For The Love of Peace!

Rating: 3/10 (23 February 2002)

No more Costner Baseball movies please! This one is well made i guess, and even Costner kicks the wooden acting up a few notches. But what's the point really, who banks these movies? They cant possibly make any money. Is there a legion of Costner or baseball fans who wait for these things to be released? Now for the kicker, I love baseball. I am absolutely devoted to the game. If I was a filthy rich actor, I might just do the same thing. Dress up in a Yankee uniform and live out a childhood fantasy. But I wouldn't film it, and then palm it off as a motion picture. Im being extremely hard on a film that is technically ok. The storyline is a sappy overworked one but not too badly written, the acting so so, and the attempt at realism above average. Licensing fees were shelled out to use actual major league clubs and stadiums and even announcers, and the camera work almost convinces you that Costner is out there pitching. So what am i complaining about? It comes down to the self indulgence of Mr. Costner whom Ive never met but have to suppose owns the largest ego ever to be captured on film. I don't see a baseball movie, I see a horrible actor getting off on watching himself pitch against the Yankees. By the way, that's another unforgivable part of this move. the anti Yankee, and anti New York sentiment that runs throughout as subtle as a tornado weather alert crawl on the bottom of the screen. Bogus and offensive. This movie sucks, Costner is crappy and New Yorkers deserve and apology.