A Boring Movie

Rating: 6/10 (21 September 2003)

Conor O'Neill (Keanu Reeves) is a gambler with high debts with very dangerous guys. He spends his time drinking, gambling and scalping tickets. He accepts to coach a baseball team of kids from the poor zone of Chicago to get some money, pay his debts with `The Barber' and be not killed. There he meets the school teacher Elizabeth Wilkes ( Diane Lane  it is amazing how beautiful she became again after leaving Christopher Lambert). With the contact of these kids, Conor becomes a new man. I did not like this movie. First of all, it is plot supported by baseball, a sport not practiced in Brazil and therefore totally indifferent for me. Second, the character of Keanu Reeves is corrupted and nasty. The viewer does not become sympathetic with him. I did not see he training the kids, just bored on his spot and with minor interventions when the kids struggle between them. I believe baseball has some tactics and techniques to be trained and developed. Third, most of the boys have amateurish acting, grinning when they should not have to, for example. Last but not the least, there is no message in this film other them the redemption of the character of Keanu Reeves, only after he earned a big amount in a bet and paid his debts. Indeed I found this movie a little boring. Maybe Americans and fans of baseball may appreciate this movie more than I did. My vote is six.