One of the treatments recommended for women going through menopause is regular exercise. In The Hot Flashes, a comedy directed by Susan Seidelman, five women suffering from menopausal symptoms form a basketball team in order to raise money for a good cause. Now that’s what I call serious exercising! These mature women were champions in high school and are not in the best of shape now -- physically or emotionally -- but they hope to defeat the current high school champs.

With a suspenseful plot like this and a dream cast (including Eric Roberts in a deliciously unsympathetic role), The Hot Flashes is irresistible. It may drag in a couple of places, but I enjoyed watching Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, Wanda Sykes, Virginia Madsen and Camryn Manheim -- each playing a character with her own distinct problems -- as the Hot Flashes and couldn’t help cheering them on. Therefore, I dedicate the poem below to these fascinating actresses.      

Hot flashes, night sweats

and mood swings for sure

are menopause caused

but do they endure?

Five women stand up

to ward off the curse

by winning some games

and basketball purse.

They’ll show those young girls

a thing or two, folks.

They’ll find their mojo

in spite of the jokes.  

Hooray for the cause --

a feminist one --

saving mammograms

from not being done.

But obstacles come

to stand in their way.

Pressure from home is

a high price to pay.  

The teammates are not

the best of friends now.

Can they pull together?

And do they know how?

“You go, Hot Flashes!”

It’s okay to shout.

These mature women

are worth it, no doubt!  

PERSONAL NOTE: I remember those awful night sweats and the other annoying symptoms of menopause, so I’m glad filmmaker Seidelman (Musical Chairs) decided to take on the subject in this movie. About 70% of women approaching menopause experience symptoms like the ones depicted in The Hot Flashes until around age 50. Plus the story emphasizes the importance of mammograms. This film is not only funny, it’s a public service.  

(Released by Vertical Entertainment and rated “R” by MPAA.)

For more information about The Hot Flashes, go to the Internet Movie Data Base or Rotten Tomatoes website.