Angels in the Outfield (1994)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

William Dear

Writers (WGA):

Dorothy Kingsley (1951 screenplay) &
George Wells (1951 screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 July 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sport

Tagline:

It Could Happen.

Plot:

When a boy prays for a chance to have a family if the California Angels win the pennant, angels are assigned to make that possible.

Plot Keywords:

Angel | Team | Baseball | Coach | Sports Team

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Danny Glover	...	George Knox
Brenda Fricker	...	Maggie Nelson
Tony Danza	...	Mel Clark
Christopher Lloyd	...	Al the Boss Angel
Ben Johnson	...	Hank Murphy
Jay O. Sanders	...	Ranch Wilder
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Roger Bomman
Milton Davis Jr.	...	J.P.
Taylor Negron	...	David Montagne
Tony Longo	...	Triscuitt Messmer
Neal McDonough	...	Whitt Bass
Stoney Jackson	...	Ray Mitchell
Adrien Brody	...	Danny Hemmerling
Tim Conlon	...	Wally
Matthew McConaughey	...	Ben Williams

Also Known As:

Angels (UK)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:All | USA:PG (Certificate #33157) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Germany:o.Al. (w) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

Caravan Pictures

Trivia:

The movie centers around the then-California Angels in Anaheim, but was filmed at the Oakland Coliseum due to the fact that the NFL season was taking place and the then-Los Angeles Rams were using the stadium in Anaheim. The Coliseum was not being used as the Raiders had not yet returned to Oakland.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the last game against the White Sox, Oliver hits a fly ball that gets caught. He is then shown on second base a few shots later.

Quotes:

George Knox: I want you all here, in uniform, at 9 tomorrow! We're going to work on fundamentals!
[the team groans]
Norton: Fundamentals? In the middle of the season?
Whitt Bass: I thought the game started at *1*.
George Knox: It *does* start at 1. And you're a jack-ass!
Whitt Bass: No, i'm a pitcher.
[Knox storms off]
Jose Martinez: Well, you're a pitcher and a jack-ass.
Pablo Garcia: Si - it's very common.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

It's All Right

Future Stars in Amiable Family Dramedy/Fantasy

Although I don't usually go for relentlessly heartwarming fare like this, I happened to catch the 1994 version of ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD (AitO) on cable one Saturday morning just as it was starting. Being an Adrien Brody fan, I was curious to see what Brody was like as a youth of 21 (20 when he filmed it, I suppose) in this early role as Danny Hemmerling, utility infielder for the California Angels (in the 1951 original, the hard-luck baseball team was the Pittsburgh Pirates. The name change is a nice touch, since it turns the title into wordplay). I decided to give the flick a chance, and it turned out to be a pretty painless, even amiable experience, with a decent balance of laughs, tears, sweetness, and baseball-based excitement. Also, my 7-year-old daughter liked the angel effects! :-) Directed by Mike Nesmith's frequent collaborator William Dear, AitO is the story of Roger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a foster child who prays real hard after his ne'er-do-well dad (the convincingly sleazy Dermot Mulroney) sarcastically says they'll be a family again once the last-place California Angels win the pennant. Soon Roger starts seeing real angels at the Angels' games, led by Christopher Lloyd, whose usual zany, eccentric irreverence keeps AitO from plummeting irretrievably into The Schmaltz Zone. Crusty manager George Knox (Danny Glover in world-weary, exasperated mode) is a hard sell, but once the team starts winning, he believes Roger's angel sightings, and soon Knox has Roger and his cute li'l pal and fellow foster kid J.P. (the adorable Milton Davis Jr.) at every Angels game for good luck. Knox even starts toning down his own temperamental outbursts and profane language, as much to appease the angels as for the kids' sake, resulting in a funny bit when he starts dressing down an umpire in his usual way but starts editing himself as he goes along. Predictable obstacles ensue, such as obnoxious sportcaster Ranch Wilder (Jay O. Sanders) trying to make trouble for Knox because of the angel angle. Sure, it all works out fine for our heroes in the end, but they're so darn amiable you don't mind! :-) Baby-faced Brody has a couple of good lines (I especially like his exchange with Glover about the emotional impact of the National Anthem at a ballgame) as well as a cute bit where a pretty blonde angel massages his shoulders before he goes up to bat. Brody isn't the only future star in AitO's lineup: his teammates include Matthew McConaughey and Neal McDonough, and of course, young Gordon-Levitt went on to co-star in TV's 3rd ROCK FROM THE SUN as well as such films as 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. The always-amusing Taylor Negron and Oscar winners (but not for this film :-) Brenda Fricker and Ben Johnson lend able support. If you're a baseball fan who wants to rent a movie appropriate for the kids and check out some notable young actors before they became stars, AitO '94 will do nicely.