Well done, but could have been better.

Rating: 7/10 (8 May 2002)

Contains Spoiler I was surprised at the excellent performance by Keanu Reaves. Diane Lane is an old pro, and an underrated actress. But I watched this because its a baseball movie, and it ranks among those I like, though it falls short of my very favorites. The baseball scenes are very good  believable and they ring true.
But there were two major flaws: first of all, Reeves takes the team of Chicago youths to a baseball game  in Detroit's Tiger Stadium. (Apparently other parts of the film were done in Detroit as well.) The Sammy Sosa appears in a uniform without a logo. I suppose the setting could have been 1991, while Sosa and Thomas were both with the Sox, but a drive to Detroit would be far-fetched. But a Cubs-Sox game would not have been in Tiger Stadium. This may not be essential to the story, but it is an essential detail for baseball fans. Secondly, each game takes place at the same park, perhaps because of budgeting purposes. Some league play all games on the same field. But in both games against the team with the "bad guy" coach with the nice uniforms, they are the home team on the score board. It would have been a nice touch to go to their field in the first game and then home for the finale. Otherwise, besides some over-the-top sentimentality and the kids being a little TOO easy to win over this movie was enjoyable. My kids were in tears as G lay dying in his brother's arms.