The Hot Flashes is a 2013 American sports comedy film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, Wanda Sykes, Virginia Madsen, Camryn Manheim, Eric Roberts and Mark Povinelli. This film was also an attempt to raise awareness for breast cancer as well as defy stereotypes of age. It was released on July 12, 2013.
Plot
Beth Humphrey is a middle-aged woman living in Burning Bush Texas. One day, while going through menopause, she discovers that the local breast cancer screening unit is closing due to a lack of funding. Beth is upset as her friend Tess Muldoon, who died from breast cancer three years ago left the center her money and the state was going to match it. Beth then discovers that there was a mix-up when she filed the paperwork and that she had to reapply yearly. She later calls the state health department which tells her that she needs to raise $25,000 within two months to keep the clinic open.
Beth gets in contact with some other women from the Burning Bush High School's 1980 basketball team. Ginger Peabody, who owns a car dealership, Florine Clarkston, who's running for mayor, Roxie Rosales, a pothead and Clementine Winks, a multiple divorcee. Beth tells them they can get the money if they can make $15,000 on concessions and admissions, as well as a betting pool on themselves for three games against the state champions the Lady Armadillos, for which her daughter Jocelyn is a member.
Along with their new team manager Laurie, they show up for practice, Florine tries to talk Beth into think of other ways to get the money, but Beth convinces her that she's still capable of playing and appoints her as starting lineup. Beth then names the team the “Hot Flashes". At the Post office where Beth's husband Lawrence is the Postmaster, Beth puts up posters for the event while the church Secretary Kayla Rash, whose daughter Millie is one of the Lady Armadillos, assumes the church will receive the money and split half of it with the School's marching band. Beth tells her the proceeds are going to the mobile unit. Kayla tries to convince Beth otherwise, but Beth stands with her choice.
Beth then asks Paul Lazarini, a veterinarian who lost his license for committing a minor felony and a friend of Tess to coach the team, to which he agrees. The team starts off rough with infighting among Clementine and Roxie, but Paul manages to get all of them to stop and reminds all of them to use their innate abilities and to use it to their advantage. He even manages to get them more focused with playing. Roxie designs the team's uniforms which Ginger prints up. Roxie then goes to her friend Roy and asks him to serve as Referee for their games as he has taken it up as a second job due to money being tight for him.
Beth later discovers that no one's betting in the pool and that they have less than $200. While meeting with the others and telling them about these new problems, Beth tells them that she doesn't know if her marriage is good. Just then Millie and her friends come by and deliver backhanded complements to them.
The first game has very few spectators and the betting pools now has $400. Paul convinces them to go and play and tells them that his Aunt died of Breast Cancer as her town didn't have a mobile unit to treat her. Roy is unable to referee the game due to food poisoning, but the Hot Flashes manage to score 18 points, despite losing to the Lady Armadillos who score 37, as well Clementine pulling a muscle and some harassment from the Lady Armadillos' coach Slaughter, who is also one of her ex-husbands. As the Hot flashes leave, Millie lies by saying that Ginger tried to feel her up.
As Kayla and Millie leave, Kayla gives Beth a back handed complement and makes a homophobic insult about Ginger. Beth then gets into an argument with them, with Kayla saying that Millie has followed and respects the bible. Beth rebukes them by telling them that Millie and another boy were making out at the miniature golf course a week earlier and blackmails them to not insult Ginger, or she'll put it on Facebook. Kayla then insults Beth and says the Hot flashes are a bad influence and believes that everyone in town will listen to her instead of Beth.