There's a reason that you probably haven't heard about this film and have most likely found through links to John Grisham. It's amateurish drivel that would've had a hard time making it on prime time tv, let alone your local marquee. I've heard it praised as the family film of the year, but I would hesitate to bring even a little leaguer tyke for a multitude of reasons.
The film is about a star pitcher little leaguer and his father on the run from the IRS. Or maybe it's about the rise of this kid in the sports world. Or maybe it's about why the Cubans are so evil and why our government wants to beat them at any cost. The problem with Grisham's screenplay is that it overextends, trying to infuse Washington politics with Little League baseball.
Less out of racism than horrible direction, the Cubans, both the Little League players and their coaches, come off as the garden-variety scheming, villianous opponents. Another easy villian is the IRS agent who pesters the father, played by Harry Connick Jr. On top of that is the McCarthy-esque Florida Governor who seems hell-bent determined on disgracing those rotten Commie Cubans. Call me a bit over-analytical, but is it coincidential that that this family movie which will find it's audience in middle America attacks communism, the IRS, and big government fat cats?
Worse than this is the film's sketchy morality on simpler issues such as honesty. Like all family films of it's ilk, it wants to assure us that cheating is wrong, but never shows us why. People cheat, they cry about it and how they feel humiliated, but everyone hugs and makes up. It's like the message is "If you're thirteen and can throw 80, people will learn to forgive you." Sadly, this may be true, but this film almost celebrates that fact.
What's good about this movie? Harry Connick Jr. and Shawn Salinas do a decent job with the lifeless script. The baseball scenes are like the little brother of "Major League". You know, quick edits of our hero, fanning down guys with a soundtrack simular to the fluff techno you'd hear at a ballgame (though not quite, because it appears the filmmakers couldn't quite get the rights to all the songs they wanted, leaving the composer to do as many variations of "Get Ready for This" as he could).
Maybe you've got a Little Leaguer who you think would just LOVE this film. When it comes to Little League entertainment, I suggest you just get him/her some good old Matt Christopher books. But if you really want him/her to see a movie about Little League with an unclear morality, I have one suggestion for you: "The Bad News Bears."
The film is about a star pitcher little leaguer and his father on the run from the IRS. Or maybe it's about the rise of this kid in the sports world. Or maybe it's about why the Cubans are so evil and why our government wants to beat them at any cost. The problem with Grisham's screenplay is that it overextends, trying to infuse Washington politics with Little League baseball.
Less out of racism than horrible direction, the Cubans, both the Little League players and their coaches, come off as the garden-variety scheming, villianous opponents. Another easy villian is the IRS agent who pesters the father, played by Harry Connick Jr. On top of that is the McCarthy-esque Florida Governor who seems hell-bent determined on disgracing those rotten Commie Cubans. Call me a bit over-analytical, but is it coincidential that that this family movie which will find it's audience in middle America attacks communism, the IRS, and big government fat cats?
Worse than this is the film's sketchy morality on simpler issues such as honesty. Like all family films of it's ilk, it wants to assure us that cheating is wrong, but never shows us why. People cheat, they cry about it and how they feel humiliated, but everyone hugs and makes up. It's like the message is "If you're thirteen and can throw 80, people will learn to forgive you." Sadly, this may be true, but this film almost celebrates that fact.
What's good about this movie? Harry Connick Jr. and Shawn Salinas do a decent job with the lifeless script. The baseball scenes are like the little brother of "Major League". You know, quick edits of our hero, fanning down guys with a soundtrack simular to the fluff techno you'd hear at a ballgame (though not quite, because it appears the filmmakers couldn't quite get the rights to all the songs they wanted, leaving the composer to do as many variations of "Get Ready for This" as he could).
Maybe you've got a Little Leaguer who you think would just LOVE this film. When it comes to Little League entertainment, I suggest you just get him/her some good old Matt Christopher books. But if you really want him/her to see a movie about Little League with an unclear morality, I have one suggestion for you: "The Bad News Bears."
Top Box Office
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- 6.$2.8M
- 7.$2.3M
- 8.$2.2M
- 9.$2.2M
- 10.$1.2M