THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 1, 1994 TAG: 9407010073
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
IN ONE OF THOSE moments when the Minnesota Twins are trailing on the scoreboard, first baseman Timothy Busfield points out, ``I once knew a manager who said the game had to be fun, no matter what.''
He might well have passed that advice on to the producers of ``Little Big League,'' the latest in a current series of kid-baseball flicks. Someone should have remembered that movies, too, ought to be fun.
``Little Big League'' is all about an 11-year-old-going-on-12 boy who inherits the Twins baseball club when his crusty grandfather (two-time Oscar winner Jason Robards) dies. It is surprisingly serious in that it deals with the psychological troubles of the boy who is being robbed of his childhood by his duties (``too much paperwork'' as he puts it) as manager of a major league team. The quiet, dramatic tone works against real involvement, especially since the boy is almost a saintly creature who seems aware of every wrong move he makes.
Luke Edwards, the scrawny 13-year-old assigned the central role of manager Billy, has less charisma than the two kids assigned to play his best friends. He gives up stick ball and fishing to become a big-shot manager - attempting to keep his friends by bribing them with autographed baseballs from the big leaguers. Meanwhile, Mom, played by Ashley Crow, insists that he still get to bed early. She gets upset when she learns that he watched ``Night Nurses From Jersey'' 11 times on hotel cable while on a road trip.
A subplot that is hardly developed is the fact that Busfield (from TV's ``thirtysomething'') is courting Mom.
The film, directed by first-timer Andrew Scheinman, never tackles the problems that seasoned baseball players might have in accepting the leadership of their youthful manager. The players are interesting and likable characters, but they speak in PG terms - pretty sanitized for a baseball dugout - although suitable for the pre-adolescent target audience. Ex-Met Kevin Elster appears as does Leon Durham, Brad Johnson and Lou Pinella.
``Little Big League'' avoids the usual ending, but then tacks on an even more corny upbeat prologue. The bemused, and seemingly bored, onlookers are left to clap and cheer when a song like ``Runaround Sue'' gets played on the soundtrack. (The film is filled with a medley of golden oldies - strange choices for a film that, after all, is not a period piece.)
In any case, ``Little Big League'' is a good deal more responsible and serious-minded than most of its ilk. The only trouble is that it will probably send its little fans on regular trips to the theater bathroom. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Luke Edwards stars as 12-year-old Billy Heywood who inherits the
Minnesota Twins from his grandfather in ``Little Big League.''
Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Little Big League''
Cast: Luke Edwards, Timothy Busfield, Jason Robards, Jonathan
Silverman, Ashley Crow
Director: Andrew Scheinman
Screenplay: Gregory K. Pincus and Adam Scheinman
Music: Stanley Clarke
MPAA rating: PG (could almost have been a G, sanitized language
for a baseball dugout)
Mal's rating: Two stars
Locations: Chesapeake Square in Chesapeake, Janaf, Military
Circle, R/C Main Gate in Norfolk, KempsRiver Crossing, Lynnhaven 8,
Pembroke in Virginia Beach.
by CNB