When Alan Arkin leaves frame...

Rating: 6/10 (18 September 2014)

... the movie drops several IMDb rating points.
A strange little film that is not really Disney (seems to have been picked up post production) nor a true sports film nor even a feel-gooder.
Think that the critics are confused by the fact that until Alan Arkin (who just gets better with age) leaves frame at about the 20 min mark, the film is almost an "8" and then drops to a "6" as pacing and editing problems mount up.
Watch Lake Bell who steals all her scenes with finesse and grace. Cast in a Sandra Bullock role, she becomes the glue that keeps the film together as the editing fails, but she is too little too late.
They do bring Arkin back at the 1:41 mark, which once again elevates the film, but at the same time it underscores how uneven this production really is.
Could have been so much better.