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Rookie of the Year (1993)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
7 July 1993 (USA) moreTagline:
The Chicago Cubs needed a miracle... They got Henry Rowengartner.Plot:
When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. full summary | add synopsisPlot Keywords:
moreAwards:
1 win & 1 nomination moreNewsDesk:
(10 articles)
Who's Going To Be The World Series Mvp? Forget A-Rod or A. J. Burnett, Give Me Willie Mays Hayes! (From MTV Movies Blog. 2 November 2009, 3:30 PM, PST)
Eminem Cypher, Gucci Mane Performances Ignite Bet Hip-Hop Awards
(From MTV Music News. 27 October 2009, 7:22 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Bringing the fun back to baseball more (26 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Thomas Ian Nicholas | ... | Henry Rowengartner | |
| Gary Busey | ... | Chet 'Rocket' Steadman | |
| Albert Hall | ... | Sal Martinella | |
| Amy Morton | ... | Mary Rowengartner | |
| Dan Hedaya | ... | Larry 'Fish' Fisher | |
| Bruce Altman | ... | Jack Bradfield | |
| Eddie Bracken | ... | Bob Carson | |
| Robert Hy Gorman | ... | Clark (as Robert Gorman) | |
| Patrick LaBrecque | ... | George | |
| Daniel Stern | ... | Phil Brickma | |
| Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine | ... | Becky | |
| Kristie Davis | ... | Tiffany | |
| Tyler Ann Carroll | ... | Edith | |
| Tom Milanovich | ... | Heddo | |
| Ross Lehman | ... | Dr. Kersten |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG for some mild language.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
103 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
StereoCertification:
Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Philippines:G | Australia:G | Germany:6 (w) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PGFun Stuff
Trivia:
According to Henry's estimates, his allowance is $1.60 per week. moreGoofs:
Factual errors: In the final game, everyone is saying that this is the Cubs last inning to keep their 2-1 lead over the Mets. While this is true, the home team always has the bottom of the inning; had Heddo hit the home run and the next batter got out, it would've been the bottom of the ninth, not the end of the game. moreQuotes:
Chet Steadman: Henry, don't take this serious. But its nothing to joke about. But one day, your gift will be gone. moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (26 total)
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This movie asks the question: "What if pro baseball was fun again, like in little league, and not so taken so seriously?" The device of Henry's miraculous arm allows the story to inject a kid's eye view into a somewhat cynical world. Juxtaposing the sleazy Dan Hedaya's attempted $25 million trade of Henry to the Yankees with the Henry and his buddies taking a day trip on a boat, as well as Henry's adolescent antics on the field, director Daniel Stern is trying to get us to look at baseball, and maybe sports, maybe life, like we did when we were ten.
I think Roger Ebert, although I agree with his review, took pretty poor notes while reviewing this film. From his article: "When the cast comes off, his dad takes him to Wrigley Field, and he catches a home run ball while he's out in the bleachers, and then he throws it back - all the way to the catcher behind the plate." Actually, he went with his friends, he doesn't even know his dad. And he didn't catch it, his friends pick it up from nearby, and hand it to him because they're scared to throw it on TV and embarrass themselves. Doesn't he have a fact-checker to proof his reviews?
Second, he writes: "Henry becomes an overnight celebrity, and is signed to the Cubs by the team's genial owner." This ignores the desperation of Dan Hedaya, the would-be owner of the team, who sees the publicity and marketing windfall in having a kid on the team. The sell-out crowd is an important story element, as it reinforces the idea that we are all hungry for baseball to be fun again.
There's are lots of laughs to be had in this film, although Stern seems to want to indulge in over-the-top hysterics from time to time, such as with the character he was playing. Also, the bilious "Jack" who gets Henry's mom to sign a contract without telling her it's a trade to NY, is downright spastic in his final scene. Stern shows a lot of promise as a comedy director if he could tone it down just a touch with the tangential characters. Understatement can be funny, as Busey shows with a few choice glares at the right moments. I loved Stern's allusion to the Wizard of Oz, likening the Emerald City gates to the Wrigley stadium gates, when Henry first arrives to play.
The Cubs haven't won a Series since 1909. "And a little child shall lead them..." Every kid should see this movie.