Mr. 3000

Starring: Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, & Michael Rispoli

Director: Charles Stone III - Rating: PG-13 - Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Bernie Mac was one of my favorite comedians, but I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much out of this film. Mac played Stan Ross, one of the best baseball players to ever step foot on the field in Milwaukee. He retired right after he got his 3000th hit, something that is very difficult to do in the Majors. After his career, Mr. 3000 became his personal moniker, as he launched a number of businesses under the Mr. 3000 name. Ross is even being considered for the Hall of Fame, when a review of his statistics finds an error. As it turns out, three of his hits had been counted twice, and now to maintain his Mr. 3000 persona, Ross must return to the game, at age 47, to try and get three more hits. While this was supposed to be a comedy, the part I really enjoyed was seeing how this superstar, who had everything handed to him, his whole life, struggled to do the simplest of things. The other players hazed him, the younger players resented him, and he had to somehow rectify this with his massive ego. As for Mac, he was outstanding! The man was truly unique and I feel as though he never got the chance to reach his real potential. Films like Mr. 3000 were fun and definitely enjoyable for the audience, but they weren't the kind of award winning, career defining roles that he was really capable of. This film is full of laughs and the sports action wasn't bad either, to say the least, I was fairly impressed and I think you will be too.

The Phenom

Starring: Johnny Simmons, Paul Giamatti, & Ethan Hawke

Director: Noah Buschel - Rating: NR - Score: 1 1/2 Stars

Hopper Gibson (Johnny Simmons) is in a position that every little boy dreams about. He is a star rookie pitcher in Major League Baseball. His numbers and talent are off the chart, when all of a sudden, he can't find the strike zone. There is nothing wrong with him physically, so the team sends him down to the minors and puts him to work with the top sports psychologist in the country. I really don't understand professional critics and what they look for when they rate a film. Take The Phenom for example, this film has got to be the slowest and most boring sports film I've ever seen, yet it has an 80 on Rotten Tomatoes. There was very little sports action in this film and the fast majority of it consisted of this guy sitting in a room talking to a shrink! Yes, the shrink was played by Paul Giamatti, who is an unbelievably talented actor, but why the hell would anyone want to watch some dudes therapy session? When he wasn't in therapy, he should be on the field, but no, he's dealing with his over barring father, who is fresh out of prison. Who plays this bad ass, bullying his pro-athlete son, who is in peak physical condition? A very old looking, very tattooed, Ethan Hawke and I really wasn't buying that for a second. There were some talented actors in this film, no doubt, but The Phenom was 88 minutes of talking and nothing more, what in the hell is so great about that? This film was as boring as movies get, so unless you're a die hard Paul Giamatti fan, I would absolutely let this one pass you by.

The Final Season

Starring: Sean Astin, Powers Boothe, & Rachel Leigh Cook

Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

A baseball movie, based on a true story, Directed by the same guy who brought the Sandlot to life on the big screen, who could ask for more? Norway, Iowa, one of the smallest towns in the mid-west, with a fabled sports history. Their High School baseball team is one of the most successful high school baseball teams of all-time, and their coach, Jim Van Scoyoc (Powers Boothe), is a legend, who could be coaching in the Major Leagues if he wanted to. Small towns like Norway always have their fair share of problems, mainly money, and with this town near bankruptcy, they've agreed to merge with a larger town, which means only one last season of baseball in Norway, and without the expensive contract of coach Van Scoyoc. The coach eventually convinces his former assistant, Kent Stock (Sean Astin), to take over the team, and attempt to lead them to one last championship, but with the town about to disappear from the map, how will he motivate the players or the town to care? This is one of those stories that is as inspirational as it gets, and it should have been a fantastic movie, but it was not. I have never in my life seen a movie centered around a sport, that moves as slowly as this film does. The Final Season is full of heart to heart chats, court fights about the town, and of course Sean Astin's character. I enjoy Sean Astin, after all he is the star of my all-time favorite movie, but his character is this introvert, who is in way over his head to begin with, not to mention the fact that he's replacing this living legend. Astin or rather Astin portraying Stock was just boring, just once I would have liked to see the guy, explode, show some fire, be a real coach, because it was like watching a math teacher, coach a bunch of kids, that didn't really want to be there for much of the film. The Final Season is a great true story, but as a film, it's more talk than anything else, and fails to even come close to expectations.

When The Game Stands Tall

Starring: Jim Caviezel, Alexander Ludwig, Michael Chiklis, & Laura Dern

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The one thing you can always count on when watching a football film, is that it's going to be exciting. It doesn't matter if it's a true story, like When The Game Stands Tall, or a made up one like Friday Night Lights. It doesn't matter if the team has won 100 straight games or lost 100 straight games. Every film about football is going to be exciting, so what makes one better than the other? The personalities involved, it all comes down to who the film is focused on and this film has it's eyes on the prize. Jim Caviezel stars as Bobby Ladouceur, one of the most successful high school football coaches of all-time. Ladouceur became a national celebrity, not only because of a big winning streak, but also because of the way he incorporated family values and religion into his coaching, trying to make his player more well-rounded individuals. Caviezel was outstanding, as he is in everything, but after watching six seasons of Person of Interest, it's almost disappointing seeing Caviezel in a role where he doesn't kill anyone. The other focus of the film is Alexander Ludwig, who portrays Chris Ryan, a kid who has all the talent in the world, but has to decide, if he's pushing himself toward greatness for himself or because of a psychotic father. Ludwig always gets second billing, but as with the Hunger Games, nothing would be as good without him. He is the unsung hero of this film as he rounds out the emotional roller-coaster. When The Game Stands Tall has action, emotion, conflict, religion, family, love, hate, a little bit of everything and believe it or not, at the heart of it all is a simple, stupid little game called football. This film was great, it reminded me a lot of the TV version of Friday Night Lights and it's an absolute can't miss for sports enthusiasts.

The Babe

Starring: John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, & Trini Alvarado

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

As a life long Yankees fan, I have read a lot about, and admired Babe Ruth, since I was very young, but I never saw the film based on his life. I heard nothing but bad things about it, and as it turns out, my fellow critics were correct. The Babe is supposed to be a bio-pic from the birth of Babe Ruth, until his untimely death, however the focus of the film is a problem. Film makers portrayed Ruth as an ignorant man-child, a drunk, and an emotionally abuse husband and father. At times, he may have been all of those things, but they were merely a small part of his overall story. Little, if anything is mentioned about Ruth's infections personality, his generosity, or his activities off the field, besides his drinking. Ruth is portrayed as a man who gained fame, simply because of his ability to hit home runs, in a way that insinuates, he was lucky and didn't deserve all the fame and attention he received. The portrayal of the Babe isn't the only problem with this film, as the timeline and historic accuracy aren't even close to the truth. They show Ruth more with the Red Sox than the Yankees, insist that the majority of his fame came in Boston, and finally, they show his big seasons much later than they actually occured, and even go as far as to insulate, that they were in response to the media saying he was done. John Goodman stars as the Babe and he does a spot on portrayal, from the voice to the mannerisms, he was very very good, but it's overlooked by a film that stretched the truth to the point of being insulting to Ruth fans. The only thing I really enjoyed about this film, besides Goodman's performance, was a series of short films Ruth did with some orphans in the 1920's, that were included on the DVD. These shorts were much better and painted a much more accurate picture of the man, than this film ever did. The Babe is worth seeing for the performance of John Goodman, but be warned, it's a bio-pic that is more fiction than truth.

Varsity Blues

Starring: James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Amy Smart, & Paul Walker

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A movie about a high school football team, created by MTV, starring all the teen-heartthrobs of the late 90s, I couldn't have been more uninterested. For 17 years, I avoided seeing this film, I figured it would be a steaming pile full of good looking people with their shirts off, but after catching the ending on TV, I decided to check it out and I'm glad I did. In Texas, football is everything, even at the high school level. The West Canaan Coyotes are one of the best teams in the state, thanks to a hard nosed, old school coach, and an NFL bound Quarterback, but their perfect season takes a turn when the Quarterback goes down with a serious knee injury. The Coyotes are left in the hands of John Moxon (James Van Der Beek), a kid who hasn't taken a snap in three years, who is only on the team because of his father. The coach hates him, the town doubts him, but something amazing happens when Mox is on the field, he's actually good. James Van Der Beek stars and honestly, I always felt that he was too much into the whole teen-heartthrob persona, I never took him seriously as an actor, or envisioned him being good in a role like this. Just as the town was surprised by how good Mox was on the field, I was just as surprised by how good Van Der Beek was in this role. When you add Jon Voight to the equation, as the hard nosed coach, things really come together. The two men hate each other, but are forced to work together, it's this dynamic and tension behind the scenes that really makes the off the field action as interesting as what's taking place on the field. Varsity Blues is produced by MTV, stars actors I normally wouldn't watch, and as it turns out it is one of the most exciting and intense sports films I've ever seen. One of the things I love about films, is that you can never judge them based on anything else other than their content. On the surface, this is something I'd never watch, but happenstance brought me to it, and it's honestly one of the best football movies I've ever seen.

Necessary Roughness (1991)

Starring: Scott Bakula, Robert Loggia, & Harley Jane Kozak

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Texas State University has just won the National Championship, but they did so by cheating. The team has been expelled and the coaches have been fired, meaning the upcoming seasons will have to feature a has been coach and a team of walk-ons. The new team will include a 37 year old quarterback, a wide receiver who can't catch a cold, a science teacher at linebacker, and a female kicker. Sports comedies require a very delicate balance to avoid leaning one way or the other, and on both sides, Necessary Roughness fails to deliver. This film really isn't that funny and the team just sucks, making for a painfully predictable experience. While featuring one of the greatest motivational locker room speeches of all time, the film really doesn't have much else going for it. Scott Bakula stars and tries his best to make the story believable, but it just isn't, and when you add Sinbad and Katy Ireland to the mix, it just makes for a very uneven film. For something like this to work, it has be raunchy and way out there, hysterical with a completely unforeseen ending, similar to Major League. This film has none of it, as the jokes are all at a fifth grade level and the on-field action isn't at all believable. I love a good sports movie and Scott Bakula can be terrific in the right role, I wanted to like this movie, but it just seemed to never end, a sure sign that the film fails to entertain or inspire.

A Mile In His Shoes

Starring: Luke Schroder, Dean Cain, & Jesse Hutch

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Based on the novel, The Legend of Micky Tussler by Frank Nappi, comes the Canadian film, A Mile In His Shoes. While the basic story remains the same, the film was significantly different than the novel. The new story transfers much better to film, but takes far too much away from the original novel. Micky Tussler (Luke Schroeder) is a mid-western farm boy, who suffers from Aspergers Syndrome. One day fortune finds him, as the manager of an independent baseball team's car breaks down in front of his farm. While waiting for a tow truck, Arthur Murphy (Dean Cain) observes Tussler throwing apples to his pigs, and realizes that the kid has a lot of potential. The story originally took place in the 1940's and it was much easier to understand the hardship and discrimination Tussler faced. When the film changes the story to modern day, there isn't much of a stigma associated with Aspergers and that whole angle seemingly disappears from the story. The film being made for TV is also problematic, as rather than being a story of a kid who had to overcome overwhelming odds, it plays more like a Disney movie, about some loveable idiot and the coach who takes him under his wing. The whole message of the original story is basically gutted for TV and as someone who really enjoyed the novel, I resent that. Luke Schroder, son of Rick Schroder, stars as Micky and was really the only bright spot in this film. This was his film debut and he played it as though he'd been acting for years. Growing up around the business must have made it very easy for him to slip into the profession, and his performance was very admirable. As for the rest of the cast, they are just along for the ride and as I said, for me, the film takes too much away from the original story and plays like a dreaded Disney movie, in one of those rare instances where I wish I'd just stuck with the novel. 

The Perfect Game

Starring: Clifton Collins, Jake T. Austin, & Cheech Marin

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Based on a true story and set in the small of town of Monterrey, Mexico, during the 1950, a group of kids obsessed with baseball, dream to form a team and play in the Little League World Series. The problem is, that not only don't the kids know how to play, but they don't have a coach or even a field. Until one day, the kids encounter a former St. Louis Cardinals prospect, Carlos Faz (Clifton Collins), who takes on the  nearly impossible task of preparing the kids to play in the tournament. The Perfect Game is very inspirational and the kids are adorable, but the film is severely lacking the usual characteristics of a sports film. It's the kids that make the movie, earning your admiration, while making you laugh and cry at the same time, but as a baseball fan, I expect some kind of sports action to be associated with a film like this. All the on field scenes are turned into montages of kids hitting, catching, and throwing, but there are no specifics or real-time game intensity. It's this seemingly small element, that prevents a good film from becoming a great one. Clifton Collins stars as coach Faz and gives a great performance. Collins is an actor I generally don't like, I find that he doesn't fit into many of his roles, but he really surprises me by being everything these kids needed and more. The lead child star is Jake T. Austin, who is now a nineteen year old heart-throb on the ABC family show, The Fosters. I've never seen him in anything before, but it was amazing to think he was only twelve years old when this film was made, because he was the strongest member of the cast. Austin was emotionally charged and was the kid that I wanted to see succeed the most. The film is presented as a sports movie, about the first international team to play in the Little League World Series Tournament. However, it is less of a sports movie and more of a drama about what the kids had to do just to get there and the hardships they faced once they were there. I was disappointed by the lack of real-time sports action, but impressed by the performance of the young cast and what they had to face during such a racial charged time in American history.

Underdogs

Starring: Logan Huffman, D.B. Sweeney, & Maddie Hasson

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Sports films are a dime a dozen. While the names, locations, and even the sport changes, the story rarely does, so what makes one film better than the rest? An eager young cast, a compelling back story, and a setting rarely seen before, all help Underdogs become that rare sports film that does more than just pump you up, it sticks with you and really makes you appreciate things that most people overlook. In Ohio, football is life, from the pros right down to the High School level and in the suburbs of Canton, Hoover is the name on everyone's bumper sticker, but they're not the only team in town. Across town is a division four team, the St. Thomas Aquinas Knights, a catholic school team that has never received any attention of any kind. Being a D4 team, even if they won all their games, they won't be going anywhere. The players, while talented are uninspired, until a new coach comes to town and makes them believe in themselves. The film is based on a true story and stars V's Logan Huffman as Quarterback, Bill Burkett. Huffman is always one of these guys you see in the background of a film and never really take notice of. In Underdogs, much like his character, Huffman steps up and really puts on a performance that I never would have expected. On and off the field the character being portrayed is so profound, that anyone would have a hard time making him believable. Not only does Logan Huffman do the impossible, but he does so in such a compelling way, that I added everything he's ever been in to my queue, once the film was over. Even though there is a lot more here than in your typical sports film, Huffman ties all the elements together, in a very special way, you seldom see anymore. To say his performance was legendary, truly does it a disservice. Even if you hate football, as a fan of movies, you should see this film just to witness the unbelievable performance of Logan Huffman, because he really was that good. As for the rest of the film, Underdogs was centered on football, but wasn't entirely about the team, it was also about the town, and how different one side can be from the other. The story of this town is almost as interesting as what's happening on the gridiron. Underdogs is a small budget, direct-to-video film, but much like the Knights, it packs a punch and really gives the big boys a run for their money.

Hatching Pete

Starring: Jason Dolley, Mitchel Musso, Tiffany Thornton, & Nick Whitaker

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It really is a shame that Disney refuses to release films that are a little edgier for young adults, because sometimes, they really do come up with a good story. The problem is that by the time they are done dumbing it down and disnifying it, the once promising story becomes a joke. that only 10 year olds seem to get. Hatching Pete is one of these film that have a really terrific storyline. With a little more realism and a little less Disney, it would have been a really spectacular film. Hatching Pete features two best friends, Cleatus (Mitchel Musso) and Pete (Jason Dolley) who are complete opposites. Cleatus is so outgoing that he is actually his local High School's mascot, while Pete is a loner, scared of his own shadow. One day Cleatus is injured and Pete sees that as an opportunity to get close to the girl he is afraid to talk to, so he takes his place as the mascot. When one is infatuated with a girl, it will drive them to do anything, and Pete puts on a hilarious show, that even inspires his team, the worst basketball team in the state. Cleatus quickly becomes a school celebrity and a target of bullies, but once it's discovered he's not the one inside the costume, the question becomes who is the mascot? The story was a really good mix of comedy, coming-of-age drama, and athletic competition. At it's core, I really did enjoy this film, but ultimately all the Disney crap manages to diminish it's quality. As for the cast, it's you're usual Disney cast, filled with a lot of beautiful people, only a couple of whom can actually act, and the star of this film is Jason Dolley. I always wondered why Disney keeps putting this kid on show after show, but now I know, he actually has some talent. He was charismatic and showed terrific range going from one personality to another in a relatively short time. While Dolley was fun to watch and even gave me a few laughs, the rest of the cast wasn't much to right home about. Hatching Pete is a terrific film for kids and some young adults, and while it has a story that adults would like, the Disney factor makes it somewhat unlikely that most will.

Legends Never Die

Starring: Bruno Sammartino & Roddy Piper

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

This acclaimed documentary was supposed to be about all the untimely deaths in the professional wrestling industry. Since 1980, over 100 wrestlers have died under the age of 45, some from straight drug overdoses, others from age related disease. This is the wrestling documentary I've been waiting for, for a very long time, but it isn't what it's advertised to be. The film is hosted by the legendary Roddy Piper, filmed as he and Bruno Sammartino prepare to do a meet and greet at the Hard Rock Cafe. On the way they get to talking and for almost the entire film, they discuss how people perceive wrestling as fake, when the only thing per-determined is the outcome. The former Superstars go on and on about how the moves are spontaneous and the risks and injuries are 100% real. It gets to be very repetitive after a while. They also spend much of the film bashing their former employer, Vince McMahon, and blame him for wrestling's transformation from a real sport to a soap opera. They have a point there, but honestly, this film was nothing like what was advertised. The untimely death of these wrestlers was only mentioned in the last 10 minutes, and both former stars refused to say straight out that performance enhancing drugs were the reason, after all they weren't in the WWE Hall of Fame yet when this film was made. What also hurts the film is that it wasn't sanctioned or produced by any affiliated wrestling company and therefore had very little footage to show. We saw lots of pictures, but for the most part it was watching these guy having a conversation in their limo. Don't be fooled by the cool cover, the description on the back, or even by the terrific preview I saw on Youtube, before watching this film. It is as boring as any documentary you've been forced to watch in school.

Cobb

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Wuhl, & Lolita Davidovich

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Ty Cobb is in the top five of the greatest players in Baseball history. In fact, he was the first man elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but there has never been a film about his life. While Cobb was a great baseball player and one the toughest men to ever live, he was also an outspoken racist, who was quick to fight anyone, including his wife and kids. In 1960, a dying Cobb contacted sportswriter, Al Stump to ask him to tell his story. That is what I thought this critically acclaimed film would be, but it wasn't. While the title is Cobb, the film is really about Al Stump and what it was like to spend time with the great Ty Cobb, after he'd completely lost his faculties. While it wasn't the film I'd hoped it would be, Tommy Lee Jones gave the performance of a lifetime. What can you say about Jones that hasn't already been said? He is the best actor in Hollywood and can play absolutely anyone. Jones was very convincing, showing Cobb as a deeply troubled man who covered his shame with outrageous behavior. In recent years, since the passing of Al Stump, many people who knew Cobb have come out saying the book and film were overly exaggerated, but even so, the facts about Cobb are well documented. Cobb is not the film most people expected it to be and it ranks among the biggest flops in box office history. The story however is one you haven't heard before and is performed admirably by an all-star cast. This is not your typical baseball movie, but rather a moving look at a man who was destine to either be a legend or an inmate.

Hustle (2004)

Starring: Tom Sizemore, Sarain Boylan, & Dash Mihok

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

He's not in the Hall of Fame, nevertheless, Pete Rose was still one of the best players in Baseball history. He played for an amazing 27 years, setting the all-time hits record, but this film ignores all of that. I'm a baseball fanatic and I find bio-pics, like this one, to be a great tool for learning more about the people who came before my time. Hustle was unfortunately very one sided and focuses entirely on Rose's activities after his playing career. Tom Sizemore stars as Rose and makes this film worth watching, he really does do a tremendous job, and that's the only reason this film is rated ad highly as it is. After doing some research, it turns out that the events in this film are historically accurate, but blown way out of proportion. Hustle makes Pete Rose look like a junior gangster, running around Cincinnati, ripping people off, and using anyone that he can find. The truth is that Pete Rose was a sick man with a gambling addiction. He got in over his head and yes, he started betting on his own sport and even the team he managed. Rose was never buddy buddy with the mafia, he never bet hundreds of thousands of dollars at one time, and he was never involved with drugs. This film makes a case that Pete Rose was a small time gangster in a baseball uniform and that's simply not true. The man had an addiction that he's been treated for. This addiction cost him his career, his status, and even his family. 25 years later, he's admitted to what he's done and has sincerely apologized. I personally think, it's been long enough and it's time to put the man in the Hall of Fame. It's also time for someone to do an accurate film depiction of Rose, that shows the good along with the bad, something Hustle simply doesn't do.

The 5th Quarter

Starring: Ryan Merriman, Aidan Quinn, & Andie McDowell

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

February 13, 2006, was a normal winter's day in a small suburb of Atlanta. Luke Abbate, a 15 year old High School Lacrosse star, accepts a ride home from a teammate. On the way the new driver decides to show off his driving skills by flying down the street at 90 MPH, when he loses control of the car. The car flies about 70 feet, injuring all the passengers and killing young Luke. It's a nightmare story that all families fear, when their kids start driving, the only difference about Luke's story is that it really happened. The 5th Quarter is a film dedicated to Luke's memory and tells the story of his family in the wake of such tragedy. As the film plays out, it starts to lean away from tragedy and toward triumph, the triumph of the 2006 Wake Forrest Championship Football team. There captain was John Abbate, Luke's brother. The team was supposed to finish dead last, but wound up having a miracle season. It is a story that was so well done, that it couldn't have been anything but a true story. I don't think any writer could have thought of a story like this. Ryan Merriman stars, once again in a sports drama, and of all his performances that I've seen, this had to be the strongest. Not only does he show tremendous athletic ability, but he takes the audience of a roller-coaster ride of emotion. Merriman was so good, that he even had a cold hearted cynic like myself, tearing up. Aidan Quinn and Andie McDowell play the matriarchs of the Abbate family, giving outstanding performances. They made the audience see and feel just what it was like for the Abbate family. Most films are meant to entertain, but the 5th Quarter does more than entertain, it tells a very important story and actually makes you feel something for the tragedies and hardships of other people. I was expecting to see a sports movies, instead I saw something that really made me think. Only the best the big screen has to offer can make you both think and feel for the characters.

NOTE: Luke Abbate's parents set up a foundation in his honor, which gives scholarships to deserving students from Luke's high school, and helps families deal with issues around reckless teenage driving. To learn more about the Abbate family or to donate to the foundation, please visit: The Luke Abbate 5th Quarter Foundation

Home of The Giants

Starring: Ryan Merriman, Haley Joel Osment, & Danielle Panabaker

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Home of The Giants uses a High School Basketball team and it's star to tell an amazing story, with one hell of a twist. Matt Morrison (Ryan Merriman) is the king of his High School and the beloved star of his High School Basketball team, but not all is as perfect as it seems. Matt's brother has just been released from prison and needs to pay back some dangerous men. Eric enlists the help of his brother to commit a simple robbery, which doesn't go the way they planned. While Basketball is always a part of the story, and has made Matt a local celebrity, this isn't a movie about Basketball, it's about a boy torn between his dreams and his dysfunctional family. Ryan Merriman stars and he just continues to amaze me with his athletic ability. Merriman started as the loveable pudgy kid in the early 90's TV show, the Mommies. Today, the once chubby child star does almost exclusively sports drama and is really impressive. Whether he's a Basketball player here, a Baseball player in 42, or a Football star in the 5th Quarter, Merriman is skillful and more than believable. Imagine getting to live out your sports fantasies, while acting on the big screen, Merriman clearly loves what he does and it shows. In this film he's assisted by the 25 year old screen veteran, Haley Joel Osment, whose still funny looking. Funny looking, but one terrific actor, Osment gives the film a separate dynamic and whole other back story, that just add to the brilliance of this film. Osment was nominated for an Oscar at age 12, and is still going strong, adding another terrific performance to his resume. Home of The Giants really has something for everyone which includes some great sports drama and an intense background story. This film was released independently and fell below the radar, but it is as well written and exciting as anything you'll see on the big screen, I can't recommend it enough.

42

Starring: Chadwick Boseman & Harrison Ford

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Everyone knows that Jackie Robinson was the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, but few know why he was the one that was chosen. Robinson wasn't the best black player out there, he wasn't even a superstar, what he was, was well educated and understood that people attacked him out of fear and ignorance. He never took it personally and knew fighting back would accomplish nothing, and against all odds, no matter what was thrown at him, Robinson was able to brush it off. In 42, he's portrayed by newcomer Chadwick Boseman, who wasn't just fantastic, but also gracious for the opportunity to portray a true American hero. I am a big Jackie Robinson fan and through everything I've seen, Boseman has given the most clear and accurate portrayal of the man to date. His co-star is Harrison Ford, playing the legendary Branch Ricky. Throughout his life, Ricky was outspoken against segregation and didn't just help in breaking baseball's color barrier, eight years later, he broke the Latino barrier as well. What I love about Harrison Ford is that he's so predictable, you know you will always get a tremendous performance out of him and that he will go to extreme lengths to be as real to the story as possible. This film was outstanding, from top to bottom, but my one knock on 42 is that it didn't go beyond the 1947 season. Robinson played for nine years after that and was a key member of the civil rights movement after baseball. I would have liked to have seen how in 1955, at age 36, he led the Dodgers to their only championship in Brooklyn, with an improbably steal of home against the Yankees. I also would have liked to have seen how he became the first black broadcaster, or how he marched with Dr. King in Washington. 42 is one of the clearest, most accurate depiction of two years in the life of Jackie Robinson, and while it was terrific, I would have like to have seen them take it a step further.

Ladybugs

Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Jonathan Brandis, & Jackee Harry

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

We all have our own guilty pleasure, most of them we never admit to, however I will admit one now. I have loved this movie ever since I was a kid. Now that I've watched it as an adult, I can admit that it is one terrible movie, but it still had me laughing as hard as I did when I was 10 years old. In Ladybugs, Rodney Dangerfield plays a salesman who is asked to coach his company sponsored, girls soccer team, but he had no idea what he was in for. The other coaches are ruthless, the parents are insane, and worst of all his team is terrible, so what is a comedian to do? He gets his girlfriends, athletic, 14 year old son to dress up as a girl and join the team. The son is played by teen heartthrob Jonathan Brandis, who I became a huge fan of during the show Seaquest DSV. Brandis was absolutely hysterical as the teenage son, playing a teenage daughter. Some of his lines, along with his interactions with Dangerfield are pure comic genius. As for Dangerfield, while he was a legendary stand-up comedian, he was a terrible actor. The next logical step for a great stand-up comic is acting, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and while Dangerfield has some pretty funny lines, he is one of the worst acting comedians I have ever seen. The story here is a unique and interesting one, in a context that is most definitely not meant for younger kids. There are some funny lines and more laughs to be had at the ridiculousness of the situation, but besides that, this is not a great movie. I gave it an even rating, but when it comes to this film, I am biased by my admiration for the late Jonathan Brandis and my fondness for this film I have loved, since my childhood.

Eight Men Out

Starring: John Cusack, David Strathairn, & D.B. Sweeney

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Eight Men Out is the real life story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox's team that threw the world series for a big pay day. In the early 20th century, baseball players were barely payed enough money to live on, so when organized crime stepped in and offered a big pay day for throwing the 1919 World Series, half the team said yes. The film Eight Men Out is based on the book by Eliot Asinof, the first to officially tell the story of what happened. Until this book, people knew the outcome, but not the particulars. While the book goes into great detail, the movie does not. The film gives us the basics in a very simplistic form, in order to make it more dramatic, and that's the one part of this film I didn't really care for. The things I really wanted to know more about never seemed to materialize and a lot of what we saw in return was the Hollywood exaggeration effect. Don't get me wrong though, the film was very entertaining as it showed a lot of the action on the field and touched on some aspects of the scandal. The acting was stellar and it was really fun to see Charlie Sheen and John Cusack right as they were first starting out. As for the ending, well that was expected, but I still really enjoyed the sports action, back stories, and even the over the top dramatics surrounding the story. It may not be very in depth or even historically accurate, but seeing it again all these years later, I can now appreciate and understand why it is considered one of the top ten sports films of all time.

Moneyball

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, & Philip Seymour Hoffman

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If you're not a baseball fan, you're going to find Moneyball boring and a little bit confusing. I am an avid baseball fan and saw this film about the inner working of the front office to be extremely interesting and just plain awesome. The Oakland Athletics are a small market team and can't afford to put a hundred and fifty million dollar team of stars on the field every years, so how can they possibly compete? It's a problem faced by almost half the teams in Major League Baseball, while teams the Yankees and Red Sox win year after year, teams like Royals haven't made the playoffs in twenty-five years! In sports, if you can't win, you can't draw fans and make a profit, so when you can't afford a winning team, you were just screwed, until Moneyball. Based on the true story of Oakland Athletics General Manager, Billy Beane, the film follows his creation of a system to judge players on more than just the basic scouting and numbers that have been used for a hundred years. Using this system, Beane and others who followed, have been able to compete with much lower payrolls, changing the face of Baseball. Brad Pitt is terrific as Beane and most definitely earned his Oscar nominations, but where did Jonah Hill's come from? I love Jonah Hill, but his character was as generic and boring as they come. In Moneyball, Hill plays Brad Pitt's sidekick, and is nothing more than a boring statistician, I've seen B-Movie performances that upstaged his in this film! If you love sports and want to know more about the behind the scenes aspect of it, Moneyball is a terrific film to use, but if you're not much of a fan and don't really care about sports, that you will just find this film boring. It's geared to a very specific type of moviegoer and if you're not into sports, you won't be into Moneyball.