how to turn endearing into shameful 4/10

Rating: 4/10 (25 February 2002)

Hardball makes for an interesting viewing. At the beginning of the movie, it looks like it's going to live up to what it looks like: a common and uninvolved story of a white guy who is trying to teach black kids how to live better lives. You know, your stereotypical Hollywood pompous crap.
The movie has its own idea of comedy. The young kids say obscene remarks to one another, and we're suppose to think it's cute. Keanu Reeves, playing the fish out of water, makes it even funnier with his uproarious reactions to the children's manners -- oh how funny. And of course, what would an inner city tale be without different types of rap music blaring every five minutes.
As the movie gets going, it begins to surprise. We realize that these gifted young actors, are ACTUALLY -- gifted young actors. When they aren't reading stereotypical dialogue from the foolish script, they are able to create likable, in-depth characters, that are fun to watch. The film does a nice job exploring why Keanu Reeves is coaching the team -- and while Diane Lane and D.B. Sweeney are barely used -- they do help the film become something more then your typical inner city youth saga. I liked these parts, which makes the film all the more disappointing.
Unfortunately, the movie does end up going back to its shameful ways. The last 10 minutes of the film are so typical, so obvious, that you'll want to puke. Of course the movie has to kill off one of the kids -- this wouldn't be a show about black kids if they didn't. And of course the movie has to spell out that Keanu wasn't really showing the kids how to play baseball, but how to live better lives. Without his presence, one of the kids ends up joining a gang.
The film is offensive to minorities more so then any Hollywood film of recent memory. After watching Hardball, I wondered how hard it would be to make "just" a baseball movie -- instead of trying to make a film that's trying to change the world. The message of this film: All minority kids are doomed unless you can play baseball. Ignore your parents; ignore your teachers; make sure you have a white coach to save the day. This is Patch Adams teaches baseball. What a sour film.