of your childhood.
The story centers around an arrogant but talented lawyer Gordon Bombay (portrayed by Emilio Estevez), who is sentenced to community service after driving under the influence. As a part of his service, he is assigned to coach a failing children’s hockey team. Bombay, who was himself a hockey prodigy before being disillusioned by the game, sees the team’s potential and decides to take them under his wing. At the beginning, the failing team and their new coach do not get along.
Over time, Bombay manages to slowly gain their trust and eventually, after many turmoils and challenges, the Mighty Ducks became a championship winning team. With the exception of Estevez, who was already a well known actor in 80s classics such as St. Elmo’s Fire and The Breakfast Club, the cast consisted of mainly unknown child actors. The movie was a surprise hit for Disney and it spawned two sequels detailing the Ducks’ journey in the league.
Following its major success, a National Hockey League team chose to name itself the Anaheim Ducks after the series. Some of the trilogy’s stars went on to become film and television regulars such as Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek, Fringe) and Marguerite Moreau (Wet Hot American Summer, Queen of the Damned). Although it’s today considered to be a modern classic of the 90s sports genre, the Disney franchise also stands alone as a childrens’ tale of friendship and aspiration. Here’s a chance to revisit some of our favorite characters from the movies and see what they up to now.
[post_page_title]Joshua Jackson (Charlie Conway)[/post_page_title]
Although Jake Gyllenhaal was the first choice for the role, the young Canadian-born actor Joshua Jackson eventually portrayed the gifted Hockey player Charlie Conway. Jackson kept on to perform in the next two installments of the series, before sustaining fame in successful TV shows such as Dawson’s Creek, Fringe, and The Affair. The Canadian prodigy also starred in many Hollywood features including I Know What You Did Last Summer and Cruel Intentions.
