History Film / Ladybugs

The film centers around Chester Lee (Dangerfield), an average Joe who agrees to coach his company's girls soccer team in the hopes of earning a promotion. When the team turns out to be... less prepared than expected, Chester enlists his fiancée's teenaged son to help, disguising him as a girl. [[PlayedForLaugh Hilarity ensues]].

The film centers around Chester Lee (Dangerfield), an average Joe who agrees to coach his company's girls soccer team in the hopes of earning a promotion. When the team turns out to be... less prepared than expected, Chester enlists his fiancée's teenaged son to help, disguising him as a girl. HilarityEnsues.

* CatchPhrase: Dangerfield's "I get no respect" is nicely reversed at the end, as he [[BreakingTheFourthWall tells the camera]], "I finally got some respect!"

* SassyBlackWoman: This film has two - Chester's assistant Julie (played by none other than Creator/JackeeHarry), who reluctantly becomes the assistant coach, and Nancy Larimar, the last remaining member of the "Ladybug Dynasty".

* SassyBlackWoman: This film has two - Chester's assistant Julie and Nancy Larimar, the last remaining member of the "Ladybug Dynasty".

* DisguisedInDrag: In order to help Chester get a promotion at work (and get close to his boss's daughter Kimberly Mullen), Matt becomes "Martha".

* ImagineSpot[=/=]LoveAtFirstSight: Matthew sees Kimberly at the soccer field then daydreams their life as a couple, even getting married, all to the tune of "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers, implying that he's had a crush on her for a while.

* ChekhovsGun: Matthew's mother Bess visits Chester and tells him that all Matthew can think about is sports ans just got kicked off a boys soccer team just when he's coaching a ''girls'' soccer team.

* GilliganCut: When Matthew strongly protests Chester's idea of dressing him like a girl to help the team, the very next scene is him wearing the Ladybugs team uniform and a blonde wig, ''very'' reluctant, with Chester introducing him to the other girls as "Martha."

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: The look on Chester's face when he realizes he has to pickup "Martha" as her "mother" so the soccer team doesn't find out about Matthew.

* ChekhovsGun: Matthew's mother Bess visits Chester and tells him that all Matthew can think about is sports just when he's coaching a soccer team.

* DisguisedInDrag: In order to help Chester
can get a promotion at work (and get close to his boss's daughter Kimberly Mullen), Matt becomes "Martha".

* ImagineSpot[=/=]LoveAtFirstSight: Matthew meets Kimberly then daydreams their life as a couple, even getting married, all to the tune of "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers.

* ImagineSpot / LoveAtFirstSight: Matthew meets Kimberly then daydreams their life as a couple, even getting married, all to the tune of "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers.

* MaleGaze: The TrophyWife Mrs. Mullens.

** Earlier in the movie, Chester is in a dressing room with Matthew, helping him try on girl's clothes. During this, Matt is crying out in pain, and Chester is making comments like "Your mother would kill me if she knew about this", and "You're doing it! You're doing it!". The two emerge from the dressing room, with Matt looking like a girl. Chester, spotting a real little girl with her mother, greets her, causing the girl's mother to faint.

* ChekhovsGun: Matthew's mother Bess tells Chester that all he can think about is sports...
* ChekhovsSkill: Inverted. Kimberly Mullen tries to kick a few goals but fails miserably each time. [[spoiler: She barely succeeds at the championship game]].
* ClarkKenting: Matthew does this in a single scene when Kimberly shows up at Matthew's house to hang out with Martha when his mother gets home.

* ContrivedCoincidence: Matthew has a crush on Kimberly Mullen that is on the girls soccer team that Chester, his mother's fiancé, has to coach for his boss, Kimberly's father.

* GilliganCut: When Matthew strongly protests Chester's idea of dressing him like a girl to help the team, the very next scene is him wearing the Ladybugs team uniform and a blonde wig, looking very reluctant, with Chester introducing him to the other girls as "Martha."

* HereWeGoAgain: [[spoiler: In addition to getting his promotion, Chester is coaching the company's softball team. Cue a bunch of boys in wigs]].

* {{Irony}}: Kimberly Mullen is probably one of the worst players and is only on the team due to Nepotism. [[spoiler: She scores the winning goal for the team at the end]].

* ProductPlacement: Chester's minivan is a 1991 Pontiac Trans Sport SE, one of several "Dustbuster" minivans that General Motors offered at the time of the film's release. In fact, when he arrives to work, he parks beside a row of identical Trans Sports vans.

* ImagineSpot / LoveAtFirstSight: Matthew meets Kimberly then daydreams them as a couple, even getting married, all to the tune of "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers.
* Irony: Kimberly Mullen is probably the worst player on the team. [[spoiler: She scores the winning goal for the team at the end]].

* GoodTimesMontage: When the Ladybugs start winning games all the way to the championship game, with Dangerfield and Jack&eacutee; singing Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire."

* CatchPhrase: Dangerfield's regular one is nicely reversed at the end, as he [[BreakingTheFourthWall tells the camera]], "What do you know, I finally got some respect!"

* GoodTimesMontage: When the Ladybugs start winning games all the way to the championship game, with Dangerfield and Jackeé singing Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire."

* PaperThinDisguise: Subverted when Kimberly doesn't recognize Matthew underneath a wig but his mother recognizes him instantly.

* PaperThinDisguise: Subverted. Kimberly doesn't recognize Matthew underneath a wig.

* ClarkKenting: Matthew does this in a single scene when Kimberly shows up at Matthew's house to hang out with Martha.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Matthew calls Chester "Chesterfield."

** Earlier in the movie, Chester is in a dressing room with Matt, helping the boy try on girl's clothes. During this, Matt is crying out in pain, and Chester is making comments like "Your mother would kill me if she knew about this", and "You're doing it! You're doing it!". The two emerge from the dressing room, with Matt looking like a girl. Chester, spotting a real little girl with her mother, greets her, causing the girl's mother to faint.

* ChekhovsSkill: Inverted. Kimberly Mullen tries to kick a few goal but fails miserably each time. [[spoiler: She barely succeeds doing it at the championship game]].

* ProductPlacement: Chester's minivan he drives throughout the film is a 1991 Pontiac Trans Sport SE, one of several "Dustbuster" minivans that General Motors offered at the time of the film's release. In fact, when he arrives to work, he parks beside a row of identical Trans Sports.