Hardball

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane
Directed by: Brian Robbins
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Sports, Drama
2001

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Connor O'Neil (Keanu Reeves) is a drinking, gruff gambling- addicted individual who has only looked out for himsefl all his life. When he finds himself in deep, with the threat of an assbeating or being killed by the loan sharks he owes big time, he turns to a friend who sets him up with a job: coach an inner-city kids' baseball team for $500 a week. He reluctantly takes the job. Now, he begins to see hope both in his team and through their help, in himself.

Review:

Tim: First of all, it must be said that this is NOT a children's movie. It's rated PG-13, but it should be a PG-15 film (yes I know there is no such thing, but there should be for films like this). Hardball is a gritty, grisley story of a man with a gambling addiction and mutliple other problems, who through the help of a ragtag team of elementary school baseball players from the projects, begins to question his lifestyle and his ethics. This movie is not as much about the baseball team as it is about Reeves. That being said, this is a very good film.

I'm not saying this movie is flawless- it has a number of flaws. The biggest perhaps is the transfomation of both the team and their coach. One scene we see the kids at practice, not able to catch a ball to save their life. The next scene, they are playing on an allstar level. We never see them practice, or have any explanation on how the team made such a turnaround. Furthermore, we never see why or how Keanu Reeves goes from not caring about the team at all, to having them play an integral part in his life. Now, of course you could blab on and on about how sometimes in life things sneak up on you and before you realize it, you care about something, but this film portrays it where Reeves hates the team, and two seconds later, can't get enough of them. Not very realistic, and quite confusing.

An interesting point to mention now is that this film really isn't about baseball. Sure, the film centers around little league and a trip to a big-league game can be seen coming a mile away. Obviously baseball is a theme, but not the major one. This movie is more about life, hardtimes, and inspiration. It is a gripping drama, and I'm willing to bet more people will watch the end of this film with wet eyes than not. If you're looking for a lighthearted inspirational movie to take your kids to, I don't recommend this film at all. However, if you're mature, and want to see a film that will tear at your heart, make you cry, and send shivers down your spine in it's most inspirational moments, then this film is for you. It displays a very good message, but it takes time and unpleasant scenes to do so. Another flaw of this movie is one that you often find in films. It starts out incredible slow, and not a good film at all. However, once you get past the preliminaries, the film is quite good.

Now that we have seen the flaws, let's talk about what this movie does right. Keanu Reeves is incredible in this film. He showed the world he has acting ability with The Matrix, and adds icing to the cake with this film. He is honestly very, very good in this film (I'm not joking). His performance makes this film worthwhile to see. The transformation of his character from the opening scenes to the ending scenes is terrific to watch. He also has great support from the actors playing the kids on the baseball team. They are oftentimes hilarious, with their ghetto language, and use of swear words. They bring the vast majority of the comedy to the film, but at times also bring the most drama. Diane Lane doesn't have a whole lot to do in this film, yet she plays her role very well. She doesn't try to make her role any bigger than it needs to be. She does a good job, but there is no chemistry between her and Reeves. I don't know exactly who's fault that is, but going with the majority of America, they'd probably blame it on Mr. Reeves.

Before watching this film, it's important to know what you are getting yourself into. The projects are not a pleasant place, and this film will show you firsthand what living there is like. It's tough to watch at times, but all in all, an entertaining and very moving film. I definitely recommend it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Remember the Titans, Training Day, The Matrix