[Moving picture of popcorn]

Laramie Movie Scope:
Little Big League

Mediocre baseball movie

[Strip of film rule]
by Robert Roten, Film Critic
[Strip of film rule]

July 5, 1994 -- ``Little Big League'' is a new film which tries, but doesn't succeed in matching the charm of such recent kids-and-baseball movies as ``Sandlot'' and ``Rookie of the Year.''

``Little Big League'' is about a kid named Billy Heywood, played by Luke Edwards, who inherits a baseball team, the Minnesota Twins. Heywood first fires his abusive manager and then names himself the new manager of the team. Heywood has the team playing better, but starts getting stressed out because the star of the team (played by Timothy Busfield) is dating his mother, Jenny, played by Ashley Crow. Heywood has to grow up in a hurry.

Some decent baseball action shots manage to make it into the film and the acting isn't bad. It makes its point about how major league baseball has become more of a business than a sport.

What the film forgets to do is to have much fun along the way. Heywood preaches to his players that they ought to have more fun playing baseball, but at the same time, the film's viewers are subjected to an unpleasant and uninstructive morality play about how adults don't have enough joy in their lives.

This is basically a sad film about lost innocence masquerading as a comedy. The other two films mentioned earlier, ``Sandlot'' and ``Rookie of the Year,'' stuck to the joy of the sport and they were a lot more fun to watch. ``Little Big League'' takes itself too seriously. It rates a C.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

[Strip of film rule]  
Back to the Laramie Movie Scope index.
    [Rule made of Seventh Seal sillouettes]

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at my last name at lariat dot org. [Mailer button: image of letter and envelope]

(If you e-mail me with a question about this or any other movie or review, please mention the name of the movie you are asking the question about, otherwise I may have no way of knowing which film you are referring to)