Independent Films, Film Profiles

D3: The Mighty Ducks

D3: The Mighty Ducks also known as The Mighty Ducks 3 is the third film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and the second theatrical sequel to The Mighty Ducks, and first to D2: The Mighty Ducks. produced by Avnet-Kerner Productions and Walt Disney Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, and originally released to movie theatres on October 4, 1996.While the film did not see the box office numbers that the first two movies saw, it was still considered a financial success due to its relatively low budget.While its predecessors dealt with the Ducks' head coach Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez), D3 focuses on his protége, Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson). Charlie and his teammates are awarded junior varsity hockey scholarships to the Eden Hall Academy, a prestigious Minnesota prep school Bombay once attended. Charlie is reluctant to take the leadership of a new coach and asks Bombay to stay, however Gordon accepts an offer to be in charge of player personnel for the Junior Goodwill Games. The Ducks arrival is met with hostility from the varsity Warriors team, mainly consisting of players from rich families whose younger siblings were not accepted to the academy to make room for the Ducks.The team has an icy relationship with Bombay's hand-picked successor, Ted Orion (Jeffrey Nordling), who does not share Bombay's lighthearted approach to coaching. Orion makes several changes to the team, including starting Julie "The Cat" Gaffney in goal over Greg Goldberg, based on Julie's superior play in tryouts, moving star player and former D2 team captain Adam Banks onto the varsity team, directing the team to play a defensive-minded system, banning the team's pregame "quack" chant, and refusing to recognize Charlie as team captain. Combined with Charlie's growing pains typical of adolescent years and the residual anger from what he regards as abandonment by Gordon, whom he sees as a surrogate father, isolation from teammates and family, Charlie refuses to accept Orion's stricter coaching methods.After both the Ducks and varsity team pull a series of pranks against each other, the varsity team challenges the Ducks to an exhibition game Charlie eagerly accepts. However, the Ducks prove to be no match for their seniors and after a scuffle between both sides, Orion storms onto the ice and has the Ducks take off their jerseys, declaring "The Ducks are dead!" Charlie finally becomes fed up with Orion, claiming he is a washed-up former professional player, and leaves the team with Fulton Reed. Venting to the elderly Hans, his and Bombay's mentor and the founder of the Ducks, Charlie becomes further upset and walks off in a huff after Hans appears to take Orion's side. After skipping school and spending the day at the Mall of America, Charlie tells Fulton of his plan to attend a public high school, then attempt to join a junior hockey team in Canada. Fulton, however, realizes he is unsure if he wants to play hockey for the rest of his life, and understands he is jeopardizing his future by cutting classes. He rejoins the team, leaving Charlie alone. That night, Charlie's mother Casey informs him Hans has passed away.Bombay returns to join the Ducks at Hans' funeral. Charlie, feeling guilty over his tantrum with Hans earlier, spots Bombay and tries to leave the cemetery quietly. Gordon shows up at his house the following day and takes Charlie back to Eden Hall, where he reveals Orion was once a player for the Minnesota North Stars, but stayed in the state when the team moved to Dallas in order to take care of his paraplegic daughter. Bombay also states he told Ted of Charlie's superior playing abilities and leadership skills, hoping both the coach and team captain would learn something from each other. Touched by the fact his former coach and mentor felt so highly of him, a tearful Charlie agrees to rejoin the team.Much to Orion's surprise and impressed by Charlie's change in attitude, he welcomes him back. Unfortunately, the school board threatens to expel the Ducks' scholarships by the end of the term, they stop an attempt led by the varsity team captain's father to remove the Ducks from Eden Hall, just in time for the JV-Varsity Showdown. When approached by the dean to inform him he can start anew with a team of his choice, Orion refuses, saying he is satisfied with the team he has. The attempt almost succeeds until Bombay threatens a lawsuit against the school. The scholarships are reinstated and the Ducks are allowed to continue at Eden Hall until the end of the year.Practicing for the JV-Varsity Showdown, Charlie demonstrates Orion's philosophy of "two-way hockey" and Orion renames Charlie as team captain. Orion even surprises the team by bringing back the Ducks jerseys and changes the team's name from the JV Warriors to JV Ducks. Thanks in large part to Charlie, Adam returns from the varsity team (he was displeased at being unable to play with his teammates prior) and the last-minute arrival of Fulton's "Bash Brother" Dean Portman, who did not come to Eden Hall with the rest of the Ducks, the Ducks win by a shorthanded goal in the final seconds of the game from unlikely scorer Goldberg, who switched positions from goalie to defenseman. Following the victory, Bombay is seen briefly by Charlie, while in an embrace with Orion. Knowing his prodigy is in good hands, a satisfied Bombay leaves the arena alone.The nickname of all the Eden Hall hockey teams is changed from Warriors to Ducks, the result of a bet between Charlie and the captain of the varsity team with the the influence of Bombay.