Day 96 - 4/6/09 - Movie #94
BEFORE: It's MLB's Opening Day, so I'm making the transition to baseball films - this remake was directed by Richard Linklater, known for "Slackers" and "Dazed and Confused"...
THE PLOT: A grizzled little league coach tries to turn his team of misfits into champs.
AFTER: It's funny that the soundtrack contains cover versions of songs like "Wipeout" and "Bad Reputation", because this movie is essentially LIKE a cover song. It has the same story beats as the original, but it puts a new spin on them - like adding a kid in a wheelchair, and making the star female pitcher the estranged daughter of Coach Buttermaker (so it's endearing, not icky when an older man spends time hanging out with her). Billy Bob Thornton takes over for Walter Matthau, and Greg Kinnear plays the rival coach. Though Buttermaker manages to find motivation for himself, and eventually the team, the moral lessons about fair play and dignity on the field get a little muddled. Still, the movie made me laugh and smile a few times.
RATING: 7 out of 10 pop flies
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