You Gotta Believe

I wasn't expecting much when I went to see this movie, based on its trailers. Yet even with those low expectations, I quickly found myself bored and disappointed. My five star rating is probably being generous. The film had poor writing, poor camerawork and editing, and overall was very predictable. When the worst parts of a baseball movie are its baseball action scenes on the diamond, there is something wrong. If you combined aspects of "The Bad News Bears" with "Facing the Giants", this film might be the result. It is certainly aimed at more of a family audience, though probably more to older elementary and middle school-aged kids, due to a serious medical topic faced.

It won't mean the same to those that haven't experienced this in real life but obviously those who actually lived this story I appreciate you sharing this and I'm inspired to play on as I continue to believe and play the game almost 60 years after my little league all star dreams.

Many a championship since then but the confluence of my father's influence and the joy of coaching my son have etched an enormously important memory in my life.

So they won't let me get away without commenting on the movie itself. Luke, Greg, Sarah and all the kids give outstanding performances. The on field action is realistic enough to relate.

This movie was lovely and you could tell it was true as no hollywood fluff was added. We need small Movies like this to have balance and not just blockbusters. I liked all the kids and the main actors were totally real. The moral is what we all teach our children so seeing people Live it touches the heart. Every family should want to see this film. I recommend it. Not a bad news bear which was all fake. Just a Good movie. Good storytelling and real people with real feelings. These movies will go away and we will only see blockbusters or crude or horror films if we don't support the family films.

I never knew this was a true story until I read a few reviews here. The fact it was a true story inspired me watching. The only part I knew that was true is that this was a real little league team I didn't know about the father at all.

Now the set up for this team being a bunch of bodies who were just bad at baseball, I don't know If it is true. It was nice seeing that the team came together even though honestly that just wasn't well played out in the script. It kind of just happened.

They start playoffs and they literally showed us literally literally literally nothing after their first game until they're magically in the World Series. That's a really lame script. That is really really lame.

You know I wanna see how the kids felt and acted after their first game or any other game up until the World Series. They showed us nothing.

It's only good because the story of a bunch of nobodies making the World Series and watching the effect that dad has on them is inspiring. But the script was really, really poorly played out.

Looking for something to see, I was intrigued by the premise of misfit little leaguers. Could this be an updated The Bad News Bears?

Nope. It's a whitewashed family film scrubbed of any edge, predictable beyond belief, and boring.

It was hard to find what the appeal would be for either adults of children.

This a true story that is supposed to be inspiring but instead is a poor tribute to the brave coach the film is honoring.

Greg Kinnear looks bored and tired. Luke Wilson fares better but the sappy script lets him down. The kids make little impression. The film builds no tension and you basically know how it will end after the first 20 minutes.

The film is also weirdly lit, and poorly edited.

I was the only one in the theater on the opening night preview. When a film opens quietly with almost no marketing, there is a reason.