Reviews & Ratings for
Stealing Home More at IMDbPro »

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22 out of 23 people found the following review useful:

Bravo! (spoilers)

Author: Pepper Anne from Orlando, Florida
1 January 2005

This was a surprisingly good late romantic drama, although given the potential cast, I should've expected good things in the first place. It is a nice little love story, an inspiring one, I suppose, that comes from a story with sad circumstances.

Filmed in Pennsylvania is the story of Billy Wyatt (Mark Harmon), a washed up minor league ballplayer living in some rundown town out West. He gets a call from his mother that a close childhood friend (Kate Chandler played by Jodi Foster) of his committed suicide the previous week and left in her will that he was to be responsible for her cremated remains. Wyatt is understandably reluctant to fulfill the obligation in part because he can't understand why he was the one she left her remains to, and he doesn't want to deal with the loss of a friend. So, the story is told in flashback as Wyatt travels home to deal with the situation and the loss of the slightly flaky, but daring girl he was once in love with.

William MacNamara (hubba! hubba!) is great as young Billy Wyatt, although everyone does a fine job. Jonathan Silverman, as teen Wyatt's best friend Appleby, plays his typical eager virgin role common to many of his mid/late 80s material, and adds a nice comic touch (and Harold Ramis continues the charm as the older Appleby). If you enjoy this cast, you should likely be pleased with the film. It's quite a wonderful, underrated drama, and was one of the few movies that I have rented recently and watched more than once.

16 out of 16 people found the following review useful:

Stole my heart...

Author: Lil__P
14 January 2004

This is one of my all time favorite movies. I'm amazed how so few people have heard of it. It's certainly a hidden treasure and I encourage people to give it a good look. It's very romantic, tragic and funny all at once. I particularly love Katy's character (played by Jody Foster). She is every girl and woman rolled into one...

13 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

thanks for the memories

Author: (bligh_81611@yahoo.com) from Aspen, Colorado
19 June 2000

Stealing Home is one of the most underrated films of recent memmory. The inherent simplicity, interesting story lines and compelling character strengths convey a sense of nostalgia while at the same time testify to a strong line of family. The proponents of the critical acclaim of this film will assert that the flashbacks are convoluted, the character development flawed and the ending cliched and predictable. However, this is a film that succeeds on all levels. Mark Harmon plays a present day (1987) ballplayer whose professional career has been characterized by a series of failures and challenges, allegedly fueled by the suicide of a babysitter and family friend, Katie Chandler. (Jodie Foster) Foster's character is capricious and carefree in her approach to her own life and encouraging to Harmon's character, Billy Wyatt. The young Wyatt emerges as a unique talent with a flair for the game which is only precipitated as he ages. The unforeseen circumstance with his father (John Shea) and the complication with his AAA-ball experience fuel his dismay and disgust with his passion. Billy remarks throughout the film that "Katie was the one who reminded him that he was a ballplayer" and this holds true until the very end when he is reunited with his true love and passion. The imagery in the frequent flashbacks is very satisfying and the story line from start to finish is convincing. Harmon, Foster and Shea are a strong ensemble and the film overall is bittersweet, nostalgic and above all, heartwarming.

15 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

A movie to watch over and over!

Author: krkemp from Canada
18 May 2001

This is one of my favorite movies and I own a copy of it. Everything about it is wonderful. I love the beautiful soundtrack which complements the beautiful ocean front backdrop and the nostalgic, emotional and romantic feeling of the movie. The theme song "When She Danced" is one of my favorite songs of all time and I don't think it's cheesy. The movie just captures so many feelings perfectly. You just want to be there living the experiences of these characters at this wonderful, albeit sad, time in there lives. I can't seem to put into words how I feel about this movie and that's mostly because that's what this movie is, something that you can't really touch. It just writes like a bittersweet poem. I make it sound so cheesy but you can't help it with this movie, it's just so deeply moving. But it's not cheesy, it's very real with very real characters. I give it a 10.

p.s. It's not just a chick flick. There's enough baseball dreams and adolescent fantasies to keep any guy happy.

15 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

this is actually my favorite movie.

Author: mlkofkim from philadelphia, pa
14 August 2000

I have never seen a more touching tale of a boy becoming a man, and it spans 2 decades to get from start to finish.

The full spectrum of actions dealt with are amazing, the loss of a father, the loss of a dream, the loss of a true love, the separation from all that was "holy" to this young man and his attempts to reclaim his life after years of avoiding everything real.

All this told with a backdrop that is flawless and accurate. (it takes place in Philadelphia, my hometown)

Truly a touching movie, and my favorite drama.

11 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Be My Friend!

Author: mcgee4468 from Southern California
17 March 2000

Kampmann's decision to tell "Stealing Home's" story via flashbacks is a tricky one to pull off but this film does it beautifully. The emotional rollercoaster that pulls us in is done without the director pandering to the obvious. Mark Harmon's performance as the disaffected, angst-ridden adult that young dreamer Billy Wyatt has become is unusually well-done, as are Jonathan Silverman and Harold Ramis' lovable versions of Appleby. "BE MY FRIEND!" Ah, memories.

16 out of 21 people found the following review useful:

It's a home run, to memory lane!

Author: Brian T. Whitlock (GOWBTW) from WILMINGTON, NC
25 April 2003

This is one of the best baseball movie I've ever saw. Mark Harmon known for his role in St.Elsewhere was awesome at playing Billy. Jodie Foster was great at playing the dead friend. This movie was filled with nostalgia. The music the memories, and the magic of getting back the love of an all-time sport, Baseball. My favorite was when Young Billy finds out that Robin would only bare her soul to him. To me, if a girl like that who had very strong feelings I would not run off. Except shouting when you had the time of your life! That was a good one in my book. The sad part is when Billy's father died in a car accident. And Katie (Foster), told Billy what she did when she got sad. When Billy was younger, he did have a crush on Katie, when he got older, his feelings for her were still there. Now after wards, Katie finds love overseas, but when heartache fell upon her, she would later take her own life. And Billy fulfills her final wish: to fly far away. He also rekindled with Robin, after a failed marriage. Life is like baseball, we hit home-runs, we strikeout, most of all, when you got the chance, STEAL HOME!

Everything else will follow through out of every scene you watch. This movie deserves a 10!

17 out of 23 people found the following review useful:

Best Drama Ever !

Author: DragonPH from Gavle, Sweden
15 February 2003

Tjoho !

Stealing Home was the first real Drama I ever watched in my life.

Still after 14 years it's my favorite movie and I'm still cry out when I watch the movie.

It's a really sensitive movie that'll touch you deep inside with it's warm and gently touch of love and sad pain.

I give it 10/10, one of a kind stand alone movie !

10 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

A Classic Drama

Author: marcuskent from United States
24 May 2003

Wonderful performances by an all-star cast led by Mark Harmon and Jodie Foster make "Stealing Home" a classic drama. John Shea is also remarkable and shows what he can do with a good part. Making the film even more enjoyable is the great score by David Foster which captures perfectly the mood of the film and for once, songs actually blend in and help set the mood and time of the piece.

A must-see.

9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Wonderful Sleeper

Author: donnellymj from United States
27 January 2004

More movies should be pure enjoyment. They don't have to be great to be enjoyable and this movie with it's nostalgia and adolescent discovery of the wonder of girls is a fun movie. The best part of the movie is the steady friendship between Appleby and Billy Boy. It begins with them and ends with them having matured and yet having not lost their youth. Don't watch this movie as a critique. Watch it as if you are enjoying the popcorn.

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