For some reason I was carrying around the impression that this was one of those really great movies that I'd never gotten around to seeing. So I was happy when it finally wended its way to the top of my Netflix queue. I am a big fan of Steven Martin, and I was hoping that this would be a movie that would showcase his dramatic side in the way that certain movies showcased Bill Murray as a serious actor.
I was, as the title of this review says, sadly disappointed. It's a rare movie, I suppose, that manages to balance comedy and drama, and this one failed in that regard. The dramatic element seemed trite and exaggerated: it was hard to take the serious side seriously because it was so overboard (the Rick Moranis family, e.g.). Then, played off against this, the parts that did force a laugh seemed somewhat juvenile. Finally, it's all wrapped together with the absolutely the most overdone movie cliché of the century--underdog kid catches winning fly ball.
I was, as the title of this review says, sadly disappointed. It's a rare movie, I suppose, that manages to balance comedy and drama, and this one failed in that regard. The dramatic element seemed trite and exaggerated: it was hard to take the serious side seriously because it was so overboard (the Rick Moranis family, e.g.). Then, played off against this, the parts that did force a laugh seemed somewhat juvenile. Finally, it's all wrapped together with the absolutely the most overdone movie cliché of the century--underdog kid catches winning fly ball.