Possums

Can one man's dream change an entire town? Will Collier loves his job as a radio announcer for the Nowata Possums, a no-hope American football team. In fact, Will loves it so much that he continues announcing even after the town decides to cancel the football programme. When Will's imaginary team starts to contend for the real state championship, not only must he deal with the real state champs, but he must also reckon with the hopes and dreams of the people of Nowata!, J. Max Burnett made his directorial debut with this family drama about a small-town sports announcer and a high school football team, the Possums. In the dying town of Nowata, Oklahoma, the giant retail Maxi Mart threatens to destroy the local hardware store run by Will Clark (Mac Davis), a lifelong Possums supporter. Life in Nowata is such that mayor Charlie Lawton (Andrew Prine) is on the brink of cancelling the school sports program. To save the Possums, Will goes on the air at the local radio station, fabricating fantastic Possum plays that never happened. In these imaginary games, the phenomenal fantasy team goes on a winning streak and is headed toward the finals. Ignoring the reactions of his wife Elizabeth (Cynthia Sikes) and others, Will soon has the support of the locals. As the Possums peak, the legit champions in neighboring Pratville are not pleased -- and the final showdown happens in a gridiron confrontation. Shown to an enthusiastic audience at the 1998 Seattle Film Festival.