Movie Review: The Perfect Game
Quick Plot Summary: Family-friendly movie that tells the true story of a Mexican Little League baseball team that overcame incredible hurdles and won the 1957 Little League World Series.
Rating: Worthwhile
Suggested Ages: 7+
This movie has much more depth than I thought it would have just by looking at the movie case. I was thinking something along the lines of a cheesier version of "The Sandlot". Actually, this movie isn't really anything like that. It, I imagine somewhat loosely, tells the true story of an incredible Little League win in 1957. No matter how you look at it, this story is a "miracle story" and is very inspiring. A key theme in the movie is faith in God. In fact, the kids even refuse to play without being prayed over and blessed before each game. Although the priest in the movie is ironically played by Cheech Marin (yes, of "Cheech & Chong" fame), he does a rather convincing job in the role. Besides the relatively clear theme of faith, the importance of hard work and dedication, the importance of family (there's a father/son reconciliation), and showcasing the problems of racism are other key themes.
I would imagine that most kids will really enjoy this movie, and I suspect most adults will too. It's one of those that you just can't help but smile at and leave feeling good. The acting and production quality were relatively good. Some of the acting was a bit stilted, but all things considered was perfectly fine. The movie definitely has a "kids movie" feel but has a surprising amount of depth to it. One thing that I found really clever was that throughout the movie they inserted in real footage of the team from 1957 in a seamless way with the film - it really helped to remind you that you were watching something that did - at least in basic story - really happen.
A good family-night movie choice!
Reviewed by Christopher Long,
BodEquip Ministries